World UFO Day Date in the current year: July 2, 2024

People have seen unusual objects in the sky throughout history, but what can be called the “UFO craze” started in the mid-20th century. During World War II, Allied aviators observed various aerial phenomena and unidentified flying objects that they referred to as “foo fighters” and “ghost rockets”.

The first widely publicized UFO sighting occurred on June 24, 1947, when private pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying past Mount Rainier in Washington state. He reported seeing nine shiny objects flying in formation at a speed of about 1,200 miles per hour. Arnold compared them to saucers, and newspapers quickly coined the term “flying saucer” to describe the unidentified objects.

The next major UFO sighting occurred a little over a week later at Rosewell Army Air Field near Corona, New Mexico. The story of the alleged recovery of a crashed “flying disk” by the US Army Air Forces broke out on July 8, 1947, following a press release published by Rosewell Army Air Field. Although the Army quickly changed its statement, claiming instead that the crash was of a high-altitude balloon, the Roswell incident has remained the subject of many conspiracy theories involving UFOs.

UFO enthusiasts observe not one, but two World UFO Days. The first one is celebrated on June 24 to commemorate Kennet Arnold’s sighting, and the second one occurs on July 2 — the anniversary of the alleged UFO crash at Roswell, which reportedly occurred a week prior to the official press release. These dates were chosen because reports of UFO sightings increased dramatically after the two incidents.

Some people celebrate World UFO Day to raise awareness of the undoubted existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial life, as well as to encourage governments to release classified files on alleged UFO sightings. Others are more sceptical and treat it as an occasion to find a scientific reason for UFO sightings. Regardless of what side of the spectrum you’re on, you can celebrate World UFO Day in support of either your belief in extraterrestrial life or the scientific approach to the matter.

Every year, groups of like-minded UFO enthusiasts across the world organize World UFO Day events and activities. They host parties and watch the sky together, hoping to spot unidentified flying objects. Other events held on the occasion include open discussions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life, movie marathons, visits to UFO museums, and more.

Individual believers are also encouraged to gather together and collectively open their minds to send out a telepathic message, welcoming extraterrestrial beings to our planet. In this regard World UFO Day is similar to World Contact Day that is observed on March 15.