The First UFO Wave of Mass Sightings

In 1896 and 7, hundreds of Western American newspapers reported mass sightings of fantastic winged airships performing maneuvers years ahead of the technology of the time. Most Americans assumed a secret inventor would soon take credit for the sightings but no one who did so could prove ownership of a functional flying machine. The mystery airships remain unidentified, constituting an early wave of UFOs before flying saucers, and almost before flight itself.