1947

• 1947.0317 Plane with circular body
  

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  On 17 March 1947, the US Navy contract for development of a plane with a flat circular body is terminated.

  The plane had the military designation XF-5U-1 and was based on the lighter Chance Vought V-173 prototype (also known as the Zimmerman “Flying Pancake”, the “Flying Pancake” and the “Navy Flounder”) which had been flown for the first time on 1942.1123.

   

• 1947.0621 Maury Island incident
  

  "Battle of Los Angeles"
  "Impact" Rating = 14
  "Credibility" Rating = 14
  "Expert" Rating = 7
  "Strangeness" Rating = 6

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  On 21 June 1947, near Maury Island, Washington there was an alleged sighting and claims of debris from a UFO involving Harold A Dahl with a related alleged sighting the following day by Dahl’s superior – Fred Lee Crisman.

  Dahl and Crisman are often referred to as harbor patrolmen.

  The incident is commonly referred to as “the Maury Island hoax” or “the Maury Island incident”.

   

   

   

  Claims to fame

  This incident is Case 12 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article, since it was referred to in 99 of the books covered by that article.

   

  Isaac Koi’s “ICES” Rating for this sighting = 4,368 (out of a potential score of 14*14*14*14 i.e. 38,416)

  (1) “Impact” Rating of 14 (out of a potential score of 14), because it is Case 95 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article.

  (2) “Credibility” Rating of 3 (out of a potential score of 14) because many researchers have put forward compelling evidence that this incident was merely a hoax.

  (2) “Expert” Rating of 8 (out of a potential score of 14). It is given this slightly above neutral rating because (at the time of writing) it has included in one of the short lists of the best cases produced by various UFO researchers that have been compiled by Isaac Koi (see the “Best UFO Cases" article at PART 3: Existing lists by various individuals).

  (4)“Strangeness” Rating of 13 (out of a potential score of 14). The sighting has a very strangeness rating since the witness accounts, if not hoaxed, would be very difficult to reconcile with a mundane explanation.

   

   

  Sections below:

  1. Web Resources

  2. Book References

  3. Other material

   

   

• 1947.0624 Fred Johnson sighting
  

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  On 24 June 1947, Portland prospector Fred M Johnson reports several UFOs in the sky, in Cascade Mountains of Orgeon.

  Fred Johnson claimed the compass hand on his watch moved from side to side during the sighting.

  This incident is Case 69 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article,  since it was referred to in 41 of the books covered by that article.

  This incident has featured in a list of twenty UFO cases produced by Bruce Maccabee in 1999 in response to a challenge to produce “the best evidence for an extraterrestrial origin for the UFO phenomenon”. 

   

• 1947.0624 Kenneth Arnold sighting
  

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  On 24 June 1947, businessman/pilot Kenneth Arnold of Boise, Idaho claims to see 9 objects flying “like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water” near Mount Rainer in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.

  As part of a survey by the Fortean Times in 2007of various researchers of the ten cases from 1947 onwards that interested them the most, ufologist Peter Brookesmith indicated that this incident was one of two UFO cases with the “the greatest cultural effect”.

  This incident came fourth in a survey in 1965 by Jacques Valleeof the opinion of various UFO groups as to the most significant UFO sightings. It also featured in a document (“the Rockefeller Briefing Document”) endorsed by Dr Mark Rodeghier (President of CUFOS), Richard Hall (Chairman of FUFOR) and Walter Andrus (President of MUFON) as containing “the best available evidence for the existence of UFOs”.

  This incident is Case 1 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article,  since it was referred to in 359 of the books covered by that article.

  This incident has also featured in lists by various UFO researchers of the top UFO cases, including the following:

  • a list of Dennis Balthaser’s “ten favourite cases” in an article in the MUFON Journal in 2003.
  • a list of twenty UFO cases produced by Bruce Maccabee in 1999 in response to a challenge to produce “the best evidence for an extraterrestrial origin for the UFO phenomenon”.
  • a list by Don Berliner of “the top 10 cases of World Ufology” in an interview made available on the UFO UpDates discussion List on 14 January 2007.

   

   

• 1947.0704 Portland sightings
  

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  On 4 July 1947, there was a series of sightings in Portland, Oregon involving various police officers and civilians.

   

   

   

   

   

• 1947.0704 Press reports
  

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  On 4 July 1947, press reports included coverage of statement by the US Air Force on UFOs. That statement suggested causes of sightings may include “large hailstones which might have flattened out and glided a bit”.

   

   

   

• 1947.0704 United Airlines sighting
  

  United Airlines sighting
  "Impact" Rating = 12
  "Credibility" Rating = 11
  "Expert" Rating = 7
  "Strangeness" Rating = 6

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  On 4 July 1947, the United Airlines Flight 105 sighting occurred involving Captain Emil J Smith, his co-pilot (Ralph Stevens) and a stewardess (Marty Morrow), near Emmett, Idaho.

   

   

  Claims to fame

  This incident is Case 67 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article, since it was referred to in 43 of the books covered by that article.

   

  Isaac Koi’s “ICES” Rating for this sighting = 5,544 (out of a potential score of 14*14*14*14 i.e. 38,416)

  (1) “Impact” Rating of 12 (out of a potential score of 14), because it is Case 67 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article.

  (2) “Credibility” Rating of 11 (out of a potential score of 14).

  (2) “Expert” Rating of 7 (out of a potential score of 14). It is given this neutral rating because (at the time of writing) it has not been included in any of the short lists of the best cases produced by various UFO researchers that have been compiled by Isaac Koi (see the “Best UFO Cases" article at PART 3: Existing lists by various individuals), but also is not commonly given by UFO researchers as an example of an incident that can be explained by hoax, misperception or other mundane cause.

  (4)“Strangeness” Rating of 6 (out of a potential score of 14).

   

   

  Sections below:

  1. Web Resources

  2. Book References

  3. Other material

   

   

• 1947.0707 William Rhodes photos
  

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  On 7 July 1947, William H Rhodes of Phoenix, Arizona claims to have taken 2 photographs of a flying disk over Phoenix.

   

   

   

   

• 1947.0708 Muroc Field sightings
  

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  On 8 July 1947, there were a series of sightings at, and near, Muroc Field.

   This incident is Case 71 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article,  since it was referred to in 39 of the books covered by that article.

   

   

   

   

   

• 1947.0708 Roswell story
  

  Roswell
  "Impact" Rating = 14
  "Credibility" Rating = 14
  "Expert" Rating = 7
  "Strangeness" Rating = 6

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  On 8 July 1947, the Roswell Daily Record prints a story with the headline “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region” .

  The alleged UFO crash during June/July 1947 is generally referred to as "the Roswell incident", "the Roswell crash" or "the Roswell story".

   

   

   

  Claims to fame

  This incident is Case 4 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article, since it was referred to in 228 of the books covered by that article.

  As part of a survey by the Fortean Times in 2007 of various researchers of the ten cases from 1947 onwards that interested them the most, British ufologists Dave Clarke and Andy Roberts indicated that they considered this incident the “most over-hyped UFO case”.

  In an interview in 1998, Kevin Randle said that Roswell was his "favourite" case.

  This incident has also featured in lists by various UFO researchers of the top UFO cases, including the following:

  * a list of cases produced by Stanton Friedman as part of a survey by the Fortean Times in 2007 of various researchers of the ten cases from 1947 onwards that interested them the most.

  * a list by Don Berliner of “the top 10 cases of World Ufology” in an interview made available on the UFO UpDates discussion List on 14 January 2007.

  * a list of Dennis Balthaser’s “ten favourite cases” in an article in the MUFON Journal in 2003.

  * a list by James Carrion, the International Director of the Mutual UFO Network, of the “top 10 cases” in an interview in 2006.

   

  Isaac Koi’s “ICES” Rating for this sighting = 23,716 (out of a potential score of 14*14*14*14 i.e. 38,416)

  (1) “Impact” Rating of 14 (out of a potential score of 14), because it is Case 95 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article.

  (2) “Credibility” Rating of 11 (out of a potential score of 14). As with the Strangeness Rating below, it is difficult to assign "the Roswell incident" a single Credibility Rating since the relevant "incident" is actually comprised of many different eye-witness accounts and claims which are of varying degrees of credibility.   The rating assigned here is an attempt to reflect these varying degrees of credibility.

  (2) “Expert” Rating of 14 (out of a potential score of 14). It is given this top rating because it has been included in many of the short lists of the best cases produced by various UFO researchers that have been compiled by Isaac Koi (see the “Best UFO Cases" article at PART 3: Existing lists by various individuals).

  (4) “Strangeness” Rating of 11 (out of a potential score of 14). As with the Credibility Rating above, it is difficult to assign "the Roswell incident" a single Strangeness Rating since the relevant "incident" is actually comprised of many different eye-witness accounts and claims which are of varying degrees of strangeness. Some claims merely describe the material found (in varying terms), others claim to have seen alien bodies. The rating assigned here is an attempt to reflect these varying degrees of strangeness. 

   

   

  Sections below:

  1. Web Resources

  2. Book References

  3. Other material

   

   

• 1947.0709 Roswell weather balloon
  

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  On 9 July 1947, various newspapers report that the USAAF had corrected its press release of the previous day, stating that the debris recovered near Roswell was a weather balloon. Roswell Daily Record prints a front page article under the headline “Gen. Ramey Empties Flying Saucer”.

   

   

   

• 1947.0710 FBI "access to discs"

   

  

  FBI "access to discs"

  J Edgar Hoover handwrites an annotations on memo dated 10 July 1947. His annotation states the FBI should “insist upon full access to discs recovered”, with one part of the annotation referring to the [“La” or “SW”] case.

   

   

   

   

• 1947.0714 Newsweek article
  

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  The 14 July 1947 issue of Newsweek contained an article entitled “Flying Saucer Spots Before Their Eyes”.

   

   

   

   

• 1947.0721 "Life" article
  

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  The 21 July 1947 issue of “Life” magazine contains an article entitled “Flying Saucers Break Out over the U. S.”.

   

   

   

   

   

   

• 1947.0729 Arnold's second sighting
  

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  On 24 January 1878, Kenneth Arnold’s second sighting, of several, during a flight near LaGrande, Oregon.

   

   

   

   

• 1947.0730 "Topside Inquiries"

   

  

  "Topside Inquiries"
  An undated page possibly attached to an Air Force document dated 30 July 1947 includes a comment that “lack of topside inquiries, when compared to the prompt and demanding inquiries that have originated topside upon former events, give more than ordinary weight to the possibility that this is a domestic project, about which the President, etc., know”

   

   

   

• 1947.0814 Gallup poll

   

  

  Gallup poll
  On 14 August 1947, results of first Gallup Poll including questions on UFOs are released, indicating that 9 out of 10 Americans had heard of the phenomenon. One question was “What do you think these saucers are?”. The responses noted in the results did not include a category relating to spaceships. 9% of respondents selected “Other explanations” than those offered.

   

   

   

• 1947.0903 "Toilet seats" memo

   

  

  "Toilet seats" memo

  On 3 September 1947, a memo from Colonel R H Smith (Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence) to several Commanding Generals in the Army Air Forces stated that the FBI had been asked to assist the Air Force in UFO investigations “to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot”.

  The memo was supplied to FBI Special Agent Harry M Kimball by Lieutenant Colonel Donald Springer on 19 September 1947.

   

• 1947.0923 Twining memo

   

  

  Twining memo

  On 23 September 1947, a memo from Lt-General Nathan F Twining (chief of Air Materiel Command) to Brig-General George Schulgen (Commanding General, Army Air Forces) reports on the current knowledge of UFOs and recommends that a permanent project be set up to study them.

  (Commonly referred to as “the Twining memo” or “the Twining letter”).

   

   

• 1947.0924 "Toilet seats" memo forwarded

   

  

  "Toilet seats" memo forwarded
  On 24 September 1947, a memo from FBI Assistant Director D M Ladd to FBI Director J Edgar Hoover summarises, and attaches, the 3 September 1947 memo from Colonel R H Smith (Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence) which stated the FBI had been asked to assist the Air Force in UFO investigations “to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot”. Mr Ladd recommended that the FBI “protest vigorously” and that the FBI discontinue all activity in this field.