Today in UFO History

June 24, 1947 – Mount Rainier, Washington, USA:

The Kenneth Arnold Sighting

Kennet Arnold was a private pilot who reported seeing nine unidentified objects while flying near Mount Rainier on June 24, 1947. He was searching for a missing military transport plane when he noticed a bright flash of light and then observed a formation of shiny, metallic-looking objects traveling south along the Cascade Mountains.

Arnold estimated the objects were flying at more than 1,200 mph, an extraordinary speed for the time. He described them as moving in an unusual, skipping motion, saying they flew "like a saucer would if you skipped it across water." This description was mistakenly interpreted by reporters as referring to their shape, leading to the popular term "flying saucer."

According to Arnold, the objects flew in a chain-like formation and appeared to weave or undulate as they traveled. Although often depicted as circular discs, Arnold's own sketches showed thin, crescent-shaped or boomerang-like craft with a distinctive notch near the rear.

The sighting received nationwide publicity and triggered hundreds of similar UFO reports across the United States during the summer of 1947. Because Arnold was an experienced pilot with no apparent motive to fabricate the story, many investigators considered him a credible witness.

Today, the Kenneth Arnold sighting is widely regarded as the event that launched the modern UFO era and helped prompt the first official U.S. military UFO investigations, including Project Sign, which later evolved into Project Grudge and Project Blue Book.