The Possibility of Alien Life Forms and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: Sightings Prior to the 19th Century
Vallee and Aubeck (2010) list as many as 127 anomalous sightings in the 19th century. They note that the number of recorded sightings may have significantly increased during this time period due to encouragement in natural philosophy and growth in scientific education. The increased number of sightings during this time, however, is also attributable to contemporary technological advances. The improvement of the life of an average person from mass-production and labor-saving inventions would have provided more opportunities to watch anomalies in the sky. Additionally, technological advances such as steamboats could have helped more people witness anomalies near the ocean.
Nevertheless, these abnormal aerial sightings predate the start of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century and the invention of the first hot air balloon in 1783. The absence of technological advances from industrialization, combined with a lack of astronomical knowledge at the time, may explain why there were fewer sightings reported during the 17th and 18th centuries. More importantly, a large portion of sightings from this period were located in the two most populated and thriving nations, France and Great Britain. It is also worth noting that in the 17th century, Paris was the largest city in Europe; in the 18th century, the largest city was London.
1799 – The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science (Type B)
Currently known as Philosophical Magazine, it is one of the oldest and longest-running scientific journals. One article states, “In July 1799, Dr. Forster’s father saw a meteor cross the sky from south to north, then return southward, and finally bend to the north-west.” It further writes, “And Dr. Forster himself saw a whitish globe stationary for two seconds, and then turn a fine red” (Brewster et al., 1847).
1775 The Annual Register (Type B)
The Annual Register, or A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the Year 1775, is an essential reference that recorded major events around the world. The work stated,
A meteor, resembling a nebulous star, appeared just above the moon, passed eastward, with a slow motion, parallel to the ecliptic, through an arch of about 5 or 6 degrees, and then disappeared. It subtended an angle of 6 or 7 minutes, and was of the same brightness and colour with the moon (Burke, 1776).
1758 London Magazine (Type B)
The following letter was published in one of England’s oldest periodicals. Extract of a Letter from a Gentleman at Colchester, December 31. On Friday evening, about seven or eight o’clock, a few miles from this town, as I was riding gently home, on a sudden I was surrounded with a very glaring light, which at first I imagined might be a flash of lightning; but on its continuing some, seconds of time, I quickly turned myself round, and raw a great ball of fire (apparently about the bigness of a common foot-ball) descending from the heavens. Its direction was north east, its motion much like what is vulgarly called the shooting of a star.
It vanished in the same manner as a squib that makes no report. There were several people close by me, who were greatly terrified et this unusual phenomenon. And the same account was related to me the same evening by a person who was about six miles distant another way (Kimber, 1758).
1740 Histoire de l’Académie royale des sciences, avec les mémoires de mathématique (Type B)
The following sighting in Toulon, France was recorded by the French Academy of Sciences. During the night of 23 to 24 February, a purple globe of fire was seen that rising gradually, plunging into the sea and rebounding. After reaching a certain height, it burst and spread several balls of fire, which appeared to fall into the sea and the mountains. La nuit du 23 au 24 Février on vit vers la Rade de Toulon un Globe de feu comme violet, qui s’étant élevé peu à peu, plongea enfuite dans la Mer, d’où il fe releva comme une Balle qui réfléchiroit, après quoi étant parvenu à une certaine, après quoi étant parvenu à une certaine hauteur, il creva, & répandit divers globes de feu , dont les uns parurent tomber dans la Mer, & les autres fur les Montagnes (Académie royale des sciences, 1740).
1701 Histoire naturelle de l’air et des météores (Type B) (Natural History of Air and Meteors)
M. le C. de Forbin (Tom. II of his memoirs, the year 1701): He tells that being near the cape of Passaro, on the coast of Sicily, they came to warn him during the night that there was a new sun. “I went up on deck,” he said, “and I saw indeed a great fire which burned in the air, and which lighted up so that I could read a letter. Although the wind was very violent, this meteor did not move; it burned for about two hours and disappeared, slowly fading away.
The pilots, the sailors, and all the frightened crew looked at it as the unmistakable mark of a storm that threatened us; there was no way to get them out of there.” M. le C. de Forbin (Tom. II de fes mémoires, an. 1701): Raconte qu’étant près du cap de Passaro, sur les côtes de Sicile, on vint l’avertir pendant la nuit qu’il paroissoit un nouveau soleil. Je mon-tai, dit- il, sur le pont, & je vis effectivement un grand feu qui brûloit en l’air, & qui éclairoit affez pour pouvoir lire une lettre. Quoique le vent fût très- violent, ce météore ne branloit point; il brûla environ pendant deux heu res, & disparut en s’éteignant peu à peu. Les pilotes, les matelots, & tout l’équipage effrayé, le regardèrent comme la marque infaillible d’une tempête dont nous étions menacés; il n’y eut pas moyen de les tirer de-là” (Richard, 1771).
