1947 - Kenneth Arnold Sighting
Private pilot Kenneth Arnold reported seeing nine crescent-shaped objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier, Washington. This sighting popularized the term "flying saucer".
1952 - Washington D.C. UFO Incident
Multiple radar detections and visual sightings of UFOs over Washington D.C. led to interceptor jets being scrambled. The incident made front-page news across the country.
1969 - Project Blue Book Terminated
The U.S. Air Force's official UFO investigation program, Project Blue Book, was terminated after 22 years of operation, concluding that most UFO sightings could be explained as misidentifications of natural phenomena.
2004 - USS Nimitz Encounter
U.S. Navy pilots reported encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena off the coast of San Diego. The incident included radar detections and visual sightings of objects performing seemingly impossible aerial maneuvers.
2017 - New York Times Reveals Secret Pentagon UFO Program
The New York Times published an article revealing the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), a secret Pentagon program to study UFOs.
2021 - US Government UAP Report
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a preliminary assessment on UAPs to Congress, acknowledging the reality of the phenomenon and the need for further study.