An AI Generated UFO/UAP Timeline
Curious about UFOs and UAPs? We are too. Today seemed like a good day to do a bit of research on the topic using some AI tools of 2025. This timeline “has been significantly expanded” to include a broader range of significant UFO and UAP events, capturing more incidents, investigations, and cultural impacts from the early 20th century to the present. These are the events that GhatGPT, a large language model, told us are the most significant. Starting from 1941, we now have summarize of 25 of them you can click to explore. Welcome to the News i8 UFO library, such as it is.
1940s: The Birth of Modern UFO Phenomena
– 1941: Cape Girardeau Incident – Alleged UFO crash in Missouri with claims of alien bodies recovered by the military.
– 1947: Kenneth Arnold Sighting – On June 24, Arnold reported seeing nine “flying saucers” near Mount Rainier, marking the start of the modern UFO era.
– 1947: Roswell Incident – An object crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. Initially reported as a “flying disc,” the military later claimed it was a weather balloon.
– 1948: Mantell UFO Incident – Pilot Thomas Mantell died while pursuing a UFO over Kentucky.
– 1949: The Gorman Dogfight – A pilot engaged in a 27-minute aerial chase with an unidentified object over Fargo, North Dakota.
– 1948: Green Fireballs – A series of mysterious green fireballs were reported in the southwestern United States, prompting investigations by the Air Force.
1950s: The Golden Age of UFOs
– 1950: McMinnville UFO Photographs – Famous photographs taken in Oregon remain unexplained.
– 1952: Washington, D.C., UFO Incident – Multiple unidentified objects were detected over the capital, leading to military engagement.
– 1952: Project Blue Book Initiated – The U.S. Air Force began systematic investigations into UFO sightings, operating until 1969.
– 1956: The Lubbock Lights – A series of lights observed over Lubbock, Texas, captured national attention and were investigated by scientists.
– 1957: Levelland UFO Case – Witnesses reported a glowing object that caused vehicle stalls in Texas.
– 1958: The “Flying Saucer” Conference – The first national conference on flying saucers was held in New York City.
– 1959: The Kirtland AFB Sighting – Military personnel at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico reported multiple sightings of strange lights.
1960s: Growing Public Interest and Government Investigations
– 1961: Betty and Barney Hill Abduction – The first widely publicized alien abduction case occurred in New Hampshire.
– 1965: Kecksburg Incident – A fireball was seen across several states, leading to a crash in Pennsylvania that was quickly covered up by military personnel.
– 1966: Westall Sighting – Over 200 students and teachers in Australia witnessed a flying saucer land near their school.
– 1969: Project Blue Book Concludes – The U.S. Air Force closed its investigation program, stating no evidence of extraterrestrial activity.
– 1967: Shag Harbour Incident – A UFO reportedly crashed into Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia; it was investigated by Canadian authorities but remains unexplained.
1970s: Abductions and Close Encounters
– 1973: Pascagoula Abduction – Two men claimed to have been abducted by aliens while fishing in Mississippi.
– 1975: Travis Walton Abduction – Walton’s five-day disappearance in Arizona became one of the most famous abduction cases.
– 1976: Tehran UFO Incident – Iranian Air Force jets attempted to intercept a UFO, experiencing equipment malfunctions.
– 1978: The Val Johnson Incident – A deputy sheriff in Minnesota reported an encounter with a bright light that damaged his patrol car.
1980s: Increased Reporting and Cultural Impact
– 1980: The Cash-Landrum Incident – Two women experienced health issues after encountering a diamond-shaped craft in Texas.
– 1983: The “Battle of Los Angeles” Revisited – Reports emerged about unidentified objects over Los Angeles during WWII, leading to military responses.
– 1989: The Belgian Wave – A series of sightings of triangular-shaped crafts reported by thousands across Belgium.
– 1980s: Numerous reports from military personnel regarding UAPs during training exercises began to surface.
1990s: Rise of Ufology and Disclosure Efforts
– 1991: Mexico City Sighting – Video footage captured multiple witnesses observing a metallic disc during a solar eclipse.
– 1994: Ariel School Incident – Over 60 schoolchildren in Zimbabwe reported seeing a UFO land and encountering beings.
– 1997: Phoenix Lights Incident – Thousands witnessed a V-shaped formation of lights across Arizona and Nevada.
– 1998: St. Louis Airport Sighting – Multiple pilots reported seeing an unusual object during landing approaches.
2000s: Increased Interest and Official Investigations
– 2004: USS Nimitz Carrier Incident – Navy pilots encountered an unidentified object off the coast of San Diego.
– 2006: O’Hare International Airport Incident – Ground staff and pilots observed a saucer-shaped craft hovering over Chicago’s airport before disappearing.
– 2007: Formation of Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) initiated by the Pentagon to investigate UAPs.
2010s: Renewed Focus on UAPs
– 2014: USS Princeton Incident where Navy personnel reported radar and visual sightings of UAPs during training exercises off California’s coast.
– 2015: USS Theodore Roosevelt encounters multiple UAPs during training exercises off the east coast of the U.S., documented through video footage.
– 2017: New York Times Revelations about Pentagon’s secretive investigations into UAPs through AATIP sparked public interest and debate.
2020s: Government Acknowledgment and Public Interest
– 2021: DNI Report on UAPs released examining 144 encounters; only one was identified as explainable (a deflating balloon).
– 2022: NASA announced plans for an independent study on UAPs to advance scientific understanding; this included collaboration with various scientific agencies.
– 2023: Congressional hearings held featuring testimonies from military personnel regarding UAP encounters; David Grusch alleged government possession of non-human technology.
Recent Developments (2023-Present)
– July 26, 2023: Congressional hearing featured testimony from David Grusch claiming knowledge of government possession of non-human technology related to UAPs.
– August 2023: Reports emerged about ongoing investigations into over 800 historical UAP incidents by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
– February 2024: DNI released a follow-up report identifying an additional 510 sightings since their last report, with many remaining unexplained.
This expanded timeline captures not only key events but also societal shifts regarding the perception and investigation of UFOs and UAPs. As new sightings continue to emerge and government interest grows, the dialogue surrounding these phenomena evolves further.
Read More
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_UFO_videos
[2] https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/09/02/timeline-of-major-ufo-uap-events/
[3] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/ufo-alien-spacecraft-investigation-timeline
[4] https://www.space.com/ufos-uap-history-sightings-mysteries
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings
[6] https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps
[7] https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/14/politics/pentagon-report-ufo-sitings/index.html
[8] https://www.aaro.mil/Portals/136/PDFs/AARO_Historical_Record_Report_Vol_1_2024.pdf
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EKE-BK9OJw
[10] https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf
[11] https://science.nasa.gov/uap/faqs/
[12] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81r00560r000100010002-9