Kecksburg

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Kecksburg
The model of the UFO that residents of Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, United States said they saw crash in the nearby woods in 1965. It was said to be…
The model of the UFO that residents of Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, United States said they saw crash in the nearby woods in 1965. It was said to be… Photo: Ryright · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
TypePlace
Also known asKecksburg, Pennsylvania
On the Timeline1 event, 1965

Kecksburg is a small unincorporated community in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, about 50 km (30 miles) southeast of Pittsburgh. It is famous for the "Kecksburg incident" of 9 December 1965, when a fireball seen across several states was reported to have come down in nearby woods.[1]

History

Space Acorn in Kecksburg, PA.
Space Acorn in Kecksburg, PA. Photo: Navy2004 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

The village was laid out around 1860 on five acres bought by Johann Martin Keck, who became its first postmaster in 1868 and held the post for 26 years. It lies in wooded hill country along Pennsylvania Route 982.[1]

The 1965 incident

Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Pittsburgh metropolitan area Photo: U.S. Federal Government · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

On the late afternoon of 9 December 1965 thousands of people in at least six U.S. states and in Ontario, Canada, saw a bright fireball. It was linked to reports of metal debris falling over Michigan and northern Ohio and to sonic booms over western Pennsylvania, and witnesses said something had crashed in the woods outside Kecksburg. Some described an acorn-shaped object, and military personnel were reported to have searched the area. Officials said the fireball was a meteor; others have suggested it was the Soviet Venus probe Kosmos 96, which re-entered the atmosphere that day, though the timing of that re-entry has been questioned.[1][2][3]

The acorn and the festival

Illustration of a screen showing a flying saucer
Illustration: a screen showing a flying saucer. An artist's impression drawn for this site, not a photograph of the event.

In 1990 the TV series Unsolved Mysteries built a large metal model of the acorn-shaped object for its segment on the case, and afterwards gave it to the town. It now stands on a lit pedestal by the Kecksburg Volunteer Fire Department, which hosts an annual UFO festival with talks, stalls and a parade.[1]

On the UAP Timeline

The 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio received its first C-17 Globemaster III Jan. 21,2010. The aircraft is on loan from…
The 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio received its first C-17 Globemaster III Jan. 21,2010. The aircraft is on loan from… Photo: United States Air Force · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

References

This page was last edited on 29 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.

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