Air Force Denies Aliens: UFO Claims Dismissed in 1997
The US Air Force released "The Roswell Report: Case Closed" on June 24, 1997, attempting to provide a definitive explanation for the alleged 1947 UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico. The report attributed the original debris to Project Mogul, a classified balloon program monitoring Soviet nuclear tests, and attributed claims of alien bodies to confused memories of anthropomorphic test dummies dropped from high altitude during Project High Dive in the 1950s. The 231-page report argued that witnesses had compressed and conflated memories from events spanning several years. UFO researchers rejected the findings, noting that the Air Force's explanations had changed multiple times since 1947 (from weather balloon to Mogul balloon to crash test dummies). The Roswell incident remains the most famous UFO case in history and a major driver of UFO tourism in New Mexico.
June 24, 1997
29 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on June 24
Mursili II marched his Hittite army into the highlands to crush the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa, ending years of border skirmishes that threatened his northern front…
Lake Bracciano had fed Rome's right bank for centuries through crude channels. Trajan fixed that in 109 AD with 40 kilometers of engineered stone, delivering cl…
Glycerius had been emperor for less than a year when Julius Nepos sailed from Dalmatia with enough soldiers to make the point without a battle. No siege. No blo…
The largest battle in Irish history was decided by a king who may have lost his mind before it even started. Domnall II, High King of Ireland, faced a coalition…
Three longships appeared in the Loire River on a Sunday — the feast day of St. John the Baptist, June 24, 843. Terrible timing for Nantes. The cathedral was pac…
Poland didn't have an army — it had a duke with something to prove. Mieszko I lured the Saxon forces of Hodo deep into a forest trap near Cedynia in 972, lettin…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.