Wednesday, 15 January 2014

UFO Sightings.....

This article is a partial list of alleged UFO sightings, including supposed cases of reported close encounters and abductions.

DateNameCity, StateCountryDescriptionSourcesHynek Scale
214 BCsomething like ships in the skyRome,ItaliaRoman RepublicLivy records a number of portents in the winter of this year, including navium speciem de caelo adfulsisse ("that phantom ships had been seen gleaming in the sky").Livy's Ab Urbe Condita Libri[1]1
74 BCflame-like "pithoi" from the skyPhrygia,AsiaRoman RepublicAccording to Plutarch, a Roman army commanded by Lucullus was about to begin a battle withMithridates VI of Pontus when "all on a sudden, the sky burst asunder, and a huge, flame-like body was seen to fall between the two armies. In shape, it was most like a wine-jar, and in colour, like molten silver." Plutarch reports the shape of the object as like a wine-jar (pithos). The apparently silvery object was reported by both armies.[2][3]1
70signs in the sky during the siege of JerusalemJerusalem,IudaeaRoman EmpireA bright light over the Temple in Jerusalem. On a later day, "ὤφθη μετέωρα περὶ πᾶσαν τὴν χώραν ἅρματα καὶ φάλαγγες ἔνοπλοι διᾴττουσαι τῶν νεφῶν καὶ κυκλούμεναι τὰς πόλεις" ("there appeared in the air over the whole country chariots and armed troops coursing through the clouds, surrounding the cities").War of the Jews[4]1
ca. 150100 foot "beast" accompanied by a "maiden"Via Campana,Latium et CampanaRoman EmpireOn a sunny day near the Via Campana, a road connecting Rome and Capua, a single witness, probably Hermas the brother of Pope Pius I, saw "a 'beast' like a piece of pottery (ceramos) about 100 feet in size, multicolored on top and shooting out fiery rays, landed in a dust cloud, accompanied by a "maiden" clad in white. Vision 4.1-3. in The Shepherd of Hermas.[3]3
196angel hairRomeRoman EmpireHistorian Cassius Dio described "A fine rain resembling silver descended from a clear sky upon the Forum of Augustus." He used some of the material to plate some of his bronze coins, but by the fourth day afterwards the silvery coating was gone.[3]2
1561-04-141561 celestial phenomenon over NurembergNurembergHoly Roman EmpireAt sunrise on the 14th April 1561, the citizens of Nuremberg beheld "A very frightful spectacle." The sky appeared to fill with cylindrical objects from which red, black, orange and blue white disks and globes emerged. Crosses and tubes resembling cannon barrels also appeared whereupon the objects promptly "began to fight one another." This event is depicted in a 16th-century woodcut by Hans Glaser.[5]1

19th Century[edit]

DateNameCity, StateCountryDescriptionSourcesHynek Scale
1803-02-22 or 03-24Utsuro-bune at Haratono-hamaEastern shoreJapanOn 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 having red and white hair and dressed in strange clothes appeared. The fisherman claim she held a square box "that no one was allowed to touch" and she spoke to them in a language they never heard before. Modern UFO believers think this story was a credible document of a close encounter of third kind in early Japan. Historians and Ethnologists consider it to be folklore.[6][7]3
1883-08-12José Bonilla ObservationZacatecas Observatory,ZacatecasMexicoOn August 12, 1883, the astronomer José Bonilla reported that he saw more than 300 dark, unidentified objects crossing the sun disk while observing sunspot activity at ZacatecasObservatory in Mexico. He was able to take several photographs, exposing wet plates at 1/100 second. It was subsequently determined that the objects were highflying geese.[8]0
1886-10-24MaracaiboMaracaiboVenezuelaA letter from the US consulate in Maracaibo Venezuela was printed in the December 18, 1886 issue of Scientific American reporting a meteorological occurrence described as a bright light accompanied by a humming noise that caused occupants of a hut to become ill.[9]2
1896-1897Mystery airshipsUnited StatesNumerous reports of UFO sightings, attempted abductions that took place around the United States in a 2-year period.1,2 and 3
1897-04-17Aurora, Texas, UFO incidentAurora, TexasUnited StatesA tale of a UFO crash and a burial of its alien pilot in the local cemetery was sent to newspapers in Dallas and Fort Worth in April 1897 by local correspondent S.E. Hayden[10][11]3

20th Century[edit]

DateNameCity, StateCountryDescriptionSourcesHynek Scale
1908-06-30Tunguska event65 km north of Vanavara,Yeniseysk GovernorateRussian EmpireThe explosion is believed to have been caused by the air burst of a large meteoroid or comet fragment at an altitude of 5--10 kilometres (3--6 mi) above the Earth's surface. Different studies have yielded varying estimates of the object's size, with general agreement that it was a few tens of metres across. The Tunguska event is the largest impact event over land in Earth's recent history. Impacts of similar size over remote ocean areas would most likely have gone unnoticed before the advent of global satellite monitoring in the 1960s and 1970s. UFO enthusiasts however, class it as anexploding UFO.[12]0
