Editing World UFO Day (section)

== The History of World UFO Day ==
World UFO Day was first celebrated in 2001, initiated by UFO researcher Haktan Akdogan and promoted by the World UFO Day Organization. The choice of July 2nd commemorates the Roswell Incident, where a supposed UFO crash in 1947 sparked widespread conspiracy theories about extraterrestrial life and government cover-ups. An alternative date, June 24th, marks the 1947 sighting by pilot Kenneth Arnold, who reported seeing nine high-speed, crescent-shaped objects near Mount Rainier, Washington, coining the term “flying saucers.” The World UFO Day Organization settled on July 2nd as the official date to align with the Roswell event, which remains a cornerstone of UFO lore.

The fascination with UFOs predates 1947, with historical accounts like the 1946 “ghost rockets” in Scandinavia and “foo fighters” during World War II. However, the modern UFO movement gained momentum in the 1950s, fueled by Cold War anxieties, media coverage, and cultural phenomena like H.G. Wells’ ''The War of the Worlds'' (1898) and its 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles, which caused public panic. Today, World UFO Day continues to captivate imaginations, blending science, speculation, and pop culture.