1960’s: Increasing Public Fascination and Government Oversight

1961: The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction
The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction in New Hampshire marked the first widely publicized case of alien abduction. The Hills reported being taken aboard a UFO, where they underwent medical examinations by extraterrestrial beings.

1964: The Lonnie Zamora Incident
In Socorro, New Mexico, the Lonnie Zamora Incident involved a police officer witnessing a UFO landing and encountering two small figures near the craft. This event remains one of the most well-documented and unexplained UFO cases.

1965: The Kecksburg UFO Incident
The Kecksburg UFO Incident occurred in Pennsylvania, featuring a fireball observed over multiple U.S. states and an object that reportedly crashed in the woods. Witnesses described a bell-shaped craft, drawing comparisons to the infamous Roswell Incident.

1966: The Michigan Swamp Gas Case
The Michigan Swamp Gas Case saw numerous UFO sightings, which astronomer J. Allen Hynek later attributed to “swamp gas.” This explanation faced significant public skepticism.

1967: The Shag Harbour Incident
In Canada, the Shag Harbour Incident involved a UFO crashing into the water off Nova Scotia's coast. Despite a government investigation, no clear explanation emerged.

1969: Project Blue Book Termination
Project Blue Book was officially concluded by the U.S. Air Force. The final report determined that UFOs posed no threat to national security and that most sightings could be attributed to natural or man-made phenomena.