1909Mystery airshipsOtagoNew ZealandStrange moving lights and some solid bodies in the sky were seen around Otago and elsewhere in New Zealand, and were reported to newspapers[13][14]
1917-08-13,
09-13,
10-13
Miracle of the SunFátimaSantarém DistrictPortugalThousands of people observed the sun gyrate and descend. This was later reinterpreted by Jacques Vallée, Joaquim Fernandes and Fina d'Armada as a possible UFO sighting, but not recognized as such due to cultural differences.[15][16][17]1
1940sFoo fightersover world war theatersSmall metallic spheres and colorful balls of light repeatedly spotted and occasionally photographed worldwide by bomber crews during World War II.[18][19]2
1941Cape Girardeau UFO crashCape GirardeauMissouriUnited StatesFirst responders and Baptist minister allegedly view crashed spacecraft and alien bodies. Military arrives and swears witnesses to silence.[20][21][22]3
1942Hopeh IncidentTsientsien, HebeiRepublic of ChinaPhotographs show what is reported to be a UFO.[23]2
1942-02-24Battle of Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaUnited StatesUnidentified aerial objects trigger the firing of thousands of anti-aircraft rounds and raise the wartime alert status.[24]2
1946The Ghost Rocketsmostly inScandinavia, but also other European countriesNumerous UFO sightings were reported over Scandinavia, causing the Swedish Defense Staff to express concern.[25]2
1946-05-18UFO-Memorial ÄngelholmÄngelholmKristianstads CountySwedenGösta Karlsson reports seeing a flying saucer and its alien passengers. A model of it is now erected at the site.[26]3
1947-06-21Maury Island incidentPuget Sound near Maury IslandWashingtonUnited StatesHarold A. Dahl reported that his dog was killed and his son was injured by debris in an encounter with four to six flying doughnut-shaped objects. He also claimed that a witness was subsequently threatened by the Men in Black.[27]2
1947-06-24Kenneth Arnold UFO sightingnorth of Mount Rainier,WashingtonUnited StatesThe UFO sighting that sparked the name flying saucers. This sighting is considered as the start of the "Modern UFO era".[28]0
1947-06/071947 UFO sightingsmostly WashingtonUnited StatesSeveral UFO sightings reported after the sighting of Kenneth Arnold.[28]
1947-06Roswell UFO crashabout 30 mi north ofRoswellNew MexicoUnited StatesUnited States Army Air Forces allegedly captured a crashed flying saucer and its alien occupants. The find was soon explained to be a weather balloon but regained attention since 1978 after investigation of S. T. Friedman.[29][30]3
1948The Green FireballsUnited StatesObjects were reported over several United States military bases; an official investigation followed.[31][32]2
1948-01-07Thomas MantellKentuckyUnited StatesUS Air Force sent a fighter pilot to investigate a UFO sighting overFort Knox, Kentucky; his aircraft crashed and the pilot was killed while pursuing the UFO.[33]2
1948-07-24Chiles-Whitted UFO encounterAlabamaUnited StatesChiles and Whitted, American commercial pilots, reported that their aeroplane had nearly collided with a UFO1
1948-10-01Gorman dogfightNorth DakotaUnited StatesA US Air Force pilot sighted and pursued a UFO for 27 minutes overFargo, North Dakota.[34][35]1
1948-10-15Fukuoka IncidentKyushu IslandJapanThe radar of a F-61 Black Widow detected a target below the aircraft. While the aircrew tried to intercept it, the pilot saw the object, which appeared as a stubby cigar; then the object accelerated and disappeared.[36]2
1949Frank ScullyNew MexicoUnited StatesAn alleged retrieval of a grounded UFO and its occupants from a plateau in New Mexico3
1950-04-24Varese Close EncounterAbbiate Guazzone,LombardyItalyA factory worker reported that he sighted three "humanoids" near a craft and one "shot him with a beam".[unreliable source?][37]3
1950-05-11McMinnville UFO photographsa farm near McMinnville,OregonUnited StatesA farmer took pictures of a purported "flying saucer". These are among the best known UFO pictures, and continue to be analyzed and debated to this day.[38]2
1950-08-05 or 15Mariana UFO incidentGreat Falls, MontanaUnited StatesThe manager of Great Falls' pro baseball team took color film of two UFOs flying over Great Falls. The film was extensively analyzed by the US Air Force and several independent investigators.[39]2
1951-08-25Lubbock LightsLubbock, TexasUnited StatesSeveral Lights in V-Shaped formations were repeatedly spotted flying over the city. Witnesses included professors from Texas Tech University and photographed by a Texas Tech student.[40]2
