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1700 – 1749: UFO & Alien Sightings

(Last Updated On: April 23, 2019)

Date: 1700s
Location: United States
Summary: In the US, there is an 18th century Indian legend about luminous humanoid beings who paralyzed people with a small tube. In variations of these tales, Indian women were even said to have married a couple of these “star people
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Date: 1700: Reps in Urals, Ekaterinburg region, Russia 


Date: August 1700
Location: Sahalahti, Eastern Finland
Time: mid-day
Summary: An old man, a smith named Tiittu, is said by a local story to have disappeared shortly after a flying disk hovered over the village. His son went to search for him, and met a being he perceived as a “bear” who said he had flown off. “After Tiittu had gone to the forest, the same day villagers saw a huge disc hovering above the village. It stayed without moving for a moment, then started to fly out to the direction where Tiittu had gone to. Villagers believed that it was a mark of the end of the world. They were horrified. “For two days they stayed inside praying, singing religious songs and confessing their sins. Only in the third day they were calm enough to go back to their normal work. When Tiittu didn’t return, the villagers started to look for him. In the forest Tiittus son suddenly met a big being looking like a bear. The being started to speak in Finnish: ‘Don’t be 178 afraid. I can tell you that you are looking for your father in vain. You saw that ‘sky ship’ like a rainbow—it took your father up to the heights, to another, better world, where lives a race much higher than your people. Your father feels good there and doesn’t miss his home.’ The bear disappeared, and they stopped looking for Tiittu. “All the people of Sahalahti were talking about the mysterious case. Then they got a new priest, who announced in the church: “This story speaks of sinful witchcraft, and it represents the imagination of drunken and mad people, so youd better forget it.”
Source: Tapani Kuningas


Date: circa 1700
Location: Minnesota and North Dakota
Summary: According to Chippewa Indian lore some Indians were walking over the plains when they saw someone sitting on the grass. It was a man. When they approached, he halted them by raising his hand. “He said, I don’t belong here. I dropped from the above.” They wished to take him home with them. He told them to go home and clean the place where he was to stay. Then he would return with them. After they had done this, they came back for him. He was a nice-looking man, clean and shining bright. He stayed with them. “Every day at sundown, he watched the sky. In a clear voice he said, something will come down, I will go up.” He said he had been running in the sky. There was an open place; he couldn’t stop running, so he dropped through. One day in the afternoon he said, “Now it’s coming.” Everyone looked up but they could see nothing for a long time. The man who had kept the “Sky man” at his home could see better than the others. He saw a brilliant star shining way up in the sky. The other Indians didn’t see it until it came near the ground. They had never seen anything nicer in the world. Two men got a hold of it and pulled it down. The “sky-man” got into it. Then it rose and he was gone. They had tried to get him to stay but he said that he must go.
Source: Charles Brown, Historical Society of Wisconsin


Date: 1701
Location: Cape Passaro, Sicily, Italy
Summary: Witness C. De Corbin reports observing a very bright light in the sky, hovering for two hours in spite of a strong wind.
Source:  Abbe J. Richard, Histoire Naturelle del’Air et des Meteores (1771).


Date: September 1702
Location: Japan, exact location unknown
Summary: An object like a red sun was seen in the sky, dropping cotton-like filaments.
Source:  Brothers Magazine 1,1.


Date: 1704
Location: Devon, UK
Summary: A daytime disc was reported.
Source: Leslie, Desmond Flying Saucers Have Landed British Book Center, 1953


Date: 1704
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Summary: People saw the sky “crisscrossed with sparkling boat-like objects” chasing one another, blending and separating, multiplying in plain view.
Source: Yves Naud, UFOs and Extraterrestrials in History (Geneva: Ferni, 1978), vol. II,176. 


Date: January 8, 1704
Location: England
Summary: Procession of objects. Physiological effects were noted. Many objects were observed by nine witnesses.
Source: Fort, Charles Book of the Damned Boni-Liveright, 1919


Date: October 28, 1707
Location: Hidaka County, Wakayama, Japan
Summary: During a tsunami that struck the coast, a luminous object like a white ball appeared in the waves.
Source: Takao Ikeda, Nihon nu ufo (Tokyo: Tairiku shobo, 1974).


