Really, have extraterrestrials visited?

Well, there is a lot of alleged evidence but little agreement as to its legitimacy.The UFO era began in 1947, when pilot Kenneth Arnold observed disk-shaped aircraft flying near Mount Rainier. Sightings continued, and a government investigation concluded nothing unusual was going on. However, persistent reports and the dissenting opinions of some prominent insiders have continued to pique interest in the phenomenon. Believers include a CIA director, a Joint Chiefs chairman, and Jimmy Carter.

The name Roswell has become synonymous with UFOs. In 1947, the Air Force announced it had recovered a crashed “flying disk,” later claiming it was merely a downed weather balloon. In 1978, a former base officer who had collected the debris said he believed the wreckage was extraterrestrial. In 1994, the Air Force said the crashed object was actually a balloon from a secret military project; it issued a final report on the incident in 1997. The debate, however, continues.

Other intriguing cases include UFOs over the White House; a 1986 sighting by a Japan Airlines pilot; and the alleged landing of a craft at an American base in England, an event that was recorded by the deputy base commander. All of which is interesting, but until aliens land on the 50-yard line during the Super Bowl, skeptics will always offer alternative explanations.