1951-09-10Fort Monmouth UFO CaseMonmouth County, New JerseyUnited StatesAt Fort Monmouth Base, a radar operator picked up an unknown target. Seventeen minutes later, the crew of a T-33 saw a discus-shaped unidentified object.[41]2
1952-07-12 to 291952 Washington, D.C. UFO incidentWashington, D.C.United StatesA series of sightings in July 1952 accompanied radar contacts at three separate airports in the Washington area. The sightings made front page headlines around the nation, and ultimately lead to the formation of the Robertson Panel by the CIA.[42]1
1952-07-161952 Salem, Massachusetts UFO incidentCoast Guard Air Station SalemUnited StatesCoast Guard photographer Shell Alpert took a photograph of four roughly elliptical blobs of light in formation through the window of his photographic laboratory. A Coast Guard press release described the lights as "objects", however Seaman Alpert subsequently issued a statement saying, "I cannot in all honesty say that I saw objects or aircraft, merely some manner of lights."[43]1
1952-07-24Carson Sink UFO incidentnear Carson Sink,NevadaUnited StatesTwo pilots saw three unusual Delta wing aircraft flying in a V-formation over Carson Sink.[44]1
1952-09-12The Flatwoods MonsterFlatwoods, West VirginiaUnited StatesSix local boys and a woman report seeing a UFO land, and saw a spade-headed creature near the landing site.[45][46][47]3
1953-05-21Prescott SightingsPrescott, ArizonaUnited StatesThree Prescott residents sight a total of eight craft at Del Rio Springs Creek, 20 miles north of Prescott.[48]0
1953-08-12Ellsworth UFO sightingBismarck, North DakotaUnited StatesA UFO appearing as a red glowing light is witnessed by 45 people. The sighting takes place for two nights.[49]1
1953-11-23The disappearance of Felix Moncla and Robert Wilsonnear the Soo Locks overLake SuperiorUnited States/CanadaU.S. Air Force pilot and radar operator and their F-89C disappeared while pursuing an unidentified radar return.[50]0
1953-12-16Kelly Johnson/Santa Barbara Channel CaseSeen from Agoura, California, and from aircraft flying over Pacific OceanUnited StatesLegendary Lockheed aircraft engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, designer of the F-104U-2, and SR-71, and his wife observed a huge Flying Wing over the Pacific from the ground in Agoura. Meanwhile, one of Johnson's flight test crews aboard an WV-2 (seeEC-121) spotted the craft from Long Beach, CaliforniaUSAFconcluded these trained observers had seen a lenticular cloud, even though Johnson considered and ruled out that explanation.[51][52]1
1955-08-21/22Kelly–Hopkinsville encountera farmhouse nearHopkinsvilleKentuckyUnited StatesAfter the sighting of a disc-shaped aircraft a group of strange, goblin-like creatures are reported to have repeatedly approached a farm house and looked inside through the windows. Members of the two families present shot at them several times with little or no effect. The encounter lasted from evening to dawn.[53]3
1956-07-24Drakensberg ContacteeDrakensbergSouth AfricaA well-known photo series depicting a supposed UFO, was taken on 24 July near Rosetta in the Drakensberg region. The photographer, meteorologist Elizabeth Klarer, claimed detailed adventures with an alien race, besides having had an alien lover, Akon, who would have fathered her son Ayling.[54]1, 5
1957-05-03Edwards Air Force Base flying saucer filmingEdwards Air Force Base(about 22 mi northeast ofLancaster), CaliforniaUnited StatesJack Gettys and James Bittick, who were filming base installations on behalf of test pilot and later astronaut Gordon Cooper, observed the landing and departure of a silent flying disk. Their film evidence was sent to Washington.[55]2?
1957-05-20Milton Torres 1957 UFO EncounterEast AngliaUnited KingdomUS Air Force fighter pilot Milton Torres reports that he was ordered to intercept and fire on a UFO displaying "very unusual flight patterns" over East Anglia. Ground radar operators had tracked the object for some time before Torres' plane was scrambled to intercept.[56]2
1957-09Ubatuba UFO ExplosionUbatubaBrazilTwo Fishermen watched a UFO crash and explosion, and retrieved fragments of the object.[57]2
1957-10-16/17Antonio Vilas Boas Abductionnear São Francisco de SalesMinas GeraisBrazilOne of the very first abduction claims. Farmer Antonio Vilas Boas claimed to have been abducted and examined by humanoid aliens while working in the fields at night. He also claimed to have had sex with an alien woman aboard the egg-shaped aircraft.[58][dead link]4
1957-11-02Levelland UFO CaseLevelland, TexasUnited StatesNumerous people describe seeing a glowing, egg-shaped object and a cigar-shaped object which caused their vehicle's engines to shut down.[59]2
1957-12Old-Saybrook UFO incidentConnecticutUnited StatesReports of an elliptically-shaped UFO with square ports.[60]3
