The 1947 flying disc craze was a rash of unidentified flying object reports in the United States that were publicized during the summer of 1947. The craze began on June 24, when media nationwide reported civilian pilot Kenneth Arnold's story of witnessing disc-shaped objects which headline writers dubbed "Flying Saucers". Such reports quickly spread throughout the United States; historians would later chronicle at least 800 "copycat" reports in subsequent weeks, while other sources estimate the reports may have numbered in the thousands.
Col. Harold R. Turner, commander of the White Sands Proving Ground, speculated the reports were caused by rockets or meteors.
At Fort Worth Army Air Field, Major Jesse A. Marcel posing with debris on July 8, 1947
The US Navy had experimented with disc-shaped aircraft during World War II. Members of the public speculated the craft were responsible for disc reports, though Navy officials later debunked the theory.
Balloons, radar reflectors, tinfoil, insulation, and numerous other objects were thought to contribute to the reports.
Unidentified flying object
An unidentified flying object (UFO), or unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP), is any perceived airborne, submerged or transmedium phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. Upon investigation, most UAPs are identified as known objects or atmospheric phenomena, while a small number remain unexplained.
The celestial phenomenon over Basel in 1566.
1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg as printed in an illustrated news notice.
November 22, 1896 illustration of a "mystery airship" published in The San Francisco Call
November 29, 1896 illustration of another "mystery airship" published in The San Francisco Call