Date: December 18, 1707
Location: Southern coast of England
Summary: A huge cylinder and an odd cloud moved along with nocturnal lights, low on the horizort? The phenomenon was described by “the Worshipful Charles Kirkham, Esq.” as “a long dark Cloud of a Cylindrical Figure which lay horizontally, and seemed to divide the Brightness into two almost Equal Parts. It had little or no motion, tho’ the Wind blow’d brisk. But on a sudden there appear’d a swelling Brightness in that Cylindric Cloud, which broke out into Flames of a pale-coloured Fire.” The flames lasted less than half a minute, with “the Cloud from whence they proceeded still keeping its first Position, and not diminish’d. It was wonderfully frightful and amazing.”
Source: Rev. John Morton, Natural History of Northamptonshire (1712), 349-350.


Date: February 5 1709
Location: Romania
Summary: Two objects were observed for three hours. Unidentified objects were sighted, that had an unusual appearance or performance.
Source: Hobana, Ion UFOs from Behind the Iron Curtain Bantam Y8898, New York, 1975


Date: 1709
Location: Portugal
Summary:
Source: 


Date: May 11, 1710
Location: London, England
Summary: At 2:00 A.M. multiple witnesses saw “a strange comet” which seemed to be carried along with two black clouds. “After which,” according to the report, “follow’d the likeness of a Man in a Cloud of Fire, with a Sword in his Hand, which mov’d with the Clouds as the other did, but they saw it for near a quarter of an Hour together, to their very great surprise…” The scene was depicted in a woodcut.

Source: .The Age of Wonders: or farther and particular Description [sic] of the remarkable, and Fiery Appartion [sic] that was seen in the Air, on Thursday in the Morning, being May the 11th 1710. also the Figure of a Man in the Clouds with a drawn Sword; which pass ‘d from the North West over toward France, with reasonable Signification thereon; and the Names of several Inhabitants in and about the City of London, that saw the same, and are ready to Attest it. Also an Account of several Comets that have appear ‘d formerly in England, and what has happen ‘d in those Years (London: J. Read, 1710?). [British Library, 1104.a.24]


Date: May 18 1710
Location: Leeds, UK   
Summary: One object was observed by several witnesses.
Source: Delaire, J. Bernard UFO Register Volume 4 (1973) Data Research, Oxford, 1973


Date: 1710
Location:
Summary: ~ “The Baptism of Christ” ~ Fitzwilliam Musuem, Cambridge, England Painted in 1710 by Flemish artist Aert De Gelder depicts a classic, hovering, silvery, saucer shaped UFO shining beams of light down on John the Baptist and Jesus.

baptism1710camb

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Date: 1716
Location:
Summary: Edmond Hally’s second experience was 39 years after his first in 1676.  Hally saw an object that hovered for more than two hours
Source: 


Date: March 1 1716
Location: Spain
Summary: Luminous cloud like object was observed for 15 hours.
Source: Inforespace, Inforespace (Belgium) , Brussels


Date: March 6 1716
Location: London, England
Summary: Nocturnal lights were reported.
Source: Hatch, Larry *U* computer database Author, Redwood City, 200


Date: April 2, 1716
Location: Tallin, Baltic Sea
Summary: Two large dark clouds engaged in combat, and many smaller fast clouds. The phenomenon was observed over the Baltic Sea, near Revel (modern Tallinn). The reports come from various official documents and ship logbooks. It was the second day of Easter, at around 9:00 P.M., when a dense or black cloud appeared in the sky. Its base was wide but its top was pointed, and it seemed to travel upwards quickly, “so that in less than three minutes its angle of elevation reached half of a right angle.” As the cloud appeared “there manifested in the WNW direction an enormous shining comet that ascended up to about 12 degrees above the horizon.” At this moment, a second dark cloud rose from the north, approaching the first one: “There formed between these two clouds, from the northeastern side, a bright light in the shape of a column that for a few minutes did not change its position…” One version states that this column of light remained still for around ten minutes. Then the second cloud moved very quickly through the column, “and hit the other cloud that was moving from the east.” The collision produced “great fire and smoke” for about fifteen minutes, “after which it began to gradually fade and ended with the appearance of a multitude of bright arrows reaching an [angular] altitude of 80 degrees above the horizon.”
Source: M. B. Gershtein, “A Thousand Years of Russian UFOs,” RIAP Bulletin (Ukraine) 7, 4, October-December 2001. The two accounts provided here were made by Baron de Bie, the ambassador of the Netherlands, and Russian Commander N. A. Senyavin.