1958-01-16Trindade UFO IncidentTrindade IslandBrazil9 Separate sightings and 7 photos of UFO's were reported in the Trinidade Island during the meteorological and geological expeditions in the island.[61]2
1959-02-02/03Dyatlov Pass incidentKholat SyakhlSverdlovsk OblastSoviet UnionMysterious deaths of experienced cross-country skiers in the Uralsare due to official investigation believed to have been caused by an unknown "compelling natural force". Some claim relation to unidentified orange spheres.[62]2
1959-06-26/27Father William Booth Gill sightingBoianai, Territory of Papua and New GuineaAustraliaMissionary and many natives saw several UFOs, one of them seeming to be repaired by four human-like occupants; witnesses and aliens waved at each other. The case was investigated by J. A. Hynek and accompanied by other sightings.[63][64]3
1961-09-19Betty and Barney Hill abductionsouth of Lancaster onRoute 3New HampshireUnited StatesThe first widely publicized alien abduction experience. The Hills saw a huge flying disk while driving home in their car at late evening and were abducted and medically examined by small extraterrestrials.[65]4
1964-04-24Lonnie Zamora incidentSocorro, New MexicoUnited StatesPolice officer Zamora reports a close encounter.[66]3
1964-09-05Cisco Grove EncounterCisco GroveCaliforniaUnited StatesHunter Donald Schrum claimed he saw a flying white light in the forest and was pursued by men as well as "robots". Condon Committee investigators were skeptical of Schrum's story because of its inconsistencies.[67]3
1965 to 1967Charles HallLas Vegas, NevadaUnited StatesCharles Hall claimed that while working at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada he had contact with tall white aliens who often traveled to Las Vegas casinos for entertainment with CIA agents.[68][69]3
1965-03-09The Incident at ExeterExeter, New HampshireUnited StatesNumerous reports of UFOs in Exeter, New Hampshire.[70]2
1965-07-01The Valensole UFO incidentValensoleProvence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurFrancePeasant Maurice Massé saw a landed spherical object and was paralyzed by two grey-like occupants.3
1965-09-161965 Craft LandingPretoriaBronkhorstspruitSouth AfricaPolice constables Lockem and de Klerk observed a landed, copper-coloured craft on the Pretoria–Bronkhorstspruit freeway. It was described as being 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and left a 6 feet (1.8 m) wide imprint on the asphalt after a rapid, fiery ascent. The incident was confirmed in a press release by Lt. Colonel J.B. Brits, district commandant for Pretoria North[71]2
1965-12-09Kecksburg UFO incidentKecksburgPennsylvaniaUnited StatesMass sighting of a falling brilliant fireball dropping debris and causing sonic booms, followed by a cordoning-off of the probable crash site, alleged intimidation of a reporter by men in black and cover-up and the unresolved death of said witness.[72]2?
1966The Mothman PropheciesPoint Pleasant, West VirginiaUnited StatesA wave of reported sightings of a winged humanoid are connected to other mysterious events including sightings of UFOs.[73]3?
1966-03Michigan Swamp Gas SightingsWashtenaw County &Livingston County,MichiganUnited StatesWidely reported wave of sightings attributed to swamp gas by J. Allen Hynek.[74][75]2
1966-04-06Westall UFOClayton SouthVictoriaAustraliaA sighting reported by hundreds of people. Witnesses of "The Clayton Incident" still gather for reunions.[76]0
1966-04-15Catalina Island UFOCatalina IslandUnited StatesCameraman Leman Hanson shot 10 seconds of 16 mm color footage of a UFO.[77]2
1966-04-17Portage County UFO chaseOhioUnited StatesSeveral police officers pursue what they believe to be a UFO for 30 minutes.[78]1
1967-01-25Betty Andreasson AbductionSouth Ashburnham, MassachusettsUnited StatesA woman claims to have been taken aboard UFOs by aliens many times over a number of years.[79]4
1967-05-20Falcon Lake incidentnear Falcon Lake inWhiteshell Provincial ParkManitobaCanadaA man is reported to have been burned by the exhaust of a landed cigar-shaped object.[80]3
1967-08-29Close encounter of Cussacoutside Cussac,AuvergneFranceA young brother and sister claimed to have witnessed a brilliant sphere and four small black occupants while herding cattle outside their village.[81]3
1967-09-07Snippy the Horse Mutilationnear Alamosa in the San Luis ValleyColoradoUnited StatesWidely considered to be the first unusual animal death to be related by its witnesses to UFOs and aliens.[82]2
1967-10-04Shag Harbour UFO incidentGulf of Maine near Shag HarbourNova ScotiaCanadaA large lit object was reported to have crashed into waters near Shag Harbour. A Canadian naval search followed, and officially referred to the object as a UFO. Some military persons involved claim the unknown object to be an alien spacecraft. There were other UFO sightings in the area at the time.[83][84]2?
