Pre-1900 UFO Cases

These cases include the Nuremberg Sighting of 1034 through to the Great California Airship of 1897. There will be a few more cases added shortly if research bears out there authenticity. There are other sightings that have their origin in the Bible, those are too numerous to list here.

UFO Over New York's Schoharie County - 1790

About 9 p.m., a bright shining light appeared in the northern sky with a great roar. The witness indicated that it grew in intensity until it would have out-shown the noonday sun. The resident remarked that the light was so bright that he could have “… picked up pins in every corner.” As the object moved over the countryside, it met with a rise of tall trees and as it did, it rose above them and continued on with the speed of galloping horse. To read more about this historic UFO Sighting in NY State 0f 1790.

Object Seen Above Tennessee College Campus - 1853

On June 1, 1853 a luminous object was seen by many as it hovered over a Tennessee college campus. As the sun rose over the campus of Burritt College, numerous students—who apparently were early risers in those days, too—were startled to see two luminous objects in the sky. According to professor A.C. Carnes, who reported the incident in a letter to Scientific American, the first had the appearance of a small new moon, while the other resembled a large star. The small object then vanished, while the bigger one changed shape, first into a globe and then into an elongated shape parallel with the horizon. The smaller light then became visible again, and increased rapidly in size, while the other object shrank. The two objects continued fluctuating in a similar fashion for the next 30 minutes. “The students have asked for an explanation, but neither the President nor Professors are satisfied as to the character of the lights,” wrote Carnes. While he himself speculated that the occurrence might have been caused somehow by atmospheric moisture, the incident remains a mystery.

Electrical UFO Monster July 1893

Long before government cover ups, hoaxes or even flying machines this article appeared in the Tacoma/Seattle Newspaper.
On July 3, 1893 several fishermen were awakened in the middle of the night by the presence of a strange craft that they described as an "electric monster." Their watches stopped and the craft/monster emitted electricity and light. Read the full newspaper article at the link below.

To read more about the Electrical UFO Monster of 1893.

The James Lumley Case October 1865

Reports of UFOs were recorded in newspapers of the 19th century. One of the most famous cases of the time appeared in the St. Louis Democrat, Oct. 19, 1865. That article also appeared two weeks later in The Cincinnati Commercial, bringing more public awareness to UFOs. The account was of an old Montana fir trapper by the name of James Lumley who saw a UFO fly over him and crash into the forest, "exploding like a rocket". Lumley reported that there was hieroglyph writing and glass on the side of the craft which made this case extremely intriguing.
To read about more about the James Lumley UFO.

Attempted Alien Abduction-Lodi, California, 1896

Shawed said the UFO hovered quietly over water

Over 60 years before alien abduction claims became mainstream, two people were nearly abducted in Lodi, California. Colonel H. G. Shaw, along with his friend Camille Spooner, had a close encounter with previously unknown entities, traveling with their UFO in 1896.

To read more about the Lodi, California abduction in 1896

The Great California Airship of 1896-97

Not many people know that seeing unidentified lights in the sky goes back over a century, when the first UFO “flap” (a grouping of UFO sightings made over a specific area within a few months) occurred over a hundred years ago in the waning years of the nineteenth century. It all began when a mysterious unidentified light was observed by hundreds of people moving slowly over Sacramento, California in November, 1896, apparently moving against the wind at a leisurely thirty miles an hour. It was seen again a week later, this time over San Francisco; by the end of the year hundreds of reports of the thing were coming in from all over the Pacific coast, creating a media frenzy.
To read more about the Great California Airship UFO.

Aurora, Texas UFO Crash of 1897

The Aurora UFO Incident that reportedly occurred on April 17, 1897 in Aurora, Texas, a small town in the northwest corner of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. The incident (similar to the more famous Roswell UFO Incident 50 years later) reportedly resulted in a fatality from the crash. The alleged alien body is was buried in an unmarked grave at the local cemetery.
To read more about the Aurora Texas UFO crash.

The Maracaibo, (Venezuela) Incident Oct 24, 1886

The occupants, completely terror stricken, and believing, as they relate, that the end of the world had come, threw themselves on their knees and commenced to pray, but their devotions were almost immediately interrupted by violent vomiting and extensive swellings commenced to appear in the upper part of their bodies, this being particularly noticeable about the face and lips.
To read more about the Maracaibo UFO Incident.