Date: March  6, 1717
Location: at sea southwest of Martinique
Summary: A solid object like a mast hovers two feet above the water. In his log Chevalier de Ricouart, captain of the frigate La Valeur, noted: “At two in the morning we were making some progress in a southeast direction. We saw something like the mast of a ship pass alongside, standing up about two feet above the water.”
Source:  Michel Bougard, La chronique des OVNI (Paris: Delarge, 1977), 104.


Date: 1718
Location: East Indies, Lethy Island  (Leti)
Summary: A large fiery mass fell and exploded on the ground.  Subsequently a jelly-like mass, silvery and scaly, was said to have been found.
Source: Leslie, Desmond  Flying Saucers Have Landed British Book Center, 1953


Date: 1719: Ural, Russia Encounter


Date: March 19, 1719
Location: Oxford, England
Time: unknown
Summary: Very bright, whitish and blue object moving from the west in a straight line at 8:15 P.M., much slower than a meteor. Multiple witnesses all over England, including the VicePresident of the Royal Society, physicist Sir H. Sloane, who saw it travel over 20 degrees in “less than half a minute.” Although listed as a meteor, the slow speed is most curious.
Source:  Sir Edmund Halley, “An Account of the Extraordinary Meteor Seen All Over 181 England,” Philosophical transactions of the Royal society of London 30 (1720): 978-990.


Date: November 1719
Location:Bristol, England
Time: Pre-dawn
Summary: Great lights appeared over the city, and streams whereof (beams of light?) came down to the houses
Source:  Awareness, Awareness


Date: 1720: Little Figures seen in Isle of Man, England


Date: November 1720
Location: Bristol England
Summary: Object Great lights appeared over the city, and streams whereof (beams of light?) came down to the houses. Several lights were observed
Source: Awareness, Awareness


Date: November 1720
Location:  Ley Upon Mendip, England
Summary: Object Streaming lights of fire and smoke seen towards north, seen by colliers. Several lights were observed.
Source: Awareness, Awareness


Date: January  14 -15, 1721
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Summary: At night, there “was perceived a great Pillar of Fire standing over the Mountains, near that City, to the Westward of its Fortifications, which advancing by little and little toward the City, burst at length, without making any great Noise, and then three Globes of Fire was seen to Issue out of it, which took each of them a different Way, and at length disappeared.”
Source: Anon., An account of terrible apparitions and prodigies which hath been seen both upon Earth and Sea, in the end of Last, and beginning of this present Year, 1721 (Glasgow: Thomas Crawford, 1721), 5-7.


Date: February  6, 1721
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Summary: Object, perhaps pillar shaped, was seen moving to the north toward mountains, then vanished.
Source: Awareness, Awareness


Date: February  19, 1721
Location: Rennes, Bretagne, France
Summary: Object larger in apparent size than moon moved to the west, left behind trail “broader than a common rainbow.” Starlike objects struck each other violently and sent forth “flames”. White flames filled the sky.
Source: Awareness, Awareness


Date: 1723
Location: Faroe Islands Denmark
Summary: Members of a Royal Danish Commission investigating supposed sightings of “mermaid” like creatures in the area watched such a figure approached their vessel. It sank into the waters but surfaced shortly afterwards to stare intently at them with its deep-set eyes. A few minutes of this scrutiny proved so unsettling that the ship affected a retreat. As it was doing so, the merman puffed out his cheeks and emitted a “deep roar” before diving out of sight.
Source:  Jerome Clark, Unexplained!


Date: Fall of 1723
Location: Louisiana
Summary: Landed remotely An object was observed. It moved with a falling-leaf motion. One object was observed.
Source:  Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, APRO Bulletin APRO, Tucson


Date: 1725: Spontaneous Human Combustion in France


Date: October 1726
Location: Vilvoorde, Brabant, Belgium
Summary: About nine o’clock at night Flying discs were observed. Many luminous discs, about 1000 feet across, were observed for two minutes.
Source: J. Nauwelaers, Histoire de la Ville de Vilvorde, vol. 2 (Paris, 1941).


