Today In UFO History

June 1, 1853 – Spencer, Tennessee:

On the morning of June 1, 1853, students at Burritt College in Spencer, Tennessee, witnessed one of America's earliest recorded UFO sightings. Just before sunrise, multiple witnesses observed two glowing objects hovering north of the rising sun. One resembled a thin crescent moon, while the other appeared as a bright star that gradually became a glowing sphere.

For nearly 30 minutes, the objects remained fixed in the sky, repeatedly changing size as one expanded while the other shrank. Because clouds drifted past while the lights stayed stationary, witnesses were convinced they were observing a genuine aerial phenomenon.

Professor A.C. Carnes investigated the incident and reported it to Scientific American, suggesting electricity as a possible cause. The magazine rejected his theory and proposed atmospheric moisture as an explanation. More than 170 years later, the Burritt College sighting remains one of the most intriguing and mysterious UFO reports of the 19th century.