UFOs and Flying Saucers
The term UFO is a modern contrivance to describe a very old phenomenon. There is a minor controversy whether it was first coined in 1953 by Major Donald Keyhoe or in 1956 by Captain Edward Ruppelt. Major Keyhoe was a Marine Aviator who founded the organization NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenonoma) whereas Captain Ruppelt was an Air Force officer who headed Project Blue Book for a time.
Prior to this, the most commonly known phrase in the media was Flying Saucer. This phrase originated in 1947 with a sensationalized story about a pilot named Kenneth Arnold who reported a series of flying saucers in loose formation while himself flying past Mt Ranier. The term was catchy, but by the mid fifties it'd become plain that the description was too limited to accommodate the multitude of descriptions they found.
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-ufo
http://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos.html
https://vault.fbi.gov/National%20Investigations%20Committee%20on%20Aerial%20Phenomena%20(NICAP)
Air Ships
Another common category of UFO is one popularized by the sci fi cinema of yesteryear and Looney Tunes cartoons. While many might hold that the air ship category of UFO is a byproduct of military testing during the World Wars, some might be shocked to learn of reports going back over a hundred years that made it into the press right here in America.
A very famous, or infamous, case was was the the Great California Airship incident in 1896. In Sacramento, California November 1896 an illuminated air ship was witnessed moving against the wind. Hundreds of witnesses observed the object, but it was only the beginning of what would become America's first UFO flap and media frenzy over an unknown object in the sky. It was witnessed a week later over San Francisco, and would be seen throughout the Pacific coast throughout the remainder of the year.
Glowing Orbs
The most famous unusual heavenly spectacle is this, not any particular formation or shape. Glowing orbs have been witnessed throughout human history. Rather than chronicle events from ancient Sumeria going forward however, I'll focus on one in particular closer to our era.
The scene was Windsor Castle in 1783. An August night was disturbed by a brilliant light beneath a cloud on the horizon. Among the witnesses was Thomas Sandby, who was a founder of the Royal Academy, and his brother Peter, who painted the still below in watercolor based on this event. Tom's words follow...
"An oblong cloud moving more or less parallel to the horizon. Under this cloud could be seen a luminous object which soon became spherical, brilliantly lit, which came to a halt; this strange sphere seemed at first to be pale blue in colour but then its luminosity increased and soon it set off again towards the East. Then the object changed direction and moved parallel to the horizon before disappearing to the South-East; the light it gave out was prodigious; it lit us everything on the ground."
Under Sea Objects
There are a great many sightings of objects that come not from the sky, but the watery depths. Most documented sightings involve waters, either the object rising from them or diving into them. One of the oldest sightings in America is a poorly documented sighting by german explorers in 17th century who saw 'great silvery darts' flying out of what is assumed to have been Lake Michigan. Some sightings are even entirely underwater, as in a case by Christopher Columbus himself in his famous journey to the new world.
A case I will deal with in a separate blog in depth will involve this subject to some extent. The Colares UFO flap was a rare instance that occured in the 70s and was actually violent. Some researchers have refered to this Brazilian nightmare scenario as a real life War of the Worlds flap. It is a highly controversial story as there were several deaths and injuries.
Other Shapes, Other Strangeness
UFOs have been seen in many shapes and sizes. Commercial pilots have reported massive flying ships over Alaska that were roughly almond shaped, and others have reported literal rocket ships. The Kecksberg Crash involved a UFO crash that bears striking resemblance to a Nazi experimental craft known as 'Die Glocke' or the bell for its shape. Still others are top shaped, and recently rectangular and triangular craft have come into prominence in the Northeastern United States.
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