List of reported UFO sightings This is a partial list by date of sightings of alleged unidentified flying objects (UFOs), including reports of close encounters and abductions. Contents Second millennium BCE Classical antiquity 16th–17th centuries 19th century 20th century 1901–1949 1950–1974 1975–2000 21st century By location See also Notes and references Second millennium BCE City, Date Name Country Description Sources State According to the disputed Tulli Papyrus, the scribes of the pharaoh Fiery Lower Ancient Thutmose III reported that "fiery disks" were encountered floating over ca. 1440 BCE [2][3] disks Egypt Egypt the skies. The Condon Committee disputed the legitimacy of the Tulli Papyrus stating, "Tulli was taken in and that the papyrus is a fake."[1] Classical antiquity City, Date Name Country Description Sources State Livy's Ab Livy records a number of portents in the winter of this year, including ships in Rome, Roman Urbe 218 BCE navium speciem de caelo adfulsisse ("phantom ships had been seen the sky Italia Republic Condita gleaming in the sky"). Libri[4][5] spark According to Pliny the Elder, a spark fell from a star and grew as it from a Roman 76 BCE unknown descended until it appeared to be the size of the Moon. It then ascended [6][5] falling Republic back up to the heavens and was transformed into a light. star According to Plutarch, a Roman army commanded by Lucullus was about flame- to begin a battle with Mithridates VI of Pontus when "all on a sudden, the like Phrygia, Roman sky burst asunder, and a huge, flame-like body was seen to fall between 74 BCE pithoi [7][5] Asia Republic the two armies. In shape, it was most like a wine-jar, and in colour, like from molten silver." Plutarch reports the shape of the object as like a wine-jar the sky (pithos). The apparently silvery object was reported by both armies. Historian Cassius Dio described "A fine rain resembling silver descended angel Roman from a clear sky upon the Forum of Augustus." He used some of the 196 CE Rome [5] hair Empire material to plate some of his bronze coins, but by the fourth day afterwards the silvery coating was gone. 16th–17th centuries City, Date Name Country Description Sources State Residents of Nuremberg saw what they described as an aerial battle, followed by the appearance of a 1561 celestial large black triangular object and then a large crash 1561- phenomenon Holy Roman Nuremberg outside of the city. The broadsheet claims that [8] 04-14 over Empire witnesses observed hundreds of spheres, cylinders Nuremberg and other odd-shaped objects that moved erratically overhead. A broadsheet published in 1566 depicted numerous 1566 celestial spherical objects appearing out of the sun. This 1566- phenomenon Basel Switzerland event is depicted in a 16th-century woodcut by [8] 08-07 over Basel Samuel Coccius (Samuel Koch) and Samuel Apiarius. On September 22 in 1609 multiple witnesses reported seeing UFO in Goseong, Wonju Veritable Records of Gwanghaegun the Joseon Dynasty 1609- Gangwon Gangneung at 사시(9am-11am), Chuncheon period UFO Joseon(Korea) 09-22 Province County at 오시(11am-1pm), Yangyang County at 미 Turmoil [9] 시(1pm-3pm). It looks like a Halo or washbowl and It's divided into two. Hungarian The first mention of UFOs in Slovakia is from 1668 Levoča Kingdom 1668 Levoča from the Levoča town's Chronicles, where the [10] Chronicles (Present-day chronicler describes a silver lizard flying in the sky. Slovakia) 19th century City, Date Name Country Description Sources State On February 22 (or March 24) in 1803 local fishermen reportedly saw a vessel drifting in close by waters. They say when they investigated it, "a beautiful young woman" they described as Utsuro- having red and white hair and dressed in strange clothes 1803-02-22 bune at Eastern Japan appeared. The fishermen claim she held a square box "that no [11][12] or 03-24 Haratono- shore one was allowed to touch" and she spoke to them in a language hama they never heard before. Some UFO believers think this story was a credible document of a close encounter of the third kind in Japan. Historians and Ethnologists consider it folklore. On August 12, 1883, the astronomer José Bonilla reported that he saw more than 300 dark, unidentified objects crossing the sun Zacatecas José Bonilla disk while observing sunspot activity at Zacatecas Observatory in 1883-08-12 Observatory, Mexico [13] Observation Mexico. He was able to take several photographs, exposing wet Zacatecas plates at 1/100 second. It was subsequently determined that the objects were high-flying geese. Mystery United Numerous reports of UFO sightings and attempted abductions 1896–1897 [14] airships States that took place around the United States in a 2-year period. Aurora, A tale of a UFO crash and a burial of its alien pilot in the local Aurora, United 1897-04-17 Texas, UFO cemetery was sent to newspapers in Dallas and Fort Worth in [15][16] Texas States incident April 1897 by local correspondent S.E. Hayden. 