In 1911, the world was stunned when the famous painting Mona Lisa mysteriously disappeared from the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. At first, museum staff believed the masterpiece had been temporarily removed for photography. However, it soon became clear that one of the world's most valuable paintings had actually been stolen.

The thief was Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman who had previously worked at the museum. He hid inside the Louvre overnight and, the following morning, simply removed the painting from its frame, hid it beneath his clothing, and walked out unnoticed.

For nearly two years, the Mona Lisa's whereabouts remained a mystery. Newspapers around the globe covered the story extensively, and ironically, the empty space where the painting once hung attracted thousands of curious visitors every day. The theft transformed the Mona Lisa into an international sensation.

In 1913, Peruggia attempted to sell the painting to an art dealer in Florence, Italy. The dealer quickly recognized the masterpiece and alerted the authorities. The Mona Lisa was successfully recovered and returned to the Louvre, where it has since been protected by some of the world's most advanced security measures.

Ironically, the theft only increased the painting's fame. What was already a celebrated Renaissance masterpiece became one of the most recognizable works of art in history, visited by millions of people from around the world every year.