A List Of The Most Famous UFO Sightings

It’s not surprising there have been a record number of reported UFO sightings in recent years. The onset of the internet has enabled witnesses to share tales of encounters with unidentified flying objects immediately. Since almost everyone is carrying around a smartphone with camera capabilities, it’s easy to document unusual activity in the skies and share the video or photos. While most incidents are brushed off as weather-balloons, birds, or meteors, there’s no denying there have certainly been some extraordinary events reported. Check out our list of some of the most famous UFO sightings in history. 

6. The Roswell Incident

Roswell is considered to be not only one of the most famous UFO sightings but one of the most well-known UFO cover-ups. In 1947, just northwest of Roswell, New Mexico, there were claims of not only a UFO sighing but of a suspicious crash where unexplained debris and bodies were collected. The story remained a secret until 1980 when UFO researcher Stanton Friedman became aware of the claims. The explanation given was the incident involved a weather balloon, and the story had just been exaggerated. 

5. Rendlesham Forest Incident

Nicknamed “Britain’s Roswell,” Rendlesham Forest Incident occurred in Suffolk, England, in close proximity to two Air Force bases. In December of 1980, witnesses spotted unexplained lights coming from the woods. The incident went on for three days and is considered the most well documented UFO encounter of its kind. Several credible witnesses, including trained Air Force personnel and members of the security police team, lent credibility to the account. The eyewitnesses claim to have seen a bright light descending into the Rendlesham Forest A glowing metallic triangular object was spotted by security personal in the area. The claim goes on to further describe in detail a pulsing red light on top of the object with a row of blue lights coming from underneath. 

4. Kenneth Arnold Sighting

In June of 1947, over Mount Rainier, Washington, Pilot Kenneth Arnold reported spotting objects that he described as circular in shape flying in formation at an unfathomable high rate of speed. Following an Air Force investigation, Pilot Arnold’s report was dismissed as inaccurate. Kenneth Arnold died in 1984 and always stood by his story, maintaining it was his duty to report such an incident. 

3. 1952 Washington, DC UFO Incident

In 1952 military radar picked up on unusual and expected aircraft. The incident was dubbed the Washington Flap, and the cause remains a mystery to this day. The air traffic controllers working at Ronald Reagan National Airport detected movement in the air at an unusually high rate of speed. Just a few days later, eye witness accounts, including citizens, military personnel, and flight attendants, reported flashes of light rapidly zipping around the sky. The Air Force held a press conference to squash the rumors. They announced a meteorological phenomenon caused the unusual activity.

2. The Belgian UFO Wave

One of the most significant UFO sightings in the world took place in Belgium from November 1989 to April 1990. Approximately 13,500 people claimed to have witnessed large triangular objects hovering low in the sky. The account included a military fighter pilot who not only encountered the flying objects but attempted to chase the aircraft before the object flew out of range. The lengthy incident was dismissed as a harmless mystery with no additional details given. 

1. Lubbock Lights

A UFO sighting in Lubbock, Texas, in 1951 includes some of the most credible eyewitnesses, including three science professors from the nearby university. The professors claim to have seen an unusual light formation in the sky. The dull glowing lights, blueish-green in color, formed a v-shaped formation in the sky. Other witnesses also spotted the unusual lights, and some were even able to capture it on film. The incident was explained as a formation of birds reflecting the light from street lamps. Witnesses dispelled this theory, claiming the lights were moving at a much faster rate of speed than a bird could fly.