60 AD Scotland: A ‘ship’ was seen speeding across the night sky.
70 Josephus, from "Jewish War" Book CXI, "On the 21st of May a demonic phantom of incredible size...for before sunset there appeared in the air over the whole country chariots and armed troops coursing through the clouds and surrounding the cities."
80 Scotland: Conrad Wolfhart, Lycothenes, a medieval writer reports, “When the Roman emporer, Agricola was in Scotland, wondrous flames were seen in the skies over Caledon Wood, all one winter night. Everywhere the air burned, and on many nights, when the weather was serene, a ship was seen in the air moving fast.”
98 Rome: Conrad Wolfhart, Lycothenes, a medieval writer reports, “At sunset, a burning shield passed over the sky at. It came sparkling from the west and passed over to the east.”
312 Constantine and his army all beheld in the heavens a luminous cross.. He claimed to have been shown a cross on the Sun as a sign from Christ that he would triumph over Maxentius.
393 Strange lights were seen in the sky in the days of the Emperor Theodosius. On a sudden, a bright globe appeared at midnight and shone brilliantly near the daystar, (Venus). This globe shone little less brilliantly than the planet, and little by little, a great number of other glowing orbs drew near the first globe. The spectacle was like a swarm of bees flying around the beekeeper, and the light of these orbs was as if they were dashing violently against each other. They blended together into one awful flame, and bodied forth to the eye as a horrible two-edged sword. The strange globe, which was first seen now appeared like the pommel to a handle, and all the little orbs, fused with the first, shone as brilliantly as the first globe.
398 Byzantine Empire: “A thing like a burning globe, presenting a sword, shown brilliantly in the sky over the city. It seemed almost to touch the earth from the zenith. Such a thing was never recorded to have been seen before by man.”
400 Egypt: Panodorus, an Egyptian monk wrote: "From the creation of Adam, indeed down to Enoch and to the general Cosmic Year 1,282, the number of days was known in neither month nor year but the Egregori ('watchers' or 'angels') descended to Earth in the general Cosmicm Year 1,000, held converse with men and taught them that the orbits of the two luminaries being marked by the 12 signs of the Zodiac are composed of 360 parts."
457 France: Conrad Wolffart, known as Lycosthenese, a professor at the University of Basel, Switzerland, from 1539, recorded that in 457 AD, over Brittany in northern France, 'a blazing thing like a globe was seen in the sky. Its size was immense, and on its beams hung a ball of fire like a dragon out of whose mouth proceeded two beams, one of which stretched beyond France, and the other reached toward Ireland, and ended in fire, like rays.'
584 France: The Bishop of Tours in France, is perplexed by curious "domes and golden globes that raced across the sky".
619 Japan: A bright object like a human figure was seen over the Gamo riverin Central Japan.
640 Japan: On the 7th day of the second month of Spring, a star entered the moon. (The Nihongi book two)
642 Japan: In Autumn, 9th day, 7th month, during the reign of the Empress Toyo-Tokaro-Ikashi-hi-Tarahishi-Hime a guest star entered the moon. (The Nihongi book two)
643 Japan: "Five colored banners and umbrellas shone in the sky, and descending, hung over the Temple to the sound of various music."
650 India: One night in the hot season, they (Hariswami and his new wife) were laying on the roof of the summer house. The veil on the woman’s face slipped off in the night while a demi-god was seated in his car over head. His gaze suddenly fell upon her. The demi-god lowered the car and placed her asleep within. She was never seen again. (As told by Hariswami, translated from Hindu by J. Platts)
664 England, Barking near the Thames: At a monastery a great light appeared in the sky at night and shone over nuns who were singing in the burial-ground. They reported that it lifted up, moved to the other side of the monastery, and then ascended into the night sky. Priests said the light surpassed the brightness of day.
671 Japan: Flaming object was seen flying to north from many countries in Japan, one year before the war of the Jinshin.
674 England: "In this year a thin and tremulous cloud, a kind of rainbow, appeared at the fourth watch of the night on the fifth day before Easter, proceeding from the east, and turned into the colour of blood."
679 Japan: Cotton like matter about 5 to 6 feet long fell all over Naniwa, former name of Osaka, and was drifted by the wind here and there.
746 England: " Dragons were seen in the heavens"
747 China: Huge flame-breathing dragons were reported being seen in skies, accompanied by men in airships.
748 England: " Ships were seen in the air with their men"
763 Meath County: While King Domnall Mac Murchada attended the fair at Teltown ships were seen in the air.
776 Charlemagne’s castle at Sigiburg. As the Saxons were laying siege to the castle, flying shields that were reddish in color appeared in the sky and rained down fire on the attacking army.
793 England: " ...dragons were seen flying in the air"
796 England: " In the same year small globes were seen about the Sun"
800 Peru: A theoretical date for the creation of the anomalous mass etchings known as the Nazca lines that resemble aerial landing strips in the Peruvian Andes
810 St. Gregory of Tours. "Alcuin, the secretary and biographer of Charlemagne, and author of the Vita karoli, states in his work that in 810 when he was on his way from Aachen, he saw a large sphere descend like lightning from the sky. It traveled from east to west and was so bright it made the monarch's horse rear up so that Charlemagne fell and injured himself severely."
840 France, Lyons: As he was coming out of the Cathedral Archbishop Abobard, saw a mob stoning three men and a woman alleged to have been seen alighting from a aerial ship.
842 France: Multicolored armies were seen marching in the sky...These sightings of infernal armies were nocturnal. They several times accompanied the siege of Jerusalem.
919 Hungary: An object like a flaming torch was seen in the sky, together with spheres, which flew over giving out a brighter light than the stars.
927 France: "In the town of Verdun, like the whole eastern part of France, saw fiery armies appearing in the sky. Flodoard’s chronicle reports that they flew over eastern Reims on a Sunday morning in March. Similar phenomena happened several times under King Pepin the Short, under Charlemagne, under Louis I, the Debonair. These sovereign’s capitularia mention penalties against creatures that travel on aerial ships."
1015 Japan: Two objects were seen ‘giving birth’ to smaller luminous spheres over Japan.
1027 During August in Egypt, a number of "stars" were seen to fly over Cairo and the Nile Delta.
1034 Europe: A rare typeset book from 1493 contains what may be the earliest pictorial representation of a UFO. The book Liber Chronicarum, describes a strange fiery sphere, seen in 1034, soaring through the sky in a straight course from south to east and then veering toward the setting sun. The illustration accompanying the account shows a cigar-shaped form haloed by flames, sailing through a blue sky over a green, rolling countryside. This may be the first work that actually contains actual illustrations of UFO's.
