On the afternoon of June 24, 1947, the world unknowingly stood on the precipice of a new era. The post-war sky, once a theater of conflict, was about to become a canvas for mystery. It was on this clear day that a private pilot named Kenneth Arnold embarked on a flight that would not only change his life but also introduce a new, captivating term into the global lexicon: the “flying saucer.”

Kenneth Arnold’s sighting is widely considered the watershed moment that triggered the modern era of UFO investigation. Before his report, accounts of unusual aerial phenomena were sporadic and easily dismissed. Afterward, the floodgates opened. His story provided a template for future sightings and forced a national conversation that continues to this day. The sighting’s enduring impact lies not just in the mystery of what he saw, but in its role as the foundational event that launched a global quest for answers, forever changing the way we look at the sky.