If you’re a fan of little green men, you’re going to be stoked for World UFO Day. One of these days we just know that we’re going to finally meet our neighbors in the universe, and that day will be phenomenal beyond imagining. Whether they’re flying around in saucer shaped vessels, or something more akin to the massive ships we’ve seen in Independence Day, their arrival is going to change the way everyone views the universe. Let’s just hope they’re friendlier than those tentacled beasties from Independence Day!

History of World UFO Day

World UFO Day was organized by WorldUFODay.com in 2001, and was put together to bring together enthusiasts of UFO’s and the evidence they’ve all gathered to support their existence. Knowing that the possibility that we’ll one day encounter other intelligent life in the universe is practically 100%, they knew it was vital that people started having the dialogue about their arrival long before there was accepted proof that they arrived.

Many of them believe they already have arrived, and anyone who knows anything about UFO’s is aware of the stories of abductions and what is seen as the seminal event in UFO history, the crash at Roswell. While they believe that the governments of the world are presently hiding this information from the populace, this in no way discourages believers from continuing to search for the truth they’re certain is out there.

WORLD UFO DAY TIMELINE

World UFO Day is an awareness day for people to gather together and watch the skies for unidentified flying objects. The day is celebrated by some on June 24, and others on July 2. June 24 is the date that aviator Kenneth Arnold reported what is generally considered to be the first widely reported unidentified flying object sighting in the United States, while July 2 commemorates the supposed UFO crash in the 1947 Roswell UFO Incident. The stated goal of the July 2 celebration is to raise awareness of “the undoubted existence of UFOs” and to encourage governments to declassify their files on UFO sightings.

Before 1947, a written record of humans sighting unusual and unexplained objects in the sky existed. However, after the Arnold and Roswell incidents, reports increased dramatically.

As a result, those investigating the sightings rated them on a scale. One particular astronomer studying the sightings, Josef Allen Hynek, wrote several books about the UFO research. The Hynek scale ranks sightings by proximity, from Nocturnal Lights to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

All around the world, unusual lights in the sky or strange occurrences keep humans always curious about otherworldly beings. Movies and television series keep our imaginations alive as well. Conspiracy theories are alive as well, too.

During the 20th century, the world’s fascination with objects in the sky definitely increased. Before the 1947 sightings, H.G. Wells published a story that later became a radio play. Its broadcast across the airwaves had some frightening results! The War of the Worlds, published in 1898 and later broadcast by CBS radio in 1938 made many of the radio audience believe they were under attack by Martians. Narrated by Orson Welles, the drama stirred imaginations. Listen to the episode here.

UFO Day Timeline

1561: Nuremberg Sightings

A broadsheet reports widespread sightings of a celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg.

July 1947: The Roswell Incident

Farmers in Roswell, New Mexico report hearing a large crash, and later citizens recover wreckage of what is purported to be a flying saucer.

1952: Birth of ‘UFO’

The term ‘UFO’ for Unidentified Flying Object was coined by US Air Force officer Edward Ruppelt