1967-12-03Herbert SchirmerAshland, NebraskaUnited StatesPolice Sergeant Herbert Schirmer claimed that he was abducted by short reptile-like humanoids. He was examined by R. Leo Sprinkleand the case is widely believed to be the result of sleep paralysis.[85]4
1968-02-18Vashon Island incidentVashon Island,Washington StateUnited StatesThree men reported seeing a shiny saucer shaped craft, which froze a pond over which it had hovered.[86][87][88][89]2
1968-08-07Buff Ledge Camp Abductionnorth of Burlington atLake ChamplainVermontUnited StatesTwo teenage employees of a summer camp reported sighting UFOs over the lake and claimed to have experienced missing time.4
1969-01-06Jimmy Carter UFO incidentLearyGeorgiaUnited StatesLater U.S. president Jimmy Carter's sighting of a UAP, which he didn't believe to be of extraterrestrial origin and is, contrary to him, thought to be Venus.[90]1
1970-01-01Cowichan District Hospital UFODuncanBritish ColumbiaCanadaNurse Doreen Kendall claims she looked out a hospital window and saw a UFO containing occupants seated at a control panel. Another nurse called over by Kendall saw only a bright, featureless light.[91]3
1972-06-271972 UFO sightings in the eastern CapeFort BeaufortSouth AfricaA craft was observed near Fort Beaufort in the eastern Cape, which attracted the attention of the military.[92][93][94][95]
1972-11-121972 UFO sightings in the eastern CapeRosmeadSouth AfricaA school headmaster seems to have arrived at a still smouldering UFO landing site in the town of Rosmead[93][96][97][98]
1973-05The Judy Doraty Abductionat a road from Alta Lomato Texas CityTexasUnited StatesWhile under hypnosis, Judy Doraty claimed to have been abducted by aliens and to have witnessed a cattle mutilation.[99]4
1973-09-20Skylab 3 UFO Encounterspace station Skylab 3 in Earth orbitouter spaceBlurred photographs of an unknown object were taken by astronauts.[100]
1973-10Jeff GreenhawAlabamaUnited StatesAlabama policeman Jeff Greenhaw claims he encountered a creature dressed in a shiny metal costume while investigating a UFO report.[101]3
1973-10-11Pascagoula Abductionnear Pascagoula at thePascagoula River,MississippiUnited StatesTwo men fishing on the river claimed to be abducted by strange-looking humanoids.[102]4
1973-10-17Eglin Air Force Base SightingFloridaUnited StatesAn unidentified object was tracked by a Duke Field radar unit during the same time period, and within the same area, that 10 to 15 people observed four strange objects flying in formation betweenMilton, Florida, and Crestview, Florida, along Interstate 10, according to Eglin officials. Reports from the base indicated that a bright glowing ball of light could be seen travelling parallel with an Air Force C-130 aircraft but at a much higher altitude.[103]2
1974-01-23Berwyn Mountain UFO incidentLlandrilloMerionethshire,North WalesUnited KingdomAn alleged UFO crash involving lights in the sky moments before a large impact shock. The cause of the incident was however soon revealed as a 3.5 magnitude earthquake.[104][105]0
1974-05-311974 Abduction EventBeitbridgeSouth AfricaTravellers Peter and Frances MacNorman claimed an abduction event on 31 May, which would have started near Fort Victoria in the current southern Zimbabwe, and which would have continued to the vicinity of Beitbridge on the South African border.[106]4
1975-10-30Wurtsmith AFBNear OscodaMichiganUnited StatesUSAF security personnel reported an unidentified craft flying within exceptionally-secure Strategic Air Command airspace over a B-52 base housing nuclear weapons and delivery systems. An incomingKC-135 tanker was later ordered to commence pursuit over Lake Huron. The object or objects, last seen back over the base's weapons storage area, were never identified.[107][108]1
1975-11-05Travis Waltonnear Turkey Springs inApache-Sitgreaves National ForestArizonaUnited StatesLogger Travis Walton reports being abducted by aliens for five days. Walton's six workmates claimed to have witnessed a bright hovering large silvery disk and fled the scene leaving him lying on the ground. He reappeared on 11-10 at late evening in Heber-Overgaard. Walton described the event and its aftermath in the book The Walton Experience, which was dramatized in the film Fire in the Sky (with the scenes aboard the extraterrestrials' vessel significantly changed).[102]4
1976-01-06/07Stanford Abductionbetween Stanford andHustonville on Route 78,KentuckyUnited StatesThree women claimed to be abducted after seeing a bright red object and a blue light while driving in a car on the highway.[109]4
1976-06-221976 Canary Isles sightingsCanary IslandsSpainSeveral lights and a spherical transparent blue craft, piloted by two beings was reported.[110]3
1976-08-26Allagash AbductionsEagle Lake on theAllagash waterwayMaineUnited StatesFour campers claimed to have been abducted by alien beings in the Allagash wilderness.[111][112]4
1976-09-191976 Tehran UFO incidentnorth of and in Tehran,Mazandaran and Tehran ProvincesImperial State of IranA very bright object similar to a star was seen from Shemiran; after each approach to the UFO the electronic equipment of two F-4interceptor aircraft of the Imperial Iranian Air Force was disabled, along with ground control equipment in Mehrabad International Airport, an event thoroughly documented in the U.S. DIA report. The Iranian generals involved in the incident claimed the object wasextraterrestrial.[113]2
