Pilot Kenneth Arnold on June 24 of 1947 was flying near Mount Rainier when he spotted nine glowing blue-white crafts zipping through the air faster than any plane. | Wikipedia
Arnold described the motion as “like a saucer skipping across water.” The press misinterpreted it, and just like that, the term "flying saucer" was born.
Arnold’s account triggered a flood of similar reports across the US. Within weeks, a ranch in Roswell, New Mexico, made global headlines.
The US Army called it a weather balloon. But whispers of alien wreckage and government cover-ups never faded. The legend had taken off. | AF.mil
The US Air Force launched decades-long investigations into UFOs. Thousands of cases were logged. Still, hundreds remain “unexplained.”
As UFO sightings rose, so did alien fever on-screen with War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The X-Files and Close Encounters UFOs became a pop culture obsession | The Guardian
June 24, 1947, changed everything. Whether sceptic or believer, one thing's clear: the mystery is far from over.
So... what do you believe? | NPR