Mohamed Bughrara
We’ve been fantasizing about aliens since the 1500s, when unknown objects were reported to float around the skies of Germany. From movies like E.T to Alien, we’ve been bombarded with the idea of extraterrestrial activity. What if we told you that sightings of aliens around the United States have been reported? You may be prone to believing us, especially if you’re from Arizona, where the state ranked 7th in the nation for the most UFO sightings reported by residents.
The first photograph of an alleged UFO was taken on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire in 1870. In 1947, more sightings were reported at Mount Rainier in Washington, as well as several in Roswell, New Mexico.
Well over 40,000 Americans have purchased alien protection insurance, which provides financial assistance if a family member is abducted by aliens. In addition, according to a 1991 Roper Poll, approximately 4 million Americans believe they have been abducted by aliens. It is safe to say that many Americans believe we are not alone in the universe.
Arizona residents have claimed 3,188 UFO sightings, most notably in 1953, when three residents from Prescott witnessed eight UFOs at Del Rio Springs Creek.
Another scary story was on Nov. 5, 1975, when Travis Walton, a 22-year old logger, was said to have been beamed by light from a UFO that tossed him about 20 feet right in front of his crew members.
The official position of the United States government has been that claims of alien life are the result of fabrications or misjudging other artifacts, such as weather balloons, as UFOs or alien life.
A long-awaited U.S. intelligence report on UFOs, which is due to Congress on June 25, is unlikely to alter that stance, but for many of us it could provide the proof we’ve long sought after.