1977Colares UFO flapColaresParáBrazilClaims of UFOs on a river island investigated by the air force in "Operação Prato" and civilian researchers, among them J. F. Vallée.[114]2
1977Broad HavenDyfedWalesUKIn the 1970s, the area was the scene of alleged UFO sightings and nicknamed the Broad Haven Triangle[115][116]2
1978-05-10Emilcin AbductionEmilcinLublin VoivodeshipPolandA farmer in Emilcin is said to have been abducted and medically examined by short, green-faced, humanoid entities speaking an unearthly language in a white, hovering, humming craft. There is now a memorial at the site.[117]4
1978-10-21Valentich disappearanceVictoriaAustraliaContacting air traffic control, an Australian pilot reported seeing a UFO before both he and his aircraft vanished.[118][119]2
1978-12-21Kaikoura lightsSouth IslandNew ZealandA series of sightings by a Safe Air freight plane; the airplane was escorted by strange lights that changed color and size.[120]1
1979-01-031979 Mindalore IncidentKrugersdorpSouth AfricaA mother and her 12-year old son of Mindalore, Krugersdorp, both claimed an encounter with a group of human-like entities standing beside a craft. One of them encouraged her to depart with them permanently. After she refused, they entered the craft which then shot upwards and disappeared in 30 seconds.[121]5
1979-08-27Val Johnson incidentMarshall County, MinnesotaUnited StatesA deputy sheriff spotted a bright light which appeared to have collided with his patrol car and damaged it. The deputy also suffered temporary retinal damage from the "light".[122][123]2
1979-11-09Dechmont Woods EncounterDechmont Law nearLivingstonScotlandUnited KingdomA forester, Bob Taylor, was pulled by two spiked globes towards a large spheroid object, which hovered on a clearing. He lost consciousness and afterwards had trouble walking and speaking. He was also constantly thirsty for several days.[124]2
1979-11-11Manises UFO incidentValenciaProvince of ValenciaSpainThree large UFOs forced a commercial flight to make an emergency landing at Manises Airport.[125]2
1980-12-24 to 28Rendlesham-Woodbridge IncidentRendlesham Forest,SuffolkUnited KingdomA sighting by USAF personnel, which at first appeared to be a downed aircraft.[126]2
1980-12-29Cash-Landrum incidenton state highway FM 1485 in New Caney,TexasUnited StatesA huge diamond-shaped object expelling flame and emitting heat irradiated three witnesses on an isolated road in dense woods, who all required treatment for radiation poisoning. The UFO was escorted by military helicopters including CH-47 Chinooks. The victims have since sued the US Government.[127]2
1981-01-08Trans-en-Provence CaseTrans-en-Provence,Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurFranceRetired contractor Renato Nicolai said he saw a flying object shaped like two inverted bowls that reportedly left circular traces on the grass.[128]2
1981Hudson Valley SightingsHudson ValleyUnited StatesA wave of reported UFO sightings in the Hudson Valley.2, 3 & 4
1983-06-30Copely Woods Encountera suburb of Indianapolis,IndianaUnited StatesHundreds of Basketball-Sized ball of lights were sighted around a neighborhood, leaving unusually obvious marks behind. Budd Hopkins wrote his book "Intruders" about the case.[129][dead link][130][131]4
1985-12-27Whitley StrieberNew YorkUnited StatesAuthor Whitley Strieber claimed he was abducted by aliens while at his cabin in upstate New York.[132]4
1986-05-19São Paulo UFO sightingSão Paulo and Rio de JaneiroBrazilBrazilian Air Force allegedly detect and intercept UFOs in southeastern Brazil.2
1986-11-17Japan Air Lines flight 1628 incidentfrom eastern to south central AlaskaUnited StatesFirst two square-shaped, then one very large craft witnessed by the crew flew alongside Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 for 50 minutes above Alaska. One of the objects trailing the Boeing 747 was detected by military radar.[133]2
1987-11-11Gulf Breeze UFO incidentFloridaUnited StatesEd Walters, a building contractor claimed to see a UFO and take photos of it.2
1990-03-30Belgian UFO waveAnsWalloniaBelgiumReports of large, silent, low-flying black triangles, allegedly investigated by Belgium's military.[134]2
1990-08-24Greifswald LightsGreifswaldBezirk RostockEast Germany,Central EuropeAt 8,30 p.m. many people saw a group of 7 luminous spheres in the sky. The spheres took the form of a Y and were witnessed for about 30 minutes. Photographic evidence exists.[135]2
1991-04-07Baviaanspoort SightingPretoriaSouth AfricaA hovering triangular craft with red central light, and white star-like lights on each extremity, was observed by a family at Baviaanspoort,Pretoria. A similar craft was sighted in the nearby Eersterusttownship on the evenings of 8 and 9 April, either stationary or moving.[136][137][138]1