UFO, Denison Texas - 1878

City of Denison a few years after the sighting

"From Mr. John Martin, a farmer who lives some six miles south of this city, we learn the following strange story: Tuesday morning while out hunting, his attention was directed to a dark object high up in the southern sky. The peculiar shape and velocity with which the object seemed to approach riveted his attention and he strained his eyes to discover its character."
To read more about the Denison Texas UFO.

UFO Seen From Windsor Castle - 1783

Thomas Sandby and his brother witness the event at Windsor

"An oblong cloud moving more or less parallel to the horizon. Under this cloud could be seen a luminous object which soon became spherical, brilliantly lit, which came to a halt; this strange sphere seemed at first to be pale blue in colour but then its luminosity increased and soon it set off again towards the East.
To read more about the Windsor Castle UFO.

French Coin From 1680 Depicting UFO

French Education coin of 1680 clearly depicting a UFO

This is a French jeton minted in 1680, a coin-like educational tool that was commonly used to help people count money, or sometimes used as a money substitute for playing games. It is about the size of a U.S. quarter-dollar and similar to thousands of other jetons with different religious and educational designs that were produced and used in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. It appears to commemorate a UFO sighting of a saucer like object. Some researchers feel it represents the Biblical Ezekiel's wheel. The Latin inscription 'OPPORTUNUS ADEST' translates as 'It is here at an opportune time".
To read more about the French UFO coin of 1680.

Two Large Glowing Wheels Over Hamburg Germany 1697

This illustration shows the sighting of two UFOs over Hamburg, Germany, November 4, 1697. The objects were described as "two glowing wheels".

To read more about the Glowing Wheel UFOs over Hamburg.

Edmund Halley - 1676, Speed of UFO 9,600 MPH

He would recall two accounts involving unidentified crafts. His first experience was in March of 1676, when he saw a, as he said, "Vast body apparently bigger than the moon."To read more about the Edmund Halley UFO.

First Unidentified Submerged Object (USO) In the USA - Boston Mass, 1644

In January 1644, America's first USO, or Unidentified Submerged Object, was sighted. A USO is an aquatic UFO. Governor John Winthrop made two entries in his journal in regards to this unholy affair.

First UFO Sighting in the United States - Boston, 1639

Artist Likeness

In 1639, America's first UFO was sighted over the Charles River in Boston. Lights sped back and forth across the Charles River from Back Bay Fens to Charlestown. Governor John Winthrop made an entry in his journal regarding this strange event. The primary witness was described as a man of good reputation, activity and estate in Boston: To read the full account of the first UFO Sighting in the United States.

Basel,Switzerland UFO Battle of 1566

In Basel Switzerland on August 7, 1566, at dawn, many citizens became frightened when they witnessed black spheres in the sky involved in a formidable aerial battle for several hours. There was no doubt that the skies above their city were being invaded.

To read more about the UFO fleet over Switzerland of 1566

Battle Over Nuremberg Germany in 1561

According to the Nuremberg Gazette, the "dreadful apparition" filled the morning sky with "cylindrical shapes from which emerged black, red, orange and blue-white spheres that darted about." Between the spheres, there were "crosses with the color of blood" (i.e. red crosses).
To read more about the Nuremberg UFO Sighting.

Christopher Columbus UFO Sighting 1492

Christopher Columbus and Pedro Gutierrez while on the deck of the Santa Maira, observed, "a light glimmering at a great distance." It vanished and reappeared several times during the night, moving up and down, "in sudden and passing gleams."
To read more about the Christopher Columbus UFO Sighting

Shen Kuo UFO Sighting of 1053

Shen Kuo was a man ahead of his time, centuries before it was accepted Shen said the moon and the sun were round not flat, he accurately described why we have eclipses, and discovered magnetic north. In Shen most famous book "Dream Pool Essay" he had a chapter devoted to "Strange Happenings". In he he wrote about the following UFO sightings

It opened its door and a flood of intense light like sunbeams darted out of it, then the outer shell opened up, appearing as large as a bed with a big pearl the size of a fist illuminating the interior in silvery white. The intense silver-white light, shot from the interior, was too strong for human eyes to behold;

To read more on the Shen Kuo UFO sighting.

The Nuremberg Chronicle, UFO 0f 1034, in 15th Century Book

Illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle

The illustration accompanying the account shows a cigar-shaped form haloed by flames, sailing through a blue sky over a green, rolling countryside. This "may" be the first work that actually contains actual illustrations of UFO's.
To read more about the Nuremberg Chronicle UFO of 1034

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