UFO Declassification Timeline

From present to 1947 ยท The complete history of UAP exploration

SightingInvestigationDisclosurePolicy ChangeMajor Incident
2020s
2026.05

PURSUE Program Launched - First 162 Documents Released

Disclosure

The US Department of Defense officially launched the war.gov/ufo website, releasing the first batch of 162 declassified documents, including videos, photos, and raw documents, through the "Presidential UAP Encounter Declassification and Reporting System" (PURSUE). This is the largest public release of UFO documents in US history.

2026.02

Trump Orders Release of UFO Files

Disclosure

US President Trump announced on Truth Social that he would instruct the Secretary of War and relevant departments to begin identifying and declassifying government documents related to extraterrestrial life, UAPs, and UFOs.

2024.03

AARO Historical Report, Volume 1

Investigation

AARO released Volume 1 of its historical report, reviewing the US government's UAP investigation history since 1945, claiming no evidence of extraterrestrial technology was found.

2023.07

David Grusch Congressional Hearing

Disclosure

Former intelligence official David Grusch testified before Congress, claiming that the US government possesses wreckage of "non-human origin" aircraft and biological remains, causing a global sensation.

2022.07

All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office Established

Policy Change

The US Department of Defense officially established the "All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office" (AARO) to coordinate UAP investigation efforts across the entire government.

2021.06

Director of National Intelligence UAP Preliminary Assessment Report

Disclosure

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a preliminary assessment report on UAPs, confirming that only 1 out of 144 UAP incidents could be explained, and acknowledging that UAPs may pose a threat to flight safety and national security.

2020.04

Pentagon Officially Releases UAP Videos

Disclosure

The US Department of Defense officially released three Navy UAP videos (FLIR1, GoFast, Gimbal), confirming their authenticity, marking the first time the US government publicly acknowledged the UAP phenomenon.

2010s
2017.12

Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program Exposed

Disclosure

The New York Times revealed the Pentagon's secret "Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program" (AATIP), which spent $22 million from 2007 to 2012 investigating UAPs.

2015.01

USS Roosevelt 'Go Fast' and 'Gimbal' Videos

Sighting

Pilots from the US Navy's USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group recorded multiple UAP videos, including the famous "GoFast" and "Gimbal" videos, showing objects with anomalous flight characteristics.

2000s
2008.01

Stephenville Sightings

Sighting

Dozens of witnesses in Stephenville, Texas, reported seeing huge, silent flying objects, and radar data showed the objects flying toward President Bush's ranch.

2004.11

USS Nimitz "Tic Tac" Incident

Sighting

F/A-18 fighter pilots from the U.S. Navy Nimitz Carrier Strike Group tracked a white oval object ("Tic Tac") off the coast of San Diego, which demonstrated maneuvering capabilities beyond known technology.

1990s
1997.03

Phoenix Lights

Sighting

A massive V-shaped luminous object appeared over Phoenix, Arizona, witnessed by thousands of people. The governor later admitted to having seen the unidentified object himself.

1980s
1989.11

Belgian UFO Wave

Sighting

Numerous reports of triangular UFO sightings in Belgium, with NATO radar repeatedly tracking unidentified objects. The Belgian Air Force publicly admitted its inability to explain these phenomena.

1986.11

Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 Incident

Sighting

A Japan Airlines cargo plane encountered a massive unidentified flying object over Alaska, which was confirmed and tracked by FAA radar. The captain described the object as "bigger than an aircraft carrier."

1980.12

Rendlesham Forest Incident

Sighting

Personnel at a U.S. Air Force base near Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, UK, witnessed unidentified luminous objects for several consecutive nights. The deputy base commander recorded detailed sighting reports.

1970s
1976.09

Tehran UFO Incident

Sighting

Iranian Air Force fighter jets experienced weapon system and communication equipment malfunctions while tracking an unidentified flying object. This incident was rated as a "classic case" by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.

1960s
1969.12

Project Blue Book Terminated

Policy Change

The U.S. Air Force officially terminated Project "Blue Book," claiming that UFOs do not pose a national security threat. The project investigated 12,618 sighting reports, 701 of which were classified as "unresolved."

1969.11

Apollo 12 Unidentified Phenomena

Sighting

During NASA's Apollo 12 lunar mission, unidentified luminous phenomena appeared in photographs of the lunar surface taken by astronauts. These photos were publicly released for the first time in this declassification.

1967.03

Malmstrom Air Force Base Nuclear Missile Shutdown Incident

Major Incident

Multiple Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana mysteriously malfunctioned during a UFO appearance. Several military personnel confirmed witnessing unidentified flying objects.

1964.04

Socorro Incident

Sighting

New Mexico, Socorro police officer Lonnie Zamora witnessed an egg-shaped aircraft land, finding scorched marks and symmetrical landing imprints on the ground. This case is considered one of the most credible close encounter cases.

1961.09

Betty and Barney Hill Abduction

Major Incident

A couple in New Hampshire claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrial beings and subjected to medical examinations. This was the first widely known "alien abduction" case.

1950s
1957.11

Levelland UFO Incident

Sighting

Multiple witnesses in Levelland, Texas, reported a glowing object causing car engines to stall and headlights to go out. This was one of the earliest cases of "electromagnetic effects."

1953.01

Robertson Panel

Policy Change

The CIA convened the Robertson Panel, composed of scientists, which recommended "debunking" the UFO phenomenon to reduce public attention and prevent intelligence channels from being overwhelmed by numerous UFO reports.

1952.07

Washington D.C. UFO Incident

Sighting

Multiple unidentified flying objects appeared over Washington D.C. and were simultaneously tracked by several radars. The Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept, causing nationwide panic.

1952.03

Project BLUE BOOK initiated

Investigation

The U.S. Air Force launched Project Blue Book, which became the longest-running official U.S. government UFO investigation project, lasting until 1969.

1940s
1949.12

Project GRUDGE report

Investigation

Project Grudge released its final report, tending to explain most UFO sightings as conventional phenomena or psychological factors.

1948.01

Project SIGN initiated

Investigation

The U.S. Air Force officially established Project Sign, the first official U.S. government UFO investigation project.

1947.09

Twining Memo

Policy Change

Lieutenant General Nathan Twining, Commander of Air Materiel Command, issued a memorandum confirming the reality of the "flying saucer" phenomenon and recommending the establishment of a dedicated investigative body.

1947.07

Roswell Incident

Major Incident

A crashed object was found near Roswell, New Mexico. The U.S. Army Air Forces initially issued a statement about recovering a "flying saucer," but later retracted it, claiming it was a weather balloon. This incident became the most controversial case in UFO history.

1947.06

Kenneth Arnold Sighting

Sighting

American pilot Kenneth Arnold sighted 9 high-speed, disc-shaped objects near Mount Rainier, Washington, coining the term "flying saucer." This marked the beginning of the modern UFO era.