1991-09-15STS-48 incidentSpace Shuttle Discoverywhile in orbitOuter spaceVideo taken during mission STS-48 shows a flash of light and several objects, apparently flying in an artificial or controlled fashion. NASA explained them as ice particles reacting to engine jets.[139]0
1993-08-08Kelly Cahill Abductionat a road in theDandenong Ranges nearBelgraveVictoriaAustraliaHousewife Kelly Cahill reported seeing a large craft and beings with glowing red eyes.[140][141]5
1993-11-18Sasolburg SightingSasolburgSouth AfricaResidents of Sasolburg observed a craft arriving from the direction of Vereeniging. The craft departed in a flash in the direction ofParys, but returned some three minutes later. The craft, similar in appearance to a water droplet, was observed to change colour and shape. With time individual lights were distinguished, and the body was determined to be cigar-shaped. While contained in a yellowish to orange glow, it emitted a downward blue light, before once again departing in a flash, upwards. A nearby town resident claimed to have found imprints of a small craft's landing gear some two months later.[142][143]1, 2
1994-06Meng Zhaoguo incidentWuchangHeilongjiangChinaMeng claimed to have been abducted and forced to have sexual intercourse with a 10 feet (3.0 m), six fingered, female alien with braided leg fur.[144]5
1994-09Warrenton SightingWarrentonSouth AfricaA farmer claimed to have made repeated observations of a noisy, nighttime craft travelling at great speeds, besides what he described as a 'mother ship'. The craft's noise was compared to the sound of a helicopter or Volkswagen Beetle engine. The farmer's general claims were supported by four independent observers.[145]1
1994-09-16Ariel School UFO SightingRuwaEast MashonalandZimbabwe62 children saw a landed round aircraft and a small man next to it near their school.[146][147]3
1995-03South Africa UFO FlapSouth AfricaSouth AfricaA UFO flap swept South Africa from late March to mid April 1995, which was widely reported in the media.[148][149][150]2
1995-05-25America West Airlines Flight 564Bovina, TexasUnited StatesA 300–400 foot long cigar-shaped UFO with rotating strobe light followed an America West Boeing 757[151]2
1996-07-28Erasmuskloof SightingPretoriaSouth AfricaA glowing disc was sighted by Sergeant Becker near the Adriaan Vlok police station, Erasmuskloof, Pretoria. The pulsating light contained a red triangle and emitted bright green tentacles, while a radar operator at Johannesburg International confirmed its presence. A chase ensued involving some 200 policemen and a police helicopter. The helicopter chase was given up at 10,000 ft near Bronkhorstspruit, when the object made a vertical ascent.[152][153][154]1
1996-10-05Westendorff UFO sightingPelotasBrazilPilot observes a UFO emerge from a mother craft1
1996-12-02STS-80 incidentsSpace Shuttle Columbiawhile in orbitOuter spaceA video taken during mission STS-80 of the Space Shuttle Columbiawas analyzed by Mark J. Carlotto. It included three unusualphenomena: two slow-moving circular objects; a strange rapidly moving burst of light near the Earth's surface; and a number of object traces near the shuttle. The first two may be shuttle debris and an unusual atmospheric phenomenon. An analysis of the object traces near the shuttle suggested they were not shuttle debris or meteors, though James Oberg deemed them to be nearby sunlit debris.[155][156]2
1997-03-13Phoenix LightsPhoenix, ArizonaUnited StatesLights and craft of varying descriptions, most notably a V-shaped pattern, were seen by thousands of people between 19:30 and 22:30 MST, in a space of about 300 miles, from the Nevada line, through Phoenix, to the edge of Tucson.[157][158]1
1997-07Trichardt SightingTrichardtSouth AfricaA hovering, cylindrical light or shiny cloud, was filmed by Andreas Mathios in the sky above the town of Trichardt, in the current western Mpumalanga province. Besides Mathios, it was independently observed by three other persons around 6:50am. The light suddenly dropped and rose again before disappearing.[159]0
1998-12-27Graaff Reniet SightingGraaff RenietSouth AfricaThe Laubscher family videotaped a group of roundish triangular craft passing over the town of Graaff Reinet, at about 25,000 ft. These were changing colour and sometimes circled one another, before being overtaken by a much larger, shiny, gold-coloured craft. At this point all the objects departed to a cloud bank on the horizon.[160][161]0
2000-05-08Warden SightingWardenSouth AfricaPolice inspector Kriel claimed to have observed an approaching UFO while travelling on the N3 freeway, 70 km north of Warden in the eastern Free State province. The orange, oval-shaped light was fitted with two cupolas, one above and another below, and was wide enough to cover four lanes of the freeway. After a close approach the craft receded again. A follow up report claimed that the vicinity is known for moving light apparitions.[162]1

21st century[edit]

DateNameCity, StateCountryDescriptionSourcesHynek Scale
2001-07-15NJ Turnpike/Carteret Lights IncidentCarteret, New JerseyUnited StatesAt least 15 people, including 2 police officers, stopped their cars along the New Jersey Turnpike to view light formations in the night sky.[163][164]1
