- World UFO Day celebrates the rumored alien crash in Roswell, New Mexico (USA).
World UFO Day happens every year. Many people who believe in aliens are very interested in this day. It is celebrated around the world; there are parades, scientific discussions, and sometimes tinfoil hats.
World UFO Day takes place on July 2, the anniversary of the rumored UFO (unidentified flying object) crash in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. The original report about the crash said that the object was a “flying disk.” A short time later, the U.S. Army called it a UFO accident. Then, the Pentagon said it was a balloon wreck. Today, many people still do not believe the Pentagon. They want the government to share all of the information.
World UFO Day started in 2001 and people celebrate it in different ways. Some science museums, restaurants, and towns hold events.
Some people who research UFOs don’t like how others celebrate UFO Day. Researchers, like Ronald James, would like more serious discussions and people to know more about UFOs. James is the director of media relations at Mutual UFO Network. It’s an organization that researches UFO sightings around the world.
James told ABC News that anything that helps more people understand the subject is good. However, his organization is focused on science. He says that World UFO Day is “awesome” because it gets a lot of attention.
The website for the holiday says that the official goal of World UFO Day is to celebrate UFOs and aliens. It suggests that people watch the sky and look for strange objects flying. The Missouri (USA) group of MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) is holding an event to watch the sky on Saturday at 7pm in Kansas City.
A poll by the Pew Research Center says that 65% of Americans think aliens are real. At the beginning of this year, the US government had a meeting about UFOs and the possible dangers they might bring. MUFON was founded in 1969 and now has more than 4,000 members. Since the beginning of the organization, they wanted the government to have that meeting.
James says the organization was happy that the government had the UFO meeting. MUFON was in Washington D.C. for the meeting and the group has been in Washington D.C. a lot lately for meetings with politicians.
For people who live in Roswell, New Mexico, the town where the rumored UFO crash happened, this day is mostly a celebration. It’s an opportunity for people to make some money at the annual UFO Festival. This year is the 75th anniversary of the Roswell UFO crash.
The festival is from Friday to Sunday this year. There will be a parade, concert, speakers, food, tours, and more. It’s the biggest celebration of World UFO Day in the world and has a history that began long before World UFO Day became popular around the world.
VOCABULARY
- Rumored – alleged; what people say or believe; apparently
- Alien – 👽 ; a living thing from another planet
- Tinfoil hat – Please read the background of this here: Tin foil hat – Wikipedia
- Takes place – to happen; to be held
- Wreck – a crash; something badly damaged or broken
- Director – boss, leader, head, manager
- Organization – a group of people with one purpose; an agency; a society; company
- Sighting – notice; see; observe; to see something unusual or rare for a short moment
- Poll – a survey; questionnaire; questions for a group of people to understand their opinion
- Founded – started; began; created
- Politician – a person who works in politics; a person who works in the government
- Opportunity – chance; occasion; possibility; available moment
- Annual – every year; yearly
Original story from ABC News below:
