UFO Cases Directory: Cases by Decade: Pre-1940

selected ufo cases
Cases by Decade: Pre-1940

*Click on a case title or image to view the full report

Cases per page: 8 16 24

Cases 1 - 12 out of 12 in this section

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1933 - Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada

1933 UFO stops for repairs in Sasketchwan, Canada

Witnesses saw "a large oval shaped object that was domed at the top and slightly rounded on the bottom. It was supported by legs and from a central door- way, or hatch, about a dozen figures could be seen going up and down a ladder-like stairway. The Occupants appeared to be slightly shorter than the average man, and were all dressed in what appeared to be silver colored suits or uniforms. All appeared to be wearing helmets or ski caps, and all were busy running around ""repairing,, the craft. " View full report
Source: John Brent Musgrave (FSR Vol 22 # 6 1976) ID:1143
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Physical Trace

1930 - Alaska, United States

Alien captured on film in 1930's Alaska

The picture was taken in the early 1930s by the sender's grandfather, who lived in Alaska. The entitiy was first seen when the grandfather was on his way to a lake. He chased the entity until he got close enough to take this one picture. It was some four months before the photograph was developed, being in in a remote, sparsely populated area. The sender received the picture from his grandfather only last week. His grandfather died the day after giving him the photo, and relating his story. View full report
Source: UFOCasebook.com (B.J. Booth, editor) ID:1109
Case Type: RawReport Features: Alien Photograph, Humanoid/Occupant

February, 28, 1904 - Pacific Ocean off San Francisco, California, United States

Formation of round UFOs maneuver near ship in 1904

Three members of the crew of the USS Supply, at 6:10 a.m. local time, sighted an echelon formation of three objects which appeared near the horizon below clouds, moving directly toward the ship. As they approached, the UFOs began soaring, rose above the cloud layer, and were observed climbing into space, still in echelon. The lead object was egg-shaped and about the size of six suns, and the other two were smaller and round. View full report
Source: NICAP / Richard Hall (1964) citing "Monthly Weather Review" (1904) ID:640
Case Type: SummaryReport Features: Multiple UFOs, Water-Related

August, 18, 1783 - Windsor Castle, England, United Kingdom

Luminous UFO seen from Windsor Castle in 1783

This illustration depicts a sighting that occurred at 9.45pm on the evening of August 18, 1783 when four witnesses on the terrace of Windsor Castle observed a luminous object in the skies of the Home Counties of England: "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..." View full report
Source: UFOs at Close Sight ID:489
Case Type: SummaryReport

November, 4, 1697 - Hamburg, Germany

UFOs over Hamburg, Germany in 1697

There was a UFO sighting over Hamburg, Germany on November 4, 1697, depicted in this artwork. The objects were described as being "two glowing wheels". View full report
Source: UFOs at Close Sight / others ID:488
Case Type: SummaryReport

1034 - Europe,

UFO in 1034 depicted in 15th c. book, The Nuremberg Chronicle

A rare typeset book from 1493 contains what may be the earliest pictorial representation of a UFO. The book Liber Chronicarum, describes a strange fiery sphere, seen in 1034, soaring through the sky in a straight course from south to east and then veering toward the setting sun. View full report
Source: The Bible UFO Connection ID:497
Case Type: SummaryReport

October, 11, - Atlantic Ocean,

Christopher Columbus UFO sighting in 1492

In 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." View full report
Source: 'The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus' ID:487
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Famous Person, Water-Related, Witness Photo

August, 7, - Basel, Switzerland

UFO sighting over Basel, Switzerland in 1566

A 16th century woodcutting depicts this scene in which dark spheres were witnessed hovering over the town of Basel, Switzerland in 1566. The spheres appeared at sunrise, 'Many became red and fiery, ending by being consumed and vanishing', wrote Samuel Coccius in the local newspaper on this date. View full report
Source: 16th century woodcutting and newspaper (credit: UFOs at Close Sight) ID:485
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Multiple UFOs

April, 4, - Nuremberg, Germany

UFO 'battle' over Nuremberg, Germany in 1561

At sunrise on the 14th April 1561, the citizens of Nuremberg beheld "A very frightful spectacle." The sky appeared to fill with cylindrical objects from which red, black, orange and blue white disks and globes emerged. Crosses and tubes resembling cannon barrels also appeared whereupon the objects promptly "began to fight one another." This event is depicted in a famous 16th century woodcut by Hans Glaser. View full report
Source: Various sources ID:486
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Multiple UFOs

March, - United Kingdom

Edmund Halley, discoverer of Halley's Comet, sees UFO in 1676

Edmund Halley, the astronomer who discovered Haley's comet, could 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." View full report
Source: The Bible UFO Connection ID:492
Case Type: SummaryReport Features: Famous Person, Astronomer, Scientist/Engineer, Witness Photo

593 BC - Cheber River, Chaldea (in modern-day Iraq),

UFOs in the Bible: Ezekiel's Wheel, 593 BC

Of all the UFO accounts in the Bible, the one mentioned most often is Ezekiel's Wheel. One of the passages reads: "This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel." (Ezekiel 1:16) The following is a passage by passage analysis of Ezekiel chapter one that is based on the work of NASA engineer Josef Blumrich. View full report
Source: Jim Aho, 'Ezekiel's Wheel' ID:493
Case Type: StandardCase

329 BC - Central Asia,

329 BC: Alexander the Great records two great 'flying shields'

Alexander the Great records two great silver shields, spitting fire around the rims in the sky that dived repeatedly at his army as they were attempting a river crossing. The action so panicked his elephants, horses, and men they had to abandon the river crossing until the following day. View full report
Source: Bruno Mancusi, UFO Updates mailing list, Apr. 18, 2003 ID:491
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Famous Person, Witness Photo