20th century 1901–1949 Date Name City, State Country Description Sources Strange moving lights and some solid bodies in the sky were seen Mystery New 1909 Otago around Otago and elsewhere in New Zealand, and were reported to [17][18] airships Zealand newspapers. 1917- Thousands of people observed the sun gyrate and descend. This Fátima, 08-13, Miracle of was later reinterpreted by Jacques Vallée, Joaquim Fernandes and Santarém Portugal [19][20][21] 09-13, the Sun Fina d'Armada as a possible UFO sighting, but not recognized as District 10-13 such due to cultural differences. Over World Small metallic spheres and colorful balls of light repeatedly spotted Foo 1940s War II and occasionally photographed worldwide by bomber crews during [22][23] fighters theaters World War II. Cape Cape First responders and a Baptist minister allegedly view crashed Girardeau United 1941 Girardeau, spacecraft and bodies. Published in 1991 based on the minister's [24][25][26] UFO States Missouri surviving grandchild. crash Battle of Los 1942- United Unidentified aerial objects trigger the firing of thousands of anti- Los Angeles, [27] 02-24 States aircraft rounds and raise the wartime alert status. Angeles California Mostly in Scandinavia, The Ghost but also Numerous UFO sightings were reported over Scandinavia, causing 1946 [28] Rockets other the Swedish Defense Staff to express concern. European countries UFO- Ängelholm, Gösta Karlsson reports seeing a flying saucer and its alien 1946- Memorial Kristianstads Sweden passengers. A model of it is now erected at the site. The case was [30] 05-18 Ängelholm County publicly reported in 1995.[29] Harold A. Dahl reported that his dog was killed and his son was Puget injured by debris in an encounter with four to six flying doughnut- Maury Sound near 1947- United shaped objects. He also claimed that a witness was subsequently Island Maury [31] 06-21 States threatened by the Men in Black. The case was first reported to incident Island, Kenneth Arnold in mid-July, about three weeks after it allegedly took Washington place. Kenneth North of 1947- Arnold Mount United The UFO sighting that sparked the name flying saucers. This [32][33] 06-24 UFO Rainier, States sighting is considered as the start of the "Modern UFO era". sighting Washington 1947- 1947 UFO mostly United Several UFO sightings reported after the sighting of Kenneth Arnold. [32] 06/07 sightings Washington States United States Army Air Forces announced the "capture" of a "flying about 30 mi The saucer". Hours later, the Army announced the find was a crashed 1947- north of United Roswell weather balloon. In 1978, the case regained attention after Army [34][35] 06 Roswell, States Incident Officer Jesse Marcel told UFO researchers the weather balloon New Mexico explanation was a cover story. The United Objects were reported over several United States military bases; an 1948 Green [36][37] States official investigation followed. Fireballs US Air Force sent a fighter pilot to investigate a UFO sighting over 1948- Thomas United Kentucky Fort Knox, Kentucky; his aircraft crashed and the pilot was killed [38] 01-07 Mantell States while pursuing the UFO. Aztec, New 1948- United An alleged retrieval of a grounded UFO and its occupants from a Mexico, New Mexico [39] 03-25 States plateau in New Mexico. UFO incident Chiles- 1948- Whitted United Chiles and Whitted, American commercial pilots, reported that their Alabama [40] 07-24 UFO States airplane had nearly collided with a UFO. encounter Date Name City, State Country Description Sources 1948- Gorman North United A US Air Force pilot sighted and pursued a UFO for 27 minutes over [41][42] 10-01 dogfight Dakota States Fargo, North Dakota. 1950–1974 Date Name City, State Country Description Sources McMinnville a farm near A farmer took pictures of a purported "flying saucer". 1950- UFO McMinnville, United States These were the first claimed photographs of flying [43] 05-11 photographs Oregon saucers since the coining of the term. The manager of Great Falls' pro baseball team took 1950- Mariana UFO Great Falls, color film of two UFOs flying over Great Falls. The film 08-05 United States [44] incident Montana was extensively analyzed by the US Air Force and or 15 several independent investigators. Several Lights in V-Shaped formations were repeatedly 1951- Lubbock Lubbock, spotted flying over the city. Witnesses included United States [45] 08-25 Lights Texas professors from Texas Tech University and photographed by a Texas Tech student. A series of sightings in July 1952 accompanied radar 1952 1952- contacts at three separate airports in the Washington Washington, Washington, 07-12 United States area.