Summary
The US military first announced it had recovered a flying disc, then retracted within hours, calling it a weather balloon. Later officially explained as a high-altitude surveillance balloon. It became the origin point of modern UFO culture.
Detail
In the summer of 1947, unidentified debris was found on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. The local Army Air Field initially issued a press release stating it had recovered a 'flying disc,' and the news spread nationwide. Within hours the military retracted this, attributing the debris to a weather balloon. Decades later, official US documents explained it as the remains of a high-altitude surveillance program. Despite the official explanation, it remains one of the most enduring debated UFO topics.
