World UFO Day

July 07, 2012

Every year on the fourth day of July, people all across America gather together in celebration. One standard pastime to enjoy Independence Day is shooting off fireworks; it is something that brings families together to appreciate the night sky and the beautiful things it can display.

Similar to fireworks, two days before July 4 also brings nighttime enjoyment to people of all ages. This day is called World UFO Day—a day that is celebrated on July 2 every year. The date was chosen because it is the date of the Roswell UFO Incident, a famous UFO sighting in Roswell, Mexico. Celebrators of this unofficial observance have been known to set up parties with close friends and others interested in UFOs to spend the entire night searching the sky.

A UFO is short for an unidentified flying object, something in the sky that's not immediately identifiable by the viewer. Though unknown flying objects of the same caliber have been noticed in the sky for a very long time, the first expansively-publicized sighting was by Kenneth Arnold in June 1947. Press began to use the terms "flying saucer" and "flying disc" while covering this sighting.

World UFO Day is celebrated in at least twenty-five countries, including America, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Canada. Its website explains its manifesto, so-to-speak, and gives a great deal of information following the day and ideas behind the celebration. As far as the intention of the day, World UFO Day’s website says, "Our main vision is to take a worldwide celebrated holiday and make people aware of the UFO phenomenon during this day. We see a future in which UFOs aren't speculations anymore, but part of daily life."

Want to learn more about UFOs? Check out our catalog!

Kayla H.
Edgerton Branch