First UFO Sighting in the U.S.
a painted portrait of John Winthrop
Photo credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Dr. and Mrs. R. Ted Steinbock
The first supposed UFO sighting was recorded by John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1639.
Eyes upturned, three boaters watched uneasily as a glowing object flitted across the sky. Was it a drone? A rocket? A jet?
Not possible—the strange incident happened nearly three centuries before the first successful airplane was invented.
The 1639 account of the sighting comes from the diary of John Winthrop. He was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time. The diary entry describes the unusual situation three men found themselves in while rowing their boat through the Muddy River. The lighted object, Winthrop wrote, alternately stood still and flared, then darted across the sky, and "contracted into the figure of a swine." The strange, pig-shaped object remained visible for a few hours, shooting back and forth across a distance of about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers). Then, it mysteriously faded away—untraceable and unforgettable.
Once their attention returned to their task, the men were startled to discover they were now a mile (1.6 kilometers) upstream. They had no recollection of rowing against the current, Winthrop wrote. That part isn't entirely unexplainable, though—their boat could have been carried by wind or a reverse tidal flow. Or the men may have just been so fascinated by the sight above them that they didn't notice their movement.
The boaters weren't the only witnesses to the extraordinary oddity, according to Winthrop. "Other credible persons saw the same light, after, about the same place," he wrote.
Five years later, Winthrop recorded a report of another incidence of lights "like the moon" rising from different places, then joining together as one before parting again. Over and over, the lights joined and parted, he wrote—sometimes shooting out flames, other times appearing to sparkle. This time it happened in the early evening, and several people witnessed the unusual sight.
Flying machines and special effects were only a fantasy at the time, far in the unforeseeable future. Fireworks had been around in some form for many years, but modern fireworks weren't invented until the 1830s. There's been some speculation that the bizarre sightings were caused by gas catching fire from decaying matter in the marshland. But others say that's not likely if the lights were shooting across the sky. So, what in the world were people seeing? For now, the truth may be unattainable, but even skeptical historians agree that Winthrop's report gave Boston a notable claim to fame. It's where the first unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings were reported in what's now the United States.
The first reported UFO sighting in the United States occurred in 1639 and was documented in the diary of John Winthrop, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time. Three men in a boat on the Muddy River witnessed a glowing object that alternately stood still and flared, then darted across the sky and transformed into the shape of a swine. The pig-shaped object remained visible for a few hours before fading away.
Interestingly, the men in the boat also discovered that they had traveled a mile upstream without realizing it, which could be attributed to wind or a reverse tidal flow. Other witnesses also reported seeing the same light in the same location.
Five years later, Winthrop documented another sighting of lights that appeared to rise from different places, join together, and then part again, sometimes shooting out flames or sparkling. Several people witnessed this event as well.
As flying machines and special effects did not exist at that time, and modern fireworks were not invented until much later, the cause of these sightings remains unknown. Some speculate that it could have been gas catching fire from decaying matter in the marshland, but this explanation does not account for the lights shooting across the sky. The truth behind these sightings may never be known, but they hold significance as the first recorded UFO sightings in what is now the United States.
What is this article primarily about?
A.The first reported sightings of unidentified flying objects in what's now the U.S.
B.The personal diary entries that John Winthrop wrote about rowing up the Muddy River
C.Gas catching fire from decaying matter found in the marshlands around Boston
D.Flying machines and special effects in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
A. The first reported sightings of unidentified flying objects in what's now the U.S.
Based on the article, which of these is true about the first reported UFO sighting in the U.S.?
A.The first sighting was witnessed by men who were setting off fireworks.
B.The first sighting darted back and forth for several hours before fading away.
C.The first sighting lasted only a few minutes and was dismissed as unimportant.
D.The first sighting sparkled like lights from the moon that were joined together.
B. The first sighting darted back and forth for several hours before fading away.
Which is the closest synonym for the word skeptical, as it is used in the article?
A. competitive
B.secretive
C .doubtful
D.respectful
C. doubtful
Which passage from the article best supports the idea that the men in the boat were completely absorbed by what they saw?
A.This time it happened in the early evening, and several people witnessed the unusual sight.
B.Once their attention returned to their task, the men were startled to discover they were now a mile (1.6 kilometers) upstream. They had no recollection of rowing against the current.
C.Five years later, Winthrop recorded a report of another incidence of lights "like the moon" rising from different places.
D.The boaters weren't the only witnesses to the extraordinary oddity, according to Winthrop.