1947 Kenneth Arnold sighting

E318042

The 1947 Kenneth Arnold sighting was a landmark UFO incident near Mount Rainier, Washington, that popularized the term "flying saucer" and sparked the modern era of UFO interest in the United States.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf UFO sighting
historical event
hasAircraftType CallAir A-2
hasAltitudeReported around 9,500 feet
hasCountry United States of America
surface form: United States
hasCulturalImpact influenced public perception of UFOs as disc-shaped craft
referenced in numerous UFO documentaries and books
hasDate 1947-06-24
hasDistanceFromObserverReported about 20 to 25 miles
hasDuration around 2 to 3 minutes
hasFollowUp FBI file created on the incident
interviews with Kenneth Arnold by military intelligence
hasHistoricalSignificance became one of the most famous UFO cases in history
sparked the modern era of UFO interest in the United States
triggered a wave of UFO reports in 1947
hasInvestigatingAgency Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Army Air Forces
hasLegacy established a template for later UFO sighting reports
hasLocation Washington State, United States
surface form: Washington state

near Mount Rainier
hasMainParticipant Kenneth Arnold
hasMediaImpact popularized the term "flying saucer"
hasNumberOfObjectsReported 9
hasObjectShapeDescription crescent-shaped
saucer-like
hasOfficialExplanation variously suggested as mirages, pelicans, or other conventional phenomena
hasPressCoverage extensive national newspaper coverage in the United States
hasPrimarySource statements by Kenneth Arnold
hasPrimaryWitness Kenneth Arnold
hasRelatedConcept flying saucer
hasRelatedEvent 1947 flying disc craze in the United States
hasRelatedField ufology
hasReportedMotion objects moved like a saucer skipping across water
hasSkepticalInterpretation misidentified natural or man-made objects
hasSourceType eyewitness testimony
hasSpeedReported about 1,200 mph
hasSubsequentDebate subject of ongoing debate between skeptics and UFO proponents
hasTermOrigin "flying saucer"
hasTimeOfDay afternoon
hasUFOResearchSignificance frequently cited in ufology literature
hasWeatherCondition clear weather
hasWitnessCount 1
hasWitnessOccupation businessman
private pilot
hasYear 1947

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

UFOs notableEvent 1947 Kenneth Arnold sighting
Ken Arnold reportedEvent 1947 Kenneth Arnold sighting
this entity surface form: 1947 Mount Rainier UFO sighting