1113 England, Wessex: A group of churchmen from Laon in France were going from town to town in Wessex, bearing with them relics of the Virgin Mary, which they used to perform miracles of healing. At the coastal town of Christchuch, they were astonished to see a dragon come out of the sea, 'breathing fire out of its nostrils.'
1133 Japan: A large silvery disk is reported to have come close to the ground.
1078 England: " In this year appeared the wilde fyr such as no man before remembered: and moreover it did harm in many places."
1180 Japan, Kii province: A term equivalent to our "flying saucer" was actually used by the Japanese approximately 700 years before it came into use in the West. Ancient documents describe an unusual shining object seen in the night as a flying "earthenware vessel." The object, which had been heading northeast from a mountain in Kii province, changed its direction and vanished below the horizon, leaving a luminous trail.
1200 England: William of Newburgh describes a silvery, flat, shiny disc-like object, which appeared near the abbey and frightened everyone near it.
1207 England, Tilbury:Gervase of Tilbury writes in Otio Imperialia about an aerial ship which caught its anchor on a pile of stones. An occupant came down from the ship and managed to free it, however he was asphyxiated by the atmosphere.
1211 England, Gravesend, Kent: During a Sunday mass it is said that the congregation saw an anchor descend and catch on a tombstone in the churchyard. The churchgoers rushed outside to see a strange 'ship' in the sky, with people on board. One occupant of the vessel leaped over the side, but did not fall: 'as if swimming in water' he made his way through the air toward the anchor. The people on the ground tried to capture him. The man then 'hurried up to the ship.' His companions cut the anchor rope, and the ship then 'sailed out of sight.' The local blacksmith made ornaments from the abandoned anchor to decorate the church lectern.
1235 Japan: What might be called the first official investigation of a UFO sighting occurred in Japan in 1235. During the night while General Yoritsume and his army were encamped, mysterious lights were observed in the heavens. The lights were seen in the southwest for many hours, winging, circling and moving in loops. The general ordered a "full-scale scientific investigation" of these strange events. The report finally submitted to him has the "soothing" ring of many contemporary explanations offered for UFO phenomena. In essence it read: "the whole thing is completely natural, General. It is... only the wind making the stars sway."
1239 England: Matthew of Paris: “On July 24 at dusk, but not when the stars came out, while the air was clear, serene and shining, a great star appeared. It was like a torch, rising from the south, and flying on both sides of it, there was emitted in the height of the sky a very great light. It turned quickly towards the north, not quickly, nor, indeed, with speed, but exactly as it wished to ascend to a place high in the air.”
1254 England, St Albans: Some monks at saw in the night sky 'a kind of large ship elegantly shaped and well-equipped and of marvelous color'.
1270 England, Bristol: A spaceship was seen, which landed and an occupant came down from a ladder and was suffocated in the Earth's atmosphere.
1271 Japan: The famous priest Nichiren was about to be headed at Tatsunokuchi, Kamakura, when there appeared in the sky an object like a full moon, shiny and bright. The officials panicked and the execution was not carried out.
1290 England, Yorkshire: The Abbot and monks of Byland Abbey, (the largest Cistercian abbey in England), were about to commence a meal when one of the brethren ran in to announce a great portent outside. They all ran outside and saw a large silver disc fly slowly overhead and caused the utmost terror.
1320 England, Durham: After the abbot of Durham Abbey died and was buried, a strange light was seen to descend from the sky and move about over his grave.
1332 England, Uxbridge: There was seen in the sky a pile (pillar) of fire the size of a small boat, pallid and livid in colour. It rose from the south, crossed the sky with a slow and grave motion, and went north. Out of the front of the pile, a fervent red flame burst forth with great beams of light. Its speed increased, and it flew through the air.
1347 Europe: Black Plague, 1347-50: Reports from this period feature strange cigarlike objects flying low through the sky and dispersing noxious mists. Soon after these objects passed by, plague would break out in that area. Other features from this period similar to modern UFO reports include sightings of mysterious MIB-like scythe-wielding "reapers" clad in black hoods & robes, and mysteriously slaughtered cattle and other animals. One year before an outbreak of plague, a "column of fire" was seen over the Pope's palace at Avignon. A monstrous "whale" was cast ashore at Egemont shortly before another plague outbreak, and numerous times during this period "rumblings like thunder" were heard even when there were no storms. Blazing "comets" were seen numerous times in the heavens - some of which may have been real celestial objects frightening an omen-crazy populace - of which numerous were said to be accompanied by "flames" (aurorae?) hanging low in the sky.
1361 Japan: A flying object described as being "shaped like a drum, about twenty feet in diameter" emerged from the inland sea off the western Japanese coast.
1387 England, Northamptonshire: A fire in the sky, like a burning and revolving wheel, or round barrel of flame, emitting fire from above, and others in the shape of a long fiery beam, were seen through a great deal of the winter.
1394 England: "A certain thing appeared in the likeness of fire in many parts of England every night. This fiery apparition, oftentimes when anybody went alone, it would go with him, and would stand still when he stood still. To some it appeared in the likeness of a turning wheel burning; to other some a round object, the likeness of a barrel, flashing out flames of fire at the head; to others, the likeness of a long burning lance."
1453 Constantinople: "A fire descended from the sky, stood over the City, and enveloped her with light all night long." Written during the siege of Constantinople.
1458 Japan: An object as bright as the full moon, followed by curious signs, was seem in the sky.
1461 France, Arras: A fiery thing like an iron rod of good length and as large as one half of the moon was seen in the sky for less than a quarter of an hour. This object was also described as being "shaped like a ship from which fire was seen flowing."
1468 Japan: A dark object, which made a "sound like a wheel," flew from Mt. Kasuag toward the west at midnight.
1479 Arabia: There is a woodcut of UFO that was sighted over Arabia in an illustrated volume published in 1557. The Prodigiorum Ac Ostentorum Chronicon, text by Conrad Lycosthenes, is one of the best-illustrated books of the Renaissance depicting medieval superstition. On page 494 is a woodcut showing a spaceship seen over Arabia in 1479.
1492 From "The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus." Christopher Columbus and Pedro Gutierrez while on the deck of the Santa Maira, observed, "a light glimmering at a great distance." It vanished and reappeared several times during the night, moving up and down, "in sudden and passing gleams." It was sighted 4 hours before land was sighted, and taken by Columbus as a sign they would soon come to land.
1517
Rumania, Moldavia: A large blue glowing disk appeared and remained in the sky for some time.
1520
Erfurt, Prussia: Two burning suns were observed. The report says that a great burning beam then landed, took off again and then became circular in shape.
1528 Holland: From the Siege of Utrecht in Holland. “A cruel and strange sight was seen in the sky, which terrified the townspeople and made the enemy think he would get the city. It was the form of a Burgundian cross right over the city, high in the sky, yellow in color, and fearful to behold.”
1529
Two burning suns were seen at Erfurt, Prussia. Then a great 'burning beam’ landed suddenly. It took off again into the sky, where it became circular in shape.
1554
France: “There appeared, about the moon, a burning fire, emitting a great noise, what seemed to be the point of a lance, turning form side to side, from east to west, casting out flames on all sides.”
1561 Germany, Nuremberg: The entire sky over, was filled with cylindrical objects and spinning discs, some say as many as 200, spouting numerous black, red and orange spheres.
1566
Basel, Switzerland: Many black spheres were seen moving through the sky at greatspeed at around sunrise. August 7th is close to the peak of perhaps the largest meteor shower of the year, the Persids, which can be very spectacular. It is tempting to try to link the Basel phenomena with the meteors, but it is unlikely that even the Persids would produce enough rocks large enough to be seen as dark objects.
1569
China: In the evening, a flaming star appeared in the sky. It was regarded as an omen of serious changes announcing the fall of the Chu Dynasty
1577
• Germany, Tubingen: "Objects came out of the clouds resembling large, tall and wide hats and they landed in great numbers and in a variety of colours." From Pierre Boaistuan
1593 England, London: A "flying dragon" surrounded by flames was seen over the city.
1606 Japan, Nijo Castle: A whirling ball of fire was seen hovering over the castle.
1619 Switzerland, Fluelan: A prefect of a Swiss Canton saw a long, bright object flying along a lake near Fluelen.
1643 England: From diarist, John Evelyn. “I must not forget what amazed us exceedingly the night before, namely, a shining cloud in the air in a shape resembling a sword, the point reaching to the north. It was as bright as the moon, the rest of the sky being very serene. It began about 11 at night and vanished not till about one, being seen by all the south of England.”
1649 Germany, Hamburg: A fireball which "moved in bounds up and down" was observed.
1663 Russia, Robozero: A fiery ball of light stopped over a lake at, The noisy object gave out blue smoke and two beams of light projected ahead of it. Fisherman on the lake were burned by the intense heat. The object disappeared and returned again about one hour later. It was observed by many groups of witnesses.
1676 Edmond Hally, the astronomer who discovered Haley's comet, could recall two accounts involving unidentified crafts. His first experience was in March of, when he saw a, as he said, "Vast body apparently bigger than the moon." He estimated it at 40 mi. above him. He also stated that it made a noise, "Like the rattling of a great cart over stones." After estimating the distance it traveled in a matter of minutes, he came to the conclusion that it moved at a speed greater than 9,600 m.p.h.
1680
France: The government issued a commemorative coin of a UFO sighting.
1686 Germany, Leipzig: A fiery ball of light was seen to travel east to west before hovering some seven minutes in the sky at an estimated altitude of 30 miles. It was about half the size of the moon and gradually vanished from view.
1694 Wales, Montgomeryshire: “A fiery exhalation...a furlong broad” rose out of the sea burning straw, hay and barns. Grass tainted, killing cattle, and skin affected.
1700
USA: In the US, there is an 18th century Indian legend about luminous humanoid beings who paralyzed people with a small tube. In variations of these tales, Indian women were even said to have married a couple of these "star people".
1716 Edmond Hally’s second experience was 39 years after his first in 1676. Hally saw an object that hovered for more than two hours.
1718 East Indies, Lethy Island: A large fiery mass fell and exploded on the ground. Subsequently a jelly-like mass, silvery and scaly, was said to have been found.
1731
• England, Sheffield: Thomas Short saw what he later described as 'a dark red cloud, below which was a luminous body which emitted intense beams of light. The light beams moved slowly for a while, then stopped. Suddenly it became so hot that I could take off my shirt even though I was outdoors [this is the dead of winter!]. This meteor was observed over Kilkenny, Ireland, where it seemed like a great ball of fire. It was reported that it shook that entire island and that the whole sky seemed to burst into flames.' The next afternoon, local manuscript records show, this 'meteor' appeared over Romania: '...there appeared in the west a great sign in the sky, blood red and very large. It stayed in place for two hours, separated into two parts which then rejoined, and the object disappeared toward the west.'
• Italy, Firrenze: Immediately before an earthquake a luminous cloud was seen in the sky. It was watched until it disappeared over the horizon.
1733
England, Dorset, Fleet: Dec 8 - James Cracker of, a small town in, , saw a silvery disc fly overhead in broad daylight. Here is his eyewitness account: "Something in the sky which appeared in the north but vanished from my sight, as it was intercepted by trees, from my vision. I was standing in a valley. The weather was warm, the sun shone brightly. All of a sudden it re-appeared, darting in and out of my sight with an amazing coruscation. The colour of this phenomenon was like burnished, or new-washed silver. It shot with speed like a star falling in the night. But it had a body much larger and a train longer than any shooting star I have seen. Next day Mr. Edgecombe informed me that he and another gentleman had seen this strange phenomenon at the same time as I had. It was about 15 miles from where I saw it, and steering a course from east to north."
1741 England, London: Lord Beauchamp was in Kensington Gardens when he observed a ball of fire in the sky. It seemed as if it was eight inches in diameter but grew until it was about a yard and a half.
1742 England: An account by a Fellow of the Royal Society: “I was crossing St James park when a light rose from behind the trees and houses, from the south and west, which at first I thought was a rocket of large size. But when it rose 20 degrees, it moved parallel to the horizon, but waved like this (the speaker drew an undulating line) and went on in the direction of north-by-east. It seemed very near. Its motion was very slow. I had it for about half a mile in view. A light flame was turned backwards by the resistance the air made to it. From one of burning charcoal. That end was a frame like bars of iron, and quite opaque in my sight. At one point on the longitudinal frame, or cylinder, it issued a train in the shape of a tail of light more bright at one point on the rod or cylinder; so that it was transparent for more than half of its length. The head of this strange object seemed about a half a degree in diameter and the tail near three degrees in length.”
1749 Japan: For four days three round objects were seen in the skies.
1751 Croatia, Agram: An iron meteorite crashes . The vapory cloud left by an aerial explosion was visible for an hour before it entirely dissipated. After the detonation took place, two masses of iron fell in the shape of chains welded together.
1752 Sweden, Augermanland: Luminous shperes were seen coming out of a bright cylinder.
1758 England: From Cambridge to Ross-shire. A dazzling light as bright as day seen over Britain Velocity was an estimated 30 mps; height over Cambridge 95 miles; over Inverness 30 miles. It seemed to descend obliquely towards the earth, and then 'rose again with renewed splendor'.
1762 Switzerland, Lausanne: A huge spindle-shaped object was seen crossing the sun by two different observatories and was observed by one astronomer nearly every day for a month.
1768 Germany: The German poet, dramatist, author and scientist Johann Goethe was himself a witness to a strange luminous object. He was journeying from Frankfurt to Leipzig by stagecoach. At one point the rough uphill track was so treacherous from mud and rain that the passengers were forced to alight and follow on behind! It was then that Goethe suddenly became aware of lights in the ravine below them. Writes Goethe: All of a sudden, in a ravine on the right hand side of the track, I saw a sort of amphitheatre, wonderfully illuminated. In a funnel-shaped space there were innumerable little lights shining, ranged step- fashion over one another; and they shone so brilliantly that the eye was dazzled. But the sight was even more confusing because these objects did not keep still, but jumped about here and there, as well as downwards from above!"
1777 France: French astronomer Charles Messier saw a number of dark round objects in the sky.
1783
• England: The scientist Tiberius Cavallo was a witness to a sighting that also stunned Royal guests at a celebration to mark the birth of the 15th son of King George 111 and Queen Charlotte! A luminous object appeared from beneath a cloud and soon became brilliantly lit before coming to a halt. According To Cavallo"s account of the incident: "This strange sphere seemed at first to be pale blue in colour, but its luminosity increased and soon it set off again towards the east." Even though the sun was shining the object is said to have lit up everything on the ground and eventually disappeared with a terrific explosion!
• England, Greenwich: An object was observed that ‘gave birth’ to eight satellites, which disappeared slowly towards the Southeast.
• England, Sudbrooke: Several people saw a luminous object hovering in the northeast at approximately 2200hrs. It emitted fixed flashes of light, lightning, which lasted about 30 sec. The object then seperated into 7/8 pieces and travelled swiftly horizontally before disappearing in an arc like a rocket.
1786 England: A bright ball of fire and light lasting 40 minutes was seen in the sky over southern during a hurricane of wind.
1787 Edinburgh: A bright fireball light like the sun was seen traveling horizontally through the sky at. It dropped a little, then rose again, bursting behind a cloud.
1790 France, Alencon: Police Inspector Liabeuf witnessed and investigated a large red globe as it flew over farmland. The globe landed and a man came out and spoke in a language none understood. The globe then exploded and the man disappeared. The event was witnessed by many and is well documented.
1793 Northumberland.: A bright oval light was observed in the sky over for around five minutes. At first it appeared the size of Sirius.
1796 Germany, Dresden and Berlin: A bright light irregular in form and the size of the moon was seen in the sky above. A large detonation was heard and a dark bituminous substance fell to earth.
1799 England: A "beautiful ball blazing with white light" was seen. It made no sound and red sparks flew from it.
1799 England, Hereford: A "large red pillar of fire" was seen in the sky going south. It was preceded by "flashes of extremely vivid electrical sort". Other objects were seen leaving luminous trails.
1799 England, Huncoates and Lincolnshire: A ball of fire passed in the sky.
1800 Germany, Barsdorf:A shooting star got larger and larger until it fell to earth between Barsdorf and Freiburg in Silesia. A whizzing noise was heard as it passed close to the ground before it landed and then lay burning. Next day a jelly-like mass was found on the snow.
1803 Silesia, Barsdorf: What was recorded, as a shooting star got larger and larger until it fell to earth between Barsdorf and Freiburg. A whizzing noise was heard as it passed close to the ground before it landed and then lay burning. Next day a jelly-like mass was found on the snow.
1808 France, Piedmont: Formation of 'luminous discs' observed in the sky.
1812 Romania, Bucovina: The war between the Russians, French and Germans, over the town of Bucovina. ”Towards noon a large star with many rays appeared and in the night she ascended higher and flew in the direction of the Russians; afterwards she returned and went to the west, where the beams where extinguished. Thus did the star reveal herself for four months. It was during
1816 Edinburgh: Many people saw a large, luminous crescent-shaped object flying over the city.
1819 Massachusetts, Amhurst: A white silvery fireball light accompanied by a violent explosion was seen. Afterwards, a gelatinous substance was said to have been found.
1820 France, Embrun; A formation of flying objects crossed the French town. Francois Arago wrote of this date in the ‘Annales de chimie et de physique’: "Numerous observers have seen, during an eclipse of the moon, strange objects moving in straight lines. They were equally spaced and remained in line when they made turns. Their movements made a military precision."
1825 Poland, Ohio: A brilliant object was visible in the sky for more than an hour.
1826 English Channel. Sailors in the Channel reported seeing a gray, torpedo-shaped object flying overhead.
1831 Germany, Thuringia: It was reported that a brilliant luminous disc was seen in the night sky.
1833 Canada: A large, square, luminous object was seen for more than an hour over Niagara Falls.
1836 France, Cherbourg: In this French coastal town what was a described as a 'gleaming aerial vessel' was seen in the sky overhead.
1842 Soviet Union, Orenburg: Small metal objects, perfectly hexagonal, fell out of the sky after a "strange cloud" appeared.
1843 England, Warwick: A remarkable cloud passed over Warwick and Charles Cooper reported seeing three beings in the sky.
1845 Italy, Naples Astronomers at a Naples observatory recorded the appearance of several luminous discs, which left trails.
1846 USA: A 'luminous flying disc' was reported over this eastern seaboard area.
1847 England, London: A spherical craft was spotted rising vertically through the clouds.
1860 USA, Louisiana, Shreveport: "Our attention was called to a strange light in the heavens. On going out into the gallery we had a magnificent view of it. It appeared to the naked eye, about 300 yards in length, extending from North to West appearing just above the tallest trees. Its color was that of a red hot stove from the center beautiful rays resembling those of the sun drawing water would ascend to a considerable height, the whole presenting a very beautiful and sublime appearance. We watched it for about an hour without perceiving it to change any.
1862 Indian Ocean: A shipwrecked Danish sailor reported seeing a strange aircraft as large as a battleship with four huge wings. This object was seen to crash into a cliff and was destroyed. Kevin Randle states this case to be a hoax.
1868
• Chile, Copiago: A strange "aerial construction bearing lights and making engine noises flew low over this town. Local people also described it as a giant bird covered with large scales producing a metallic noise. Although not an actual landing, this is the first instance of close observation of an unknown object at low altitude in the nineteenth century.
• England, Oxford: Astronomers at Radcliffe Observatory saw a luminous object that moved quickly across the sky, stopped, changed course to the west, then to the south, where it hovered for four minutes, then headed toward the north.
1869 USA, Tennessee, Ashland: A whirlwind came along over the neighboring woods, taking up small branches and leaves of trees and burring them in a sort of flaming cylinder that traveled at a rate of about five miles an hour, developing size as it traveled. It passed directly over the spot where a team of horses were feeding and singed their manes and tails up to the roots; it then swept towards the house, taking a stack of hay in its course. It seemed to increase in heat as it went, and by the time it reached the house it immediately fired the shingles from end to end of the building, so that in ten minutes the whole dwelling was wrapped in flames. The tall column of traveling caloric then continued its course over a wheat field that had been recently cradled, setting fire to all the stacks that happened to be in its course. Passing from the field, its path lay over a stretch of woods, which reached the river. The green leaves on the trees were crisped to a cinder for a breadth of 20 yards, in a straight line to the Cumberland. When the "pillar of fire" reached the water, it suddenly changed its route down the river, raising a column of steam which went up to the clouds for about half-a-mile, when it finally died out. Not less than 200 people witnessed this strangest of strange phenomena, and all of them tell substantially the same story about it. Symon's Monthly Meteorological Magazine, 1869
1870
• African Coast: Capt. F.W. Banner and crew reported “A semi-circle divided into four parts, and a central shaft extending far outward & curving backward emitted vivid shafts of light.”
• Atlantic Ocean: An object was seen from the ship Lady of the Lake that appeared to be a light-gray colored disk that flew against the wind.
1871 France, Meudon Observatory. Astronomer Trouvelot noted a number of objects that resembled those witnessed at Nuremberg and Basel. Among the objects he saw was a circle that first seemed about to fall, then descended "like a disk falling through water."
1872 England, Banbury: At King's Sutton an object resembling a haystack flew on an irregular course. Sometimes high, sometimes very low, it was accompanied by fire and dense smoke. It produced the same effect as a tornado, felling trees and walls. It suddenly vanished.
1873 USA, Texas, Bonham: A huge cigar-shaped object swooped low over the town of on two occasions and in broad daylight. It then disappeared quickly to the east.
1874 Mexico, Oaxaca: Residents saw a huge, gently swaying, trumpet-shaped object estimated to be 425 feet long hovering in the sky for six minutes.
1875 Czechoslovakia, Prague: A Professor Schafarick saw "an object of such strange nature that I do not know what to say about it. It was of a blinding white and crossed slowly the face of the moon. It remained visible afterwards."
1877 France, Venice: Reports of a "cloud cigar" "fiery spheres, extremely luminous, came out of a cloud of peculiar shape and went slowly toward the north for one hour.
1878 USA, Texas: John Martin, a farmer, spotted a fast moving dark object high in the southern sky. When it passed overhead, he saw that it was the size of a 'large saucer'. It continued on its way and was soon lost to view. In recounting the event, a local newspaper remarked, 'Mr. Martin is a gentleman of undoubted veracity and this strange occurrence, if it was not a balloon, deserves the attention of our scientists'.
1879 Persian Gulf: The S.S. Vulture crew reported, two luminous rotating wheels, about 130 ft. across, seen above the water before diving
1880
• England, Aldershot: A strange being dressed in tight-fitting clothes and shining helmet soared over the heads of two sentries, who fired without result. The apparition stunned them with something described as blue fire.
• France: A member of the French Academy observed a glittering, white gold cigar-shaped object in the sky that had pointed ends.
• Persian Gulf: The British steamer Patna was traversing the waters of the when around mid- night the captain and several other members of crew all saw two enormous glowing wheels each estimated to be 500 to 600 meters in diameter appeared underwater on each side of the ship. The wheels were spinning, one on each side with the spokes touching the ship. The sighting lasted 20 minutes and was witnessed by Captain Avern, third officer Manning, and Lee Fort Brace.
• Russia, St. Petersburg: A large illuminated globe, accompanied by two smaller lights is seen to follow a ravine outside the city.
• USA, New Mexico, Lamy: Four men walking near Galisteo Junction were surprised as they heard voices coming from a "strange balloon," which flew over them. It was shaped like a fish and seemed to be guided by a large fanlike device. There were eight to ten figures aboard. Their language was not understood. The object flew low over Galisteo Junction and rose rapidly toward the east.
• Venezuela: A 14-year-old boy saw a luminous ball descending from the sky and hovering near him. He felt somehow "drawn" to it, but succeeded in backing away in spite of his terror.
1881
• Australia, Melbourne: Between Melbourne and Sydney at sea. The two sons of the Prince of Wales, one of them the future king of England, were cruising aboard "La Bacchante" when an object resembling a fully lighted ship was seen ("a phantom vessel all aglow")
• USA, Georgia, Americus: Mr. Z. T. Baisden, of Americus, gives us the following story of a whirlwind that visited his place, scaring all his hands and some visitors very badly. A whirlwind occurred in a twelve acre cornfield that was about four feet in diameter and sometimes a hundred feet high. The body of it was perfectly black, with fire in the center and emitted a strong sulphurous vapor that could be smelt three hundred yards form it. The whirlwind would divide into three and move rapidly over the field, twisting up the corn stalks by the roots and carrying them up. These three minor whirlwinds would then come together with a loud crash, cracking and burning and shoot high up into the heavens. Three young ladies who were visiting Mrs. Baisden went in about 150 feet to observe it, but received such a shower of burning sand upon their face and necks that they ran affrighted to the house. Mr. Baisden says that he cannot account for this strange phenomenon, and it certainly frightened all who saw it.
The strange part was that it contained fire, yet did not appear to burn the corn that it did not tear up, and its sulphurous vapor sickened and burnt all who got close enough to get a full breath of it.
1882 England: A huge UFO, the first such phenomenon which was characteristically saucer-shaped in Europe, was plainly observed by numerous people in England and other parts of Europe during the night. It was seen to travel in the sky at an approximate altitude of 130 miles in an east-west direction. A number of eminent scientists witnessed the object, among them being Dr E Walter Maunder, Greenwich astronomer; English spectroscopist, J Rand Capron; Dutch astronomers Audemans and Zeeman. The Royal Observatory, Greenwich published a report of the conclusions reached by scientists, following the appearance of what had been termed, "The Great Saucer". The report had this to say: "It appeared to be well defined in body and the inference drawn was that it was a meteor, not in the old vague sense of some object high in the Earth's atmosphere, but in the sense of a solid cosmological substance, disc-like in appearance, the orbit of which brought it within the terrestrial atmosphere. But nothing could be more unlike the rush of a great meteor or fireball, with intense radiance and fiery train. The advance of this object, though swift, appeared to be orderly and controlled. There was no sign of the compression of the atmosphere before it, no hint that the matter composing its front part, was in anyway more strongly heated than the rest of its substance, if substance, indeed it possessed."
1883
• Germany, Segeberg: A teacher and children at a school all saw two fiery balls in a clear sky one day. The size of two full moons, the objects traveled slowly together from north to south.
• Mexico, Zacatecas: An astronomer at the Zacatecas Observatory saw 143 circular objects cross in front of the sun. The astronomer, Professor Jose' Bonilla, managed to take a photograph of one of the objects. He wrote up his finding, which were sent to the French journal L'Astronomie.
1884 USA, Dundy County, Nebraska: Four cowboys heard a whirring noise overhead then saw a cylindrical object crash into the ground. Researcher Kevin Randle believes this case to have been a hoax.
1885 Turkey, Constantinople: From ‘L’Astronomie’: M. Mavrogordato, calls our attention to the following strange observations which have been communicated to him. "On November 1, at 9:30pm, there was seen, west of Adrianople, an elongated object giving off a strong luminosity. It seemed to float in the air and its apparent disk was four or five times larger than the full moon. It traveled slowly and cast light on the whole camp behind the station with a brightness about ten times greater than a large electric bulb. In the morning, at dawn, a very luminous flame, first bluish, then greenish, and moving at a height of five to six meters, made a series of turns around the ferryboat pier at Scutari. Its blinding luminosity lighted the street and flooded the inside of the houses with light."
1886 Venezuela: During the night of the 24th of October last, which was rainy and tempestuous, a family of nine persons, sleeping in a hut a few leagues from Maracaibo, were awakened by a loud humming noise and a vivid, dazzling light, which brilliantly illuminated the interior of the house. The occupants completely terror stricken, and believing, as they relate, that the end of the world had come, threw themselves on their knees and commenced to pray, but their devotions were almost immediately interrupted by violent vomiting, and extensive swellings commenced to appear in the upper part of their bodies, this being particularly noticeable about the face and lips. It is to be noted that the brilliant lights was not accompanied by a sensation of heat, although there was a smoky appearance and a peculiar smell. The next morning, the swellings had subsided, leaving upon the face and body large black blotches. No trace of lightning could afterward by observed in any part of the building, and all the sufferers unite in saying that there was no detonation, but only the loud humming already mentioned. Another curious attendant circumstance is that the trees around the house showed no signs of injury until the ninth day, when they suddenly withered. From Warner Cowgill, U. S. Consulate, Maracaibo, Venezuela in a letter posted in Scientific American, Dec 18.
1887 Nova Scotia, Cape Race: From L’Astronomie, "On November 12, 1887, at midnight, near, a huge ball of fire appeared, slowly emerging from the ocean to an altitude of sixteen to seventeen meters. This sphere started moving against the wind and stopped close to the ship from which it was observed. Then it rushed away in the sky and disappeared in the southeast. The whole observation had lasted five minutes."
1888 Italy, Ragusa: From the ‘Memoirs’ of the Minor Brothers, “Luminous bodies were seen flying through the sky in lines for one hour.”
1891 USA, Indiana, Crawfordsville: As reported in the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper on September 10, 1891, two icemen were working outside in Crawfordsville at about 2:00am five nights previously, when a bizarre object sailed overhead. The icemen described the UFO as a 'seemingly headless monster', although there is no reason to believe that it was an animal of any kind. It was about 20ft long, and 8ft wide, moving in the sky toward the two men, and 'seemingly propelled by fin like attachments.' The men moved, and the UFO flew off. The noise awoke Methodist pastor G.W. Swittze, who saw it circling in the sky.
1892
• Netherlands: An astronomer called Muller was observing the moon through his telescope when a black disk moved across his field of view.
• Poland: A phantom airship scare began appearing. As in later 'flaps' of this sort, the craft often appeared at night and were usually equipped with powerful searchlights.
1893 China, North China Sea: The ship, H.M.S. Carolina was sailing in the North China Sea, when a report from an officer of unusual light activity in the sky came to the attention of Captain J.N. Norcross. The officer told Captain Norcross that the lights appeared sometimes in a huge mass, others spread out in unusual patterns. He said that they resembled Chinese lanterns set between the masts of a ship. The next night these strange lights reappeared but with a reddish glow and emanating small amounts of smoke.
1895 England, Oxford: A disk was seen rising above some trees and disappearing into the east
1896
• USA, California, Sacramento: On November 25, a mysterious light was seen moving rapidly from the Northeast and heading in a southwesterly direction. As it neared the southern boundary of the city of Sacramento it turned directly toward the west and after passing the city went south, being distinctly visible for upward of 20 minutes.
• USA, California, Lorin: On November 26, an airship that looked like a great black cigar with a fishlike tail neared Lorin tremendous speed. It turned quickly and disappeared in the direction of San Francisco. The body was at least 100 feet long and attached to it was a triangular tail, one apex being attached to the main body. The surface of the airship looked as if it were made of aluminum, which exposure to wind and weather had turned dark. At half past 8 we saw it again, when it took about the same direction and disappeared." From the Oakland Tribune, Dec 1.
• USA, California, San Francisco: The great Airship Flap of 1897 actually started in late 1896 in San Francisco. Hundreds saw a large, cigar-shaped object, shining brilliant beams of light, and moving northwest passing over Oakland. Later reports came from other northern
• USA, California, San Francisco: A light was observed by many prominent individuals including Deputy Secretary of State George A. McCalvy, District Attorney Frank D. Ryan, and E. D. McCabe, the governor's personal secretary. From the San Francisco Call, Nov 26.
• Switzerland, Arolla: Author Aleister Crowley was walking in the mountains when he suddenly saw two little men. He made a gesture to them, but they did not seem to pay attention and disappeared among the rocks.
1897
• Canada, British Columbia: Two Canadian fishermen in saw a pear-shaped craft flying south –wards
• Canada, Winnipeg: A mysterious airship flew over Winnipeg, the capital of Canada's Manitoba province, in full view of many citizens for a full fifteen minutes." "The strange visitor" approached from the west, following the Assiniboine River. After passing over St. Boniface Hospital, the UFO veered sharply to the north and "was lost from view" as it flew toward the town of Stony Mountain. From the Vancouver, B.C. News-Advertiser, Saturday May 1.
• USA, Arkansas, Homan: Capt. James Hooton was hunting in the vicinity of Homan when he heard the noise of a steam engine and found an object in a clearing. It looked like a cylinder with pointed ends, lateral wheels, and horizontal blade over it. Hooton spoke with a man who wore dark glasses and walked behind the craft. There were three or four occupants. The witness was told this was indeed "The Airship" and that it used compressed air for propulsion. Hooton saw the wheels spin as the craft rose and flew away.
• USA, Arkansas, Hot Springs: Two policemen, Sumpter and McLenore, were riding northwest of Hot Springs when they saw a bright light in the sky. About 7 km farther they saw the light again coming down to the ground. One km farther the horses refused to walk. Two men were seen carrying lights. The lawmen took their rifles, called the strangers, and were told that they crossed the country with a flying craft. The silhouette of the machine, about 2O m long, could be seen in the clearing. There was a woman with an umbrella nearby. It was raining, and the younger of the men was filling a large container with water. The elder man had a beard and suggested that the policemen fly with them "to a place where it does not rain." The same witness went back through the same spot 40 min later and found nothing.
• USA, Arkansas, McKinney Bayou: Judge Lawrence A.Byrne of Texarkana, Arkansas, was surveying a tract of land when he saw a peculiar object anchored on the ground. "It was manned by three men who spoke a foreign language, but judging from their looks one would take them to be Japs."
• USA, Kansas, Everest: On April 1, the whole town saw an object fly under the cloud ceiling. It came down slowly, then flew away very fast to the southeast. When directly over the town it swept the ground with a powerful light. It was seen to rise up at fantastic speed until barely discernible, then to come down again and sweep low over the witnesses. At one point it remained stationary for 5 minutes at the edge of a low cloud, which it illuminated. All could clearly see the silhouette of the craft.
• USA, Kansas, LeRoy: From a sworn statement dated 21 April, a prosperous and prominent farmer named Alexander Hamilton told of an attack upon his cattle at about 10:30 PM the previous Monday. He, his son, and his tenant grabbed axes and ran some 700 feet from the house to the cow lot where a great cigar-shaped ship about 300 feet long floated some 30 feet above his cattle. It had a carriage underneath which was brightly lighted within (dirigible and gondola?) and which had numerous windows. Inside were six strange looking beings jabbering in a foreign language. These beings suddenly became aware of Hamilton and the others. They immediately turned a searchlight on the farmer, and also turned on some power, which sped up a turbine wheel (about 30 ft diameter) located under the craft. The ship rose, taking with it a two-year old heifer, which was roped about the neck by a cable of one-half inch thick, red material. The next day a neighbor, Link Thomas, found the animal's hide, legs and head in his field. He was mystified at how the remains got to where they were because of the lack of tracks in the soft soil. Alexander Hamilton's sworn statement was accompanied by an affidavit as to his veracity. The affidavit was signed by ten of the local leading citizens.
• USA, Indiana, Gas City: An object landed south of Gas City on the property of John Roush, terrifying the farmers and causing the horses and cattle to stampede. Six occupants of the ship came out and seemed to make some repairs. Before the crowd could approach the object, it rose rapidly and flew toward the east.
• USA, Illinois, Downs Township: While working in his field, Haney Savidge saw an aerial craft land near him. Six people emerged from it and spoke to him for a few minutes before leaving again.
• USA, Illinois, Girard: On April 12, a large crowd of miners saw an unknown object land. The night operator of the Chicago-and-Alton Railroad, Paul Mc- Cramer, stated that he came sufficiently close to the craft to see a man emerge from it to repair the machinery. Traces were found over a large area. The object itself was elongated like a ship with a roof and a double canopy. It left toward the north.
• USA, Illinois, Nilwood: On the property of Z. Thacker, 19 km north of Carlinville, an unknown object landed on Apr. 12. Before the three witnesses could reach it, the craft, which was shaped like a cigar with a dome, rose slowly and left majestically toward the north. Witnesses: Edward Teeples, William Street and Franklin Metcalf.
• USA, Iowa, Linn Grove:. A large object was seen to fly slowly toward the north. It seemed ready to land and five men who found the craft on the ground, but it, "spread its four giant wings and rose towards the North." Two strange figures aboard the craft made efforts to conceal themselves. Witnesses were surprised at the length of their hair. Most residents of Linn Grove saw the craft in flight.
• USA, Iowa, Waterloo: An airship, or a large vessel designed to leave the impression that it is a flying machine, was first observed here at dawn yesterday. The stranger in charge says it is a flying machine and he landed here to make some repairs and that he will resume his voyage in the air today. He keeps all people at a distance of several hundred yards from the machine and therefore many do not credit his story, but think it is a fake designed to create a sensation. The structure is about 40 feet long, constructed like a giant cigar, with wing-like attachments on the sides and a steering apparatus in the rear. The whole is surmounted by a cupola, or lookout cabin, on the roof. The queer craft appears to be built of canvas and to be heavily varnished."
• USA, Michigan, Williamston: At least a dozen farmers saw an object maneuver in the sky for an hour before it landed. A strange man near 3 m tall, almost naked and suffering from the heat, was the pilot of the craft. "His talk, while musical, seemed to be a repetition of bellowing." One farmer went near him and received a blow that broke his hip.
• USA, Missouri, Kansas City: 10,000 residents saw a large black ship hover over head, flash green-blue and white lights, then moved straight up into space rapidly. Many other UFO sightings were reported, describing cigar-shaped, metallic craft with either wings, propellers, fins, or search lights. Bright lights were seen during the night.
• USA, Iowa, Sioux City: Approximate date. Robert Hibbard was caught by an anchor dropped from an unknown flying machine 22 km north of the town. He was dragged over 10 m and fell as his clothes were torn.
• USA, Missouri, Perry Springs: A passenger train on the Wabash line, going toward Quincy, was followed by a low-flying object for 15 min between Perry Springs and Hersman. All the passengers saw the craft, which had a red and white light. After Hersman it flew ahead of the train and disappeared rapidly.
• USA, Nebraska, Hastings: A flying object was seen the morning of Sunday, January 24, 1897. It circled for a few minutes and then zoomed away to the north. The Nebraska Bee, February 2, 1897 and The Kansas Semi-Weekly Capital of March 31.
• USA, Nebraska, Omaha: On March 28, the majority of the population observed an object arriving from the southeast. It looked like a huge light, flew northwestward slowly, came to low altitude.
• USA, Ohio, Cleveland: Joseph Singler, captain of the "Sea Wing," was fishing with S. H. Davis, of Detroit, when they saw on the lake what they thought was a ship, about 13 m long, with a canopy. A man, about 25 years old, wearing a hunting jacket and a cap, was fishing from the deck of the object. Near him were a woman and a 10-year old child. When the "Sea Wing" came close to the craft, a large, colored balloon rose from the object, which flew up with it to an altitude of about 150 m and circled "like a hawk" before flying away.
• USA, South Dakota, Howard-Artesian: A flying object coming closer and closer to the ground followed a train, as reported by the engineer, Joe Wright.
• USA, Texas, Aurora: From the April 19, Dallas Morning News 'About 6 o'clock this morning the early risers of were astonished at the sudden appearance of the airship, which has been sailing around the country. It was traveling due north and much nearer the earth than before. Evidently some of the machinery was out of order, for it was making a speed of only ten or twelve miles an hour, and gradually settling toward the earth. It sailed over the public square and when it reached the north part of town it collided with the tower of Judge Proctor's windmill and went into pieces with a terrific explosion, scattering debris over several acres of ground, wrecking the windmill and water tank and destroying the judge's flower garden. The pilot of the ship is supposed to have been the only one aboard and, while his remains were badly disfigured, enough of the original has been picked up to show that he was not an inhabitant of this world. Mr. T.J. Weems, the U.S. Army Signal Service officer at this place and an authority on astronomy gives it as his opinion that the pilot was a native of the planet Mars. Papers found on his person, evidently the records of his travels -- are written in some unknown hieroglyphics and cannot be deciphered. This ship was too badly wrecked to form any conclusion as to its construction or motive power. It was built of an unknown metal, resembling somewhat a mixture of aluminum and silver, and it must have weighed several tons. The town is today full of people who are viewing the wreckage and gathering specimens of strange metal from the debris. The pilot's funeral will take place tomorrow.' From UPI, 1973, “A grave in a small north Aurora, Texas cemetery contains the body of an 1897 astronaut who "was not an inhabitant of this world," according to the International UFO Bureau. The group, which investigates unidentified flying objects, has already initiated legal proceedings to exhume the body. "After checking the grave with metal detectors and gathering facts for three months, we are certain as we can be at this point [that] he was the pilot of a UFO which reportedly exploded atop a well on Judge J.S. Proctor's place, April 19, 1897," Hewes said. He was not an inhabitant of this world." A few days later, another UPI account datelined Aurora quoted a ninety-one-year-old who had been a girl of fifteen in Aurora at the time of the reported incident. She said she "had all but forgotten the incident until it appeared in the newspapers recently." She said her parents had gone to the sight of the crash, but had refused to take her along. She recalled that the remains of the pilot, "a small man," had been buried in the Aurora cemetery. Not to be outdone, the Associated Press, in a story datelined Denton, Texas, reported "a North Texas State University professor had found some metal fragments near the Oates gas station (former Proctor farm). One fragment was said to be 'most intriguing' because it consisted of primarily of iron which did not seem to exhibit magnetic properties." The professor also said he was puzzled because the fragment was "shiny and malleable instead of dull and brittle like iron." The Aurora Cemetery Association was successful in blocking the attempts to dig up the grounds in search of the "Martian pilot."
• USA, Texas, Hillsboro: A lawyer was surprised to see a lighted object fly over. His horse was scared and nearly toppled the carriage. When the main light was turned off, a number of smaller lights became visible on the underside of the dark object, which supported an elongated canopy. It went down toward a hill to the south. When the witness was on his way back one hour later he saw the object rising. It reached the altitude of the cloud ceiling and flew to the northeast at a fantastic speed with periodic flashes of light.
• USA, Texas, Josserand: Frank Nichols, a respected citizen, was awakened by a machine noise. Looking outside, he saw a heavy, lighted object land in his wheat field. He walked toward it, was stopped by two men who asked permission to draw water from his well. He then had a discussion with a half-dozen men, the crew of the strange machine. He was told how it worked but could not follow the explanation.
• USA, Texas, Merkel: People returning from church observed a heavy object being dragged along the ground by a rope attached to a flying craft. The rope got caught in a railroad track. The craft was too high for its structure to be visible but protrusions and a light could be distinguished. After about 10 min a man came down along the rope cut the end free, and went back aboard the craft, which flew away toward the northeast. The man was small and dressed in a light-blue uniform
• USA, Texas, Rockland:. John M. Barclay saw a flying object circling 5 m above ground. Elongated with protrusions and blinding lights, it went dark when it landed. Barclay was met by a man who told him his purpose was peaceful and requested some common hardware items to repair the craft.
1898 France, Lille: An astronomer saw through his telescope a rectangular object with a violet colored band on one side, the rest being striped red and black. It was not in the position of any known planet. It remained stationary for 10 minutes, then 'cast out sparks and disappeared.'
1899
• France, Dourite, Dordogne: November 1An object 'like an enormous star' was seen from 7:00 pm, 'at times white, then red, and sometimes blue... moving like a kite' in the southerly sky.
• France, Luzarches: M.A. Garry observed a round luminous object rise above the horizon and shrink in size as it moved into the distance over 15 minutes.
• South Africa: After alerting its telegraph offices to be on the lookout for invading British aircraft, the Transvaal government was inundated with sighting reports. Phantom airships, often equipped with powerful searchlights, mysteriously appeared in the skies around. Of course, neither aircraft nor airplanes were known to exist in Africa at this time.
• USA, Arizona, Prescott: Dr. Warren E. Day observed a luminous object that 'traveled with the Moon all day' until 2:00 pm. A similar object had been observed the day before from Tonto, Arizona.
• USA, Texas, El Paso: A luminous object was seen in daylight from 10:00am to 4:00pm; Venus was two months past its secondary phase of maximum brilliance.
this is just the beginning of what promised to be a bright year of sightings
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