1684 Histoire de l’Academie Royale des Sciences (Type B)
The following sighting in Toulon, France was recorded by the French Academy of Sciences. The Father of Lannion reported that he saw an extraordinary phenomenon on the 17th of November near S. Aubin in Brittany; it was a teardrop- shaped flame as big as one’s hand, coming down from the sky slowly for about 7 to 8 minutes. We could see this flame clearly enough, it was a little bluish; Its tail threw off sparks of some kind, and it was opposite the sun.
M. l’Abbé de l’Anion a rapporté qu’il avoit vû un Phénomene extraordinaire le 17 Novembre vers les ro heures du matin étant proche de S. Aubin en Bretagne; c’étoit une flamme en forme de larme , grosse comme la main qui dercendit du Ciel assés lentement pendant l’espace d’environ 7 à 8 minutes. On voyoit cette flamme assés clairement, elle paroissoit un peu bleuë; la queuë jettoit des espéces d’étincelles, & elle étoit opposée au Soleil (Histoire de l’Académie royale des sciences depuis 1666 jusqu’en 1699, 1733). (See Kentucky Encounter, Pascagoula Encounter, Blue Domed/Tear Drop UFO.)
1676 “Disc-like” object, Italy (Type B)
Considered one of Florence and Tuscany’s greatest mysteries, the first possible use of the word “disc” to characterize an Unidentified Flying Object is written in “Succinta relazione di un insolito lume apparso per tutta la Toscana, e in molti altri luoghi d’Italia la sera del 31 marzo 1676 (A succinct report of an unusual light which appeared throughout Tuscany, and in many other places in Italy on the evening of March 31, 1676 )” (Barzini, 1676; Toscanalibri, 2015). The report states, On the evening of March 31, 1676, a luminous “disc-like” object appeared in the Tuscan skies and was seen crossing from the Adriatic Sea to the Mediterranean with one or more bursts.
La sera del 31 di marzo del 1676 è comparso nei cieli toscani un corpo luminosissimo a forma di disco – o sacco di grano, o covone ma alquanto più rotondo – che in meno tempo di dire un miserere, si vidde traghettare dal mare Adriatico al Mediterraneo, con uno o più scoppi. (See Supplementary Video – Disc Shaped UFOs).
1639 Journal of John Winthrop (Type B)
This account parallels one written in the Annals of Songzi County in that they both reported missing time and a UAP. For 350 years, Governor John Winthrop’s journal has been recognized as the central source for the history of Massachusetts in the 1630s and 1640s. On March 1, 1639, it reports, In this year one James Everell, a sober, discreet man, and two others, saw a great light in the night at Muddy River.
When it stood still, it flamed up, and was about three yards square; when it ran, it was contracted into the figure of a swine: it ran as swift as an arrow towards Charlton, and so up and down about two or three hours. They were come down in their lighter about a mile, and, when it was over, they found themselves carried quite back against the tide to the place they came from. Divers other credible persons saw the same light, after, about the same place (Winthrop, 2009). (See Kentucky Women Case, A 70 Case, and Kelly Cahill Case.)
1603 Narration historique et topographique des convens de J’ordre de St-Frangois (Type B)
In the year 1603, being in Besangon for the duties of my charge as Visitor to Sainte Claire monastery, it happened that on a Thursday, the 23rd day of January, between 7 and 8 P.M., we were told that all the people were assembling in the streets, terrified. I went out, and like the others, I saw a great light in the air over the cathedral, covering the whole of Mount Saint Etienne with a round-shaped, heavy cloud, reddish in color, while all the air was clear and the sky so devoid of fog that the stars were seen shining brilliantly.
This light remained quasi-motionless over Mount Saint Etienne, and from there we saw it coming so low that it nearly touched the houses and lit up the nearby streets, but with a motion so slow that it was hardly noticeable, and it halted for at least a quarter of an hour over Saint Vincent Abbey, where some pieces of relics of two glorious Saints are kept.
Then, escaping over the Grande place of Chammar to the Doubs river, it went away through the Grande rue that goes to the bridge, and straight to the cathedral where it vanished, but as we said before, with such a slow-motion that its travel lasted until 9:30 at night, which is to say at least two hours (Vallee, Trans.).
1578 Ming Dynasty, Wanli Emperor (China) (Type B)
A “comet” spins like a wheel and illuminates the sky. Time passes and the light goes out.
“明神宗万历五年十二月初三夜，尾星旋转如轮，焰照天，逾时乃灭”
(南澳县志, 2000; Acta Astronomica Sinica, 2003).
1520 Annals of Joseon Dynasty (South Korea) (Type B)
In 1520, the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, after a red “Qi” in the sky was reported by an astrologer, two members of the Royal Secretariat also witnessed the same red “Qi” that was flickering like a torch. It was moving irregularly for hours. The particular phenomenon was reported to King Jungjong. He feared that it could be an ominous sign (Annals of Joseon Dynasty, 1520).