2004-03-052004 Mexican UFO incidentMexicoA drug-smuggling air-patrol recorded on infrared camera what some claimed to be UFOs. The footage was released byJaime Maussan. The objects were however convincingly correlated with the burn-off flares of oil platforms.[165]2
2004-08-21 to 2006-10-31The Tinley Park LightsTinley Park, IllinoisUnited StatesA sequence of five mass UFO sightings, first on August 21, 2004, two months later on October 31, 2004, again on October 1 of 2005, and once again on October 31, 2006, in Tinley Park and Oak Park, Chicago.[166][167][168]1
2006-11-072006 O'Hare International Airport UFO sightingChicago, IllinoisUnited StatesUnited Airlines employees and pilots claimed sightings of a saucer-shaped, unlit craft hovering over a Chicago O'Hare Airport terminal, before shooting up vertically.[169]1
2007-04-232007 Alderney UFO sightingAlderneyBailiwick of GuernseyTwo airline pilots on separate flights spot UFOs off the coast of Alderney.[170]1
2007-10-292007 Kolkata UFO sightingKolkataIndiaA fast moving object was spotted at 30° in the eastern horizon between 3:30AM and 6:30AM and filmed on handycam. Its shape shifted from a sphere to a triangle and then to a straight line. The object emitted a bright light forming a halo and radiated a range of colours. It was spotted by many people and hundreds gathered along the E.M. Bypass to catch a glimpse of the UFO, triggering a frenzy. The video footage was released on a TV News channel and later shown to Dr. D.P. Duari, the director of MP Birla Planetarium, Kolkata, who found it to be "extremely interesting and strange".[171][172][173]1
2007-11-28 to 2011-12-13Dudley DoritoWest Midlands conurbationUnited KingdomThe Dudley Dorito sightings concerns multiple sightings of ablack triangle over the West Midlands conurbation of the United Kingdom which began in November 2007. The phrase was coined by the local press after hearing witness descriptions of the object.[174][175]1
2008-01-08 to 2008-02-09Stephenville, Texas UFO sightingsStephenville, TexasDublin, Texas,Crawford, TexasUnited StatesUFOs were, and are sometimes still reported from this area. One was an object described as 1 mile (1.6 km) by 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in size, spotted over Bush Ranch in Crawford, Texas. The Air Force has identified the objects as training fighter jets that went unreported due to a "communications problem".[176]1
2008-05 to 2008-092008 Turkey UFO sightingsIstanbulTurkeyOver a four-month span in 2008, a night guard at the Yeni Kent Compound videotaped one or more UFOs over Turkey at nighttime. Many witnesses confirmed the two and a half hours' worth of video, leading the Sirius UFO Space Science Research Center to dub it the "most important images of a UFO ever filmed".[177]2
2008-06-20Wales UFO sightingsdifferent cities, WalesUnited KingdomAccording to media reports, a police helicopter was almost hit by a UFO, before it tried to pursue it. Hundreds of people reported to have witnessed a UFO on the same or preceding days, from different areas of Wales.[178]2
2009-02-27Middelburg Witbank SightingMiddelburg -WitbankSouth AfricaTwo formations of high-flying, orange-red objects, were seen by many witnesses, and video-recorded by some, as they traveled between the towns of Middelburg and Witbank, 25 kilometres (16 mi) apart. The first formation of 7 objects were seen at 21:51 on 27 February, as they flew westwards from Middelburg towards Witbank. Due to their altitude they eventually disappeared behind clouds. At 20:00 on 6 March, they were noted again high in the sky, but this time greater in number, 23, and traveling in the opposite direction.[179][180]1
2009-12-092009 Norwegian spiral anomalyFinnmarkNorway and SwedenA large, circular spinning white light, trailed by a long blue tail over the skies of Norway was spotted by thousands for two minutes around 8:45 am on December 9. The Norwegian media and space center were swamped with calls, and the phenomenon was held to be anything from a UFO to a uniqueaurora borealis event. The following day Russian authorities confirmed a failed Bulava launch, explaining the anomaly.[181][182]1
2010-01-25Harbour Mille incidentHarbour Mille,Newfoundland and LabradorCanadaAt least three UFOs were spotted over Harbour Mille. The objects looked like missiles but emitted no noise.[183]1
2010-07-21Booysens SightingPretoriaSouth AfricaResidents of Booysens, Pretoria, observed a triangle of bright lights which hung motionless in the sky for two hours. In each instance the object commenced a slow descent towards the horizon at 20:30. Binocular observation revealed nothing more than a blue and emerald light, with a white light which shone straight downwards.[184][dead link]1
2011-01-28Jerusalem Dome of the Rock UFO incidentJerusalemIsrael[185][186]
2011-05-11Tierpoort SightingPretoriaSouth AfricaA host of silent, orange lights with consistent luminosity were observed as they traveled faster than a commercial aeroplane over Tierpoort near Pretoria (some 20 objects) and Krugersdorp respectively. On 15 June seven of these objects were observed and some photographed as they crossed the sky in single file over Tierpoort.[187][dead link][188][dead link][189][dead link]1