1957 in UFO history
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 📅 Year
Contents 5
| Year | 1957 |
|---|---|
| Events | 3 |
| Decade | 1950s |
| Topics | Crashes & retrievals (topic), Disinformation & hoaxes (topic), Military encounters (topic), Government programs (topic) |
| Timeline | 1957 on the UAP Timeline |
1957 in UFO history — the UAP Timeline records 3 events in 1957, mostly about crashes & retrievals and disinformation & hoaxes. People named in these events include Donald Keyhoe, Herbert Scoville, Brad Sparks, Christopher Mellon.
Overview
On 4 October 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, opening the Space Age and the space race.[1] UFO interest rose with it. A Trendex survey in August 1957, ten years after Kenneth Arnold's sighting, found that over 25% of Americans thought UFOs could be from outer space.[2] On 2–3 November drivers near Levelland, Texas, reported glowing objects along the highways. The Air Force and skeptics attributed the reports to ball lightning or a severe electrical storm, but ufologists regard it as one of the most impressive cases because of the number of witnesses.[3] See Levelland UFO case. That year Brazilian farmer Antônio Vilas-Boas claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrials, one of the first abduction stories to receive wide attention. Some skeptics suggest it was a hoax.[4] Magnesium fragments said to come from a UFO exploding near Ubatuba, Brazil, in 1957 were analysed by the Brazilian government and later by the Condon Committee.[2]
The timeline's 1957 entries add three episodes. In May NICAP was told a fake crash story from the Florida Everglades by a source with ties to the NSA, who admitted faking it but gave no motive.[5] On 24 September the Director of Air Force Intelligence, General Millard Lewis, told the intelligence "Watch Committee" that a radar target crossing from New York to Illinois at Mach 3 was a weather phenomenon. See Mach 3 radar target alert.[5] On 7 November guards at the Atomic Energy Commission's Pantex plant in Amarillo, Texas, reported three flashing objects that landed nearby and "would slip away" when approached.[5]
Events
- NICAP fed a fake crash story (1957) (May 1957) — Civilian group NICAP is fed a fake UAP crash story by a source with NSA ties.
- Mach 3 radar target alert (1957) (24 September 1957) — The Air Force intelligence chief warns of a radar target crossing the U.S. at Mach 3.
- Pantex nuclear plant sightings (1957) (7 November 1957) — Guards at the Pantex nuclear plant in Texas report three flashing objects landing nearby.
People
- Donald Keyhoe — Retired Marine officer, author and director of NICAP who campaigned against UFO secrecy.
- Herbert Scoville — CIA scientific intelligence director who commented on the 1957 Mach 3 radar target.
- Brad Sparks — UFO analyst known for his catalogue of Blue Book unknowns and work on the CIA lawsuit.
- Christopher Mellon — Former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence who helped release the Navy UAP videos.
Nearby years
1956 in UFO history · 1958 in UFO history
References
- Sputnik 1 — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Unidentified flying object — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Levelland UFO case — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Antônio Vilas-Boas — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- UAP timeline published with Michael Shellenberger's 2024 congressional testimony, entries for 1957 · oversight.house.gov
Facts in this article are drawn in part from the Wikipedia articles “Sputnik 1”, “Unidentified flying object”, “Levelland UFO case”, “Antônio Vilas-Boas”, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
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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