Kenneth Arnold over Mount Rainier

A private pilot searching for a downed Marine transport described nine bright crescent-shaped objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier, estimating their speed at over 1,200 mph. Arnold's comparison — that the objects moved 'like a saucer if you skip it across the water' — was condensed by a newspaper headline writer into 'flying saucers.' The story ran on June 25, 1947, and the modern era of the phenomenon began.