August 31 in strange history

2 strange events from history happened on August 31, plus 87 Canadian UFO sightings.

1886
In the old newspapers
A serpent in the Hudson chases two rowers
Kingston, New York
Boatmen, swimmers and a schooner captain said a huge serpent raised its head six feet out of the Hudson near Kingston Point, with a fin running down its back. Over the next days it was reported again, once chasing two young men in a rowboat to the far shore.
1909
In the old newspapers
The Walker Lake monster
Hawthorne, Nevada
Visitors to Walker Lake had long reported a monster serpent or prehistoric beast in the desert lake, and several mining men claimed to have seen it. A new account came via a Reno police captain's brother, mining at Lucky Boy. A Tonopah paper headlined it as Reno booze at work.

Canadian UFO sightings on August 31

The Canadian UFO Survey logged 87 sightings on August 31 between 1989 and today, most in 2014 (20). Most came from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta.

2008 · Savona, British Columbia · Close encounter
Object with lights moved near truck, "hopped"?
1991 · Granum, Alberta · Close encounter with traces, 4 witnesses
Object looked like "big plate with lights"; ground trace found
1995 · North Bay, Ontario · Daylight disc
Cigar-shaped object, 15 feet long, no sound
2013 · Vernon, British Columbia · Daylight disc, 20 witnesses
Large disc with 10 small discs hovering for an hour
2003 · Terrace, British Columbia · Daylight disc, 2 witnesses
Flat object stationary under clouds, white lights moving around rim
2005 · Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Daylight disc
Ball-shaped object with black slit in front, flew over car, vanished

Source: the Canadian UFO Survey, Ufology Research. Explore every Canadian sighting.

The US Air Force opened 1,178 Project Blue Book files for sightings in August, 1947 to 1969. Browse the Air Force files.