Hopkinsville Goblins incident of 1955
E653400
The Hopkinsville Goblins incident of 1955 is a famous alleged close encounter in which a Kentucky family reported being terrorized by small, glowing-eyed creatures, becoming one of the most influential and debated cases in UFO and cryptid lore.
Statements (59)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
American folklore event
ⓘ
UFO incident ⓘ alleged close encounter ⓘ cryptid encounter ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
Hopkinsville Goblins case
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Kelly Green Men case NERFINISHED ⓘ Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| annualCommemoration | Kelly Little Green Men Days festival NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
"little green men" trope in popular culture
ⓘ
UFO folklore ⓘ alien visitation theories ⓘ cryptozoology ⓘ |
| country |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| county | Christian County NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| creaturesDescribedAs |
goblin-like creatures
ⓘ
little men ⓘ small beings ⓘ |
| creaturesEarDescription | large pointed ears ⓘ |
| creaturesEyeDescription | large glowing eyes ⓘ |
| creaturesHeight | about 2.5 to 3.5 feet tall ⓘ |
| creaturesMovementDescription |
seemed unaffected by gunfire
ⓘ
strange, almost weightless movements ⓘ |
| creaturesSkinDescription | shiny or metallic skin ⓘ |
| culturalImpact |
became a classic case in UFO literature
ⓘ
helped popularize the phrase "little green men" for aliens ⓘ inspired festivals and tourism in Kelly, Kentucky ⓘ |
| date | 1955-08-21 ⓘ |
| debatedBy |
folklorists
ⓘ
skeptics ⓘ ufologists ⓘ |
| duration | several hours during the night of 1955-08-21 ⓘ |
| initialTriggerReported | sighting of a bright object in the sky ⓘ |
| involvedGroup | Sutton family and friends ⓘ |
| involvedPerson |
Billy Ray Taylor
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Elmer "Lucky" Sutton NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| location | rural farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky ⓘ |
| near | Hopkinsville, Kentucky NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| numberOfWitnesses | approximately 11 ⓘ |
| policeInvestigationResult | no bodies or physical evidence of creatures found ⓘ |
| policeObservation | numerous bullet holes and damage at the farmhouse ⓘ |
| policeObservation | witnesses appeared genuinely frightened ⓘ |
| primaryWitnessFamily | Sutton family NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| reportedTo |
Christian County police
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Fort Campbell military police NERFINISHED ⓘ Kentucky State Police NERFINISHED ⓘ local media ⓘ |
| skepticalExplanation | effects of alcohol or heightened fear ⓘ |
| skepticalExplanation |
exaggeration or misperception in low light
ⓘ
misidentification of great horned owls ⓘ |
| state | Kentucky ⓘ |
| statusInFolklore | legendary event in Kentucky folklore ⓘ |
| statusInUFOCommunity | one of the most discussed close encounter cases ⓘ |
| subjectOf |
documentaries and television programs about UFOs
ⓘ
numerous UFO books and articles ⓘ |
| timePeriod | 1950s ⓘ |
| witnessesClaimed |
creatures approached the farmhouse repeatedly
ⓘ
creatures peered into windows and onto the roof ⓘ creatures retreated into the darkness but kept returning ⓘ family fired guns at the creatures for several hours ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.