Date: October 19 1726
Location: Ath, Hannegan, Belgium
Summary: About nine thirty at night and for two consecutive hours were seen in the sky “horrible and strange meteors” that came among the clouds like lightning and disappeared in the same way. Their aspect was most terrifying. Flying discs were observed. Many luminous discs, about 1000 feet across
Source: Inforespace


Date: 1728: Bologna, Italy Sighting


Date: 1729
Location: Finis Terrae Cape, Galicia, Spain
Summary: A local story claims that three men came out of a cloud, had a meal at the market, took off and flew south.
Source:Benito Jeronimo Feijoo, Teatro critico universal (1726-1740), Volume Three (1729). Text from the Madrid edition of 1777, 86-87.


Date: October 1, 1729
Location: Noes, Uppland, Sweden
Summary: Two hours prior to sunrise, M. Suen-Hof saw red vapors in the sky, which stretched in wide bands from north to south, then proceeded to gather together into a fiery globe about two feet in diameter. The globe kept moving in the same direction where the reddish vapors had appeared. It emitted sparks and was as bright as the sun. After moving through a quarter of the sky it disappeared abruptly, leaving thick black smoke and a burst of sound similar to cannon shot.
Source: Sestier, La Foudre et ses formes, T.I., 222. Cited by Camille Flammarion, Bolic Inexpliques par leur aspect bizarre et la lenteur de leur parcours-Bradytes, in Etudes et Lecturessur l’Astronomie (Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1874), T.5, 143.


Date: November 2, 1730
Location: Salamanca, Spain
Summary: Torres himself was a witness to the incident. He wrote that at 11:30 P.M. he saw, from Salamanca, “an amazing Globe of fire,” as large as a building. On each side of the globe were two luminous beams or columns which seemed to rise and fall, “becoming brighter as they moved.” The columns changed from green to red and the light from the phenomenon illuminated the surrounding area. At two o’clock in the morning the columns joined together but the spectacle did not disappear until 4:30 A.M. Though often cited as a UFO, many consider the event to have been an aurora borealis.
Source:Diego de Torres Villaroel, Juicio, i Prognostics del Globo, i Tres Columnas de Fuego (Madrid: Manuel Caballero, 1730).


Date: December 9, 1731
Location: Sheffield:, England
Summary: Thomas Short saw what he later described as ‘a dark red cloud, below which was a luminous body which emitted intense beams of light.  The light beams moved slowly for a while, then stopped.  Suddenly it became so hot that I could take off my shirt even though I was outdoors [this is the dead of winter!].
Source:


Date: December 9, 1731
Location: Firrenze, Italy
Summary: Immediately before an earthquake a luminous cloud was seen in the sky. It was watched until it disappeared over the horizon.
Source:


Date: December 9, 1731
Location: Kilkenny, Ireland
Summary: This meteor was observed over Kilkenny, Ireland, where it seemed like a great ball of fire.  It was reported that it shook that entire island and that the whole sky seemed to burst into flames.’
Source:


Date: December 10, 1731
Location: Romania
Time: afternoon
Summary: local manuscript records show, this ‘meteor’ appeared over Romania: ‘…there appeared in the west a great sign in the sky, blood red and very large.  It stayed in place for two hours, separated into two parts which then rejoined, and the object disappeared toward the west.’
Source:


Date: Dec 8, 1733
Location: Fleet, England
Summary: James Cracker of, a small town in, , saw a silvery disc fly overhead in broad daylight. Here is his eyewitness account: “Something in the sky which appeared in the north but vanished from my sight, as it was intercepted by trees, from my vision. I was standing in a valley. The weather was warm, the sun shone brightly. All of a sudden it re-appeared, darting in and out of my sight with an amazing coruscation. The colour of this phenomenon was like burnished, or new-washed silver. It shot with speed like a star falling in the night. But it had a body much larger and a train longer than any shooting star I have seen. Next day Mr. Edgecombe informed me that he and another gentleman had seen this strange phenomenon at the same time as I had. It was about 15 miles from where I saw it, and steering a course from east to north.”
Source: Hatch, Larry 


Date: March 17, 1735
Location: London, England
Summary: Dr. John Bevis observed an unknown light in the sky. It remained stationary for one hour. Lord Beauchamp was in Kensington Gardens when he observed a ball of fire in the sky. It seemed as if it was eight inches in diameter but grew until it was about a yard and a half.
Source: John Bevis, MD. “An Account of a Luminous Appearance in the Sky, seen at London…” Philosophical Transactions (1739-1741), 41: 347-349.


Date: December 5 1737
Location: Sheffield, England
Summary: At about 5 P.M. a peculiar phenomenon was seen. The witness (astronomer Thomas Short) described it as “a dark red cloud that made its appearance, with a luminous body underneath that sent out very brilliant beams of light.” It did not look anything like aurora borealis, because the light beams were moving slowly for some time, then stopped. Suddenly the air was so hot that he had to take off his shirt, although he was outside.

Source: Thomas Short, “An Account of Several Meteors, Communicated in a Letter from Thomas Short, MD to the President,” Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775), 41 (1739-1741): 625-630.


Date: December 6, 1737
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Summary: In the afternoon, an object only described as a “Symbolic form,” blood-red in color, appeared from the west. After remaining in the sky for two hours it split into two parts that shortly joined again and went back towards the west.
Source: Ion Hobana and Julien Weverbergh, Les Ovni en URSS et dans les Pays de I’Est (Paris: Robert Laffont, 1972), 287-288, citing Biblioteca Academiei Romane, BAR ms. rom. 2342, fol. 3-4.


Date: February 23, 1740
Location: Toulon, France
Summary: During the night of 23 to 24 February people saw a purple “globe of fire” that rose gradually, and then appeared to plunge into the sea, where it rebounded. Reaching a certain height, it blew up and spread several balls of fire over the sea and the mountains. It made a sound like that of a violent thunderclap or a bomb as it burst. The witnesses reported the event to the Marquis de Caumont.
Source: Histoire de 1’Academic des Sciences, 1740.


Date: October 23, 1740
Location:  England
Summary: Astronomer and mathematician James Short, one of the most prolific telescope makers of the 18th century, reported his observation of what he thought was a satellite of Venus (later called “Neith” by Hozeau). The heliocentric longitude of Venus was 68° and its elongation 46°.
Source: “The Problematical Satellite of Venus,” in The Observatory 1 (1884): 222-226.


Date: August 10 1741
Location: Aleut Islands, Alaska
Summary: The naturalist Georg William Steller observed a playful, curious “Sea Ape” swimming around his ship for two hours. The creature was five feet long, with a dog-like head, large eyes, pointed erect ears, and whiskers hanging down from its upper and lower lips. Its thick round body tapered gradually toward a tail with two fins, the upper one longer than the lower as in sharks. It had neither forefeet nor fore fins. Its skin was covered with thick hair, gray on its back but reddish-white on its belly. It could “just possibly” have been “some aquatic form of primate,” as implied by Steller’s “Sea Ape”.
Source: Coleman and Huyghe “The Filed Guide to Bigfoot, Yeti and Other Mystery Primates Worldwide” 1980


Date: December 11 1741
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Summary: A daytime disc was reported.
Source: Hatch, Larry


Date: 1741
Location: London, England
Summary: Lord Beauchamp was in Kensington Gardens when he observed a ball of fire in the sky. It seemed as if it was eight inches in diameter but grew until it was about a yard and a half.
Source:


Date: December 16 1742
Location: England
Summary: I was crossing St James park when a light rose from behind the trees and houses, from the south and west, which at first I thought was a rocket of large size. But when it rose 20 degrees, it moved parallel to the horizon, but waved like this (the speaker drew an undulating line) and went on in the direction of north-by-east. It seemed very near. Its motion was very slow. I had it for about half a mile in view. A light flame was turned backwards by the resistance the air made to it. From one of burning charcoal. That end was a frame like bars of iron, and quite opaque in my sight. At one point on the longitudinal frame, or cylinder, it issued a train in the shape of a tail of light more bright at one point on the rod or cylinder; so that it was transparent for more than half of its length. The head of this strange object seemed about a half a degree in diameter and the tail near three degrees in length.” The observer signed himself “C.M.,” probably preferring to remain anonymous to avoid the expected skepticism and scoffing of his fellow members.”
Source: From an account by a Fellow of the Royal Society: England (Harold T. Wilkins, “Flying Saucers on the Attack,” p. 206)


Date: 1743: Peibio, Anglesey, Wales Sighting


Date: December 16, 1743
Location: London, England
Summary: A correspondent of the Royal Society reports on an unusual sighting in these terms: “As I was returning home from the Royal Society to Westminster, (at) 8h 40m, being about the Middle of the Parade in St. James Park, I saw a Light arise from behind the Trees and Houses in the S. by W. point, which I took at first for a large Sky-Rocket; but184 when it had risen to the Height of about 20 Degrees, it took a motion nearly parallel to the Horizon, but waved in this manner, and went on to the N. by E. Point over the Houses. “It seemed to be so very near, that I thought it passed over Queen’s Square, the Island in the Park, cross the Canal, and I lost Sight of it over the Haymarket. Its Motion was so very slow, that I had it above half a Minute in View, and therefore had Time enough to contemplate its Appearance fully, which was what is seen in the annexed Figure.” “A seemed to be a light Flame, turning backwards from the Resistance the Air made to it. BB a bright Fire like burning Charcoal, enclosed as it were in a open Case, of which the Frame CCC was quite opaque, like Bands of Iron. At D issued forth a Train or Tail of light Flame, more bright at D, and growing gradually fainter at E, so as to be transparent more than half its Length. The Head seemed about half a Degree in Diameter, the Tail near 3 Degrees in Length, and about one Eighth of a Degree in Thickness.” Note: Given such a precise observer, it is difficult to call this phenomenon an ordinary meteor.
Source: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London A3 (1745): 524.


Date: May 27, 1744
Location: London, Somerset, England
Time: 23:11
Summary: One object was observed by one male witness (Baker).
Source:  Delaire, J. Bernard


Date: June 6, 1744
Location: Hradec-Kralovy, Czech Republic
Time:  12:50
Summary: Flying discs were observed. Two discs were observed in a city for over one minute.
Source:  Lumieres dans la Nuit


Date: June 23 1744: Marching AIR troops marching over Scotland


Date: July 14, 1745
Location: London, England
Time: 8 P.M.
Summary: Reverend George Costard reported seeing an object shaped like a trumpet, flying over Stanlake Broad about 8 P.M.
Source:  “Part of a Letter from The Rev. Mr. Geo. Costard to Mr. John Catlin, concerning a Fiery Meteor seen in the Air…” Philosophical Transactions 43 (1744-1745): 522-524.


Date: 1746: Human Headed Dragon over Culloden, Scotland


Date: August 5 1748: 3 Spheres over Culloden, Scotland 


Date: January 2, 1749
Location: Japan
Summary: Three globes “like the moon” appeared over Japan. People were so frightened that riots broke out. To try and calm things down, the government ordered anybody rioting “because of the globes” to be executed. Later “three moons” appeared. Days after that, “two suns” appeared.
Source:


Date: September 15, 1749
Location: Rutland, England
Summary: An object created a sprout that roared, took water from a river, shot light beams to the ground, and broke rocks. Although this case sounds similar to that of Hartfield in Yorkshire, the two locations are separated by a fair distance. The weather was calm, warm and cloudy with some showers. The witnesses described “great smoke with the likeness of fire” either as a single flash or as multiple arrows darting down to the ground, whose “whirling, breaks, roar and smoke frightened both Man and Beast.” The phenomenon went down the hill, took up water from the river Welland, and ran over fields and trees, tearing branches. The Royal Society correspondent reports: “I saw it pass from Pilton over Lyndon lordship, like a black smoky Cloud with bright Breaks; an odd whitling Motion, and a roaring Noise, like a distant Wind, or a great Flock of Sheep galloping along on hard Ground…”
Source:“An Account of an extraordinary Meteor, which resembled a Water-Spout, communicated to the President, by Tho. Barker, esq.” Read on Dec. 14, 1749. Philosophical Transactions (Nov-Dec. 1749), no. 493.