The middle of the last century, before we went to the moon and immediately after, were the real heyday of UFO sightings. There were unexplained phenomena in the world, plus nuclear testing, military testing and no information highway. On the one hand, it must have been exciting to think you were witnessing an unexplained alien event. On the other, truly terrifying to imagine that alone on a dark road, aliens could abduct you to outer space. It was a world before drones, blimps, and missile testing explain can every bizarre phenomenon and strange sighting.
The Flatwoods Monster. 1952. West Virginia. A group of local boys and a woman all witnessed a fireball falling from the sky near Braxton. A highly noxious odor overwhelmed them and they saw a 10-foot tall monster with glowing red eyes and a spade-shaped head coming floating on top of the air as it approached them. Both journalists and scientists investigated the site, but released no formal reports. Source
Airmen Disappearance. 1953. Lake Superior. The airbase scrambled First Lieutenant Felix Moncla and Second Lieutenant Robert L. Wilson in their Scorpion jet to investigate unusual radar sightings. The phenomena appeared as two blips, that joined to form one blip the closer the airmen got in their jet. Ground control assumed that Moncla flew over or under the other aircraft and would circle around, but the Scorpion had disappeared, and the original phenomena continued on its original flight path. Search and rescue dispatched, but couldn’t find any trace of the men or the plane. Source
Levelland UFO Case. 1957. Levelland, Texas. Over the course of a single night, police in Levelland fielded calls from 15 separate motorists describing similar incidents. In all of them, the individuals vehicle died as they approached a large, egg-shaped object in the road. The egg would take off, and power returned to their car. Some described thunderous noise and extreme heat. Source
Betty and Barney Hill Abduction. 1961. New Hampshire. The first widely publicized alien abduction, there’s a historical marker where the abduction is said to have taken place. The couple observed a UFO descend from space and follow them down an isolated road. Unseen forces stopped their car and 4 foot tall humanoid creatures led them aboard the spaceship and subjected them to medical examinations. Their memories were wiped, but Betty recalled many of the details during a series of vivid dreams later on. Source
Snippy the Horse Mutilation. 1967. Alamosa, Colorado. Considered the first case of animal mutilation. Agnes King found the body of Snippy in a field, the head and neck de-fleshed. She saw a piece of metal on the ground next to the body and picking it up, discovered horse’s hair covered the implement and it was hot enough to burn her. There was a rumor that the horse’s tracks ended 100 feet from where they found the body. Source