The Nuremberg sky battleAt dawn, crowds in Nuremberg watched spheres, crosses and tubes seem to battle in front of the sun, then fall to earth in smoke.DisputedUFOs / Famous cases
Famous UFO cases around the world
34 of the best-known sightings, each on the day it happened: from the sky battle over Nuremberg in 1561 to Shag Harbour, the Kaikōura lights, the Belgian triangles and the Phoenix Lights. 15 countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.
Before 1900
The Nuremberg sky battleAt dawn, crowds in Nuremberg watched spheres, crosses and tubes seem to battle in front of the sun, then fall to earth in smoke.DisputedThe Basel black spheresFive years after Nuremberg, Basel saw a blood-red sun and then a sky full of black spheres racing in front of it at sunrise.DisputedJosé Bonilla's objects across the SunA Mexican astronomer watching sunspots saw hundreds of dark objects cross the Sun and photographed them: often called the first UFO photo.ExplainedThe 1940s
The Ängelholm landingA Swedish businessman said a landed saucer and its small crew changed his life; the town later built a monument on the spot.DisputedKenneth Arnold's flying saucersA pilot's report of nine fast, shiny objects near Mount Rainier gave the world the words 'flying saucer'.Disputed
The Roswell "flying disc"The Army announced it had recovered a "flying disc", then said it was a weather balloon. It was a secret spy balloon.ExplainedThe death of Captain MantellA fighter pilot sent after a UFO over Kentucky climbed too high, blacked out and crashed.ExplainedThe 1950s
The McMinnville photographsTwo photos of a metal disc over an Oregon farm, printed in Life magazine, are among the most famous UFO pictures ever taken.Disputed
The Lubbock LightsScience professors in Lubbock watched V-shaped formations of glowing lights pass overhead again and again for weeks.Disputed
The Oloron angel hairA cigar-shaped craft and a swarm of small discs passed over a French town, dropping white threads that draped roofs and trees.DisputedThe Florence stadium UFOsDuring a football match in Florence, 10,000 fans stopped watching the game to stare at objects over the stadium as silver threads drifted down.DisputedThe Lakenheath-Bentwaters radar chaseOver two English air bases, radar tracked targets at thousands of mph, and an RAF fighter pilot said one got behind him and stayed there.UnexplainedThe Levelland engine stoppersOne night, driver after driver near Levelland said a glowing egg on the road killed their engines and headlights.DisputedThe Trindade Island photographsA photographer on a Brazilian Navy ship shot a ringed disc flying over Trindade Island; the president released the photos.DisputedThe 1960s
The 1970s
The Berwyn Mountain "crash"A bang and lights on a Welsh mountain led to claims of a UFO crash and a cover-up, the 'Roswelsh incident'.ExplainedThe Broad Haven school sightingFourteen schoolchildren in west Wales said they saw a silver craft land in a field behind their school, and drew matching pictures.UnexplainedThe Petrozavodsk jellyfishBefore dawn, a glowing "jellyfish" hung over a Soviet city and rained rays of light; sightings came in from Finland to the Pacific.ExplainedThe disappearance of Frederick ValentichA young pilot told Melbourne air traffic control a strange craft was hovering over his plane: "It's not an aircraft." He was never found.UnexplainedThe Clarenville UFOAn RCMP constable in Newfoundland watched an oval craft hover over the water for an hour or more.UnexplainedThe Kaikōura lightsA TV crew on a New Zealand cargo flight filmed bright lights pacing the plane, while Wellington radar tracked unknown targets.DisputedThe Dechmont Woods encounterA Scottish forestry worker came home with torn trousers and grazes, saying spheres from a dome in the woods had tried to drag him aboard.UnexplainedThe Manises emergency landingRed lights shadowing a Spanish airliner over the Mediterranean forced it to make an emergency landing in Valencia; a Mirage jet was sent up.DisputedThe 1980s
The Cash-Landrum incidentThree people in Texas said a fiery diamond-shaped object and a fleet of helicopters left them sick with burns; they sued the government.DisputedThe Trans-en-Provence landingA French farmer saw a grey saucer land and take off; government scientists found compressed, heated soil and stressed plants.DisputedJapan Air Lines Flight 1628A Japanese 747 cargo crew over Alaska reported two lit craft and a giant "mothership" pacing them; radar confusion followed.DisputedThe Knowles family on the NullarborA family crossing the Nullarbor said a glowing egg-shaped object came down on their car, lifted it and left a black dust.DisputedThe Belgian trianglesIt began with two police officers in Eupen. For five months, Belgians reported huge silent triangles, and the air force sent F-16s.DisputedThe 1990s
The Calvine photographTwo walkers photographed a huge silent diamond over the Scottish Highlands; the negatives went to the Ministry of Defence and vanished.UnexplainedThe Phoenix LightsThousands across Arizona watched a vast V of lights glide over, then a row of hanging lights above Phoenix.ExplainedThe 2000s
The Campeche infrared lightsMexico's own Defence Department released infrared video of 11 lights tracked by an Air Force anti-drug flight.ExplainedThe O'Hare Airport discUnited Airlines staff watched a silent grey disc hover over a gate at O'Hare before punching a hole through the clouds.DisputedThe Alderney giantAn airline pilot over the Channel Islands saw two huge, brilliant yellow objects hanging in the sky; another pilot saw them too.DisputedThe Stephenville lightsA small Texas town reported a mile-wide craft of bright lights chased by jets; the Air Force later admitted F-16s were up.Explained