History of Stowaway in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 29, 2024

A stowaway is an individual who illicitly boards a vehicle, like a ship, airplane, train, cargo truck, or bus, with the intention of traveling undetected. They typically seek free passage or aim to reach a destination without proper authorization.

1910: Stowaway Arrivals in the US

In 1910, 474 stowaways arrived in the United States.

1917: US Legislation Defines Excludable Aliens

In 1917, new legislation in the United States defined a list of excludable aliens, which included stowaways.

1947: Start of Stowaway Tracking Period

The tracking of stowaway attempts in wheel wells began in 1947.

1965: Brian Robson's Stowaway Attempt

In 1965, Brian Robson attempted to stow away by mailing himself in a crate on a flight from Melbourne, Australia to London. The flight was diverted to Los Angeles, where he was discovered after four days.

1965: Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic

The Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965, as amended (The FAL Convention), defined the term "stowaway".

2003: Young Man Mails Himself to Texas

In 2003, a young man successfully mailed himself in a large box shipped on UPS planes from New York City to Texas. He survived because the box traveled in a pressurized hold of an aircraft.

September 2012: Stowaway Attempts in Wheel Wells

By September 2012, there were 96 known stowaway attempts worldwide in wheel wells of 85 separate flights, resulting in 73 deaths and only 23 survivors.