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Beginning just after the end of World War 2 and somewhere around the beginning of the Cold War, a rash of sightings of purported Flying Saucers were putting America on edge. The descriptions ran the gamut, and the reactions ran everywhere from borderline hysterics to outright prolonged laughter. There didn’t seem to be any neutral ground, save for the Scientific community who actively sought some answers as to what this phenomenon was all about.
Variously described as a “new type of jet”, and a “flying disc” – these Unidentified Airborne Objects stoked the fears in many that we were in the process of being invaded by hostile beings from another planet.
Naturally, the whole issue of Flying Saucers and their sightings became an almost daily occurrence, with each report sparking more interest on behalf of the scientific community as well as the Press, who were clamoring for some sort of answers.
Conspiracy theories spread throughout the country and indeed the world crowding out factual information, for the most part, but it was almost impossible to find out, get concrete evidence such things as Flying saucers existed.
And a considerable amount of time was taken up my the media to either exploit the potential paranoia or to investigate, searching for conclusive proof we were indeed not the only life form in the galaxy and that we were being visited from time to time by beings from other planets.
Taking the serious approach to the subject was Edward R. Murrow, one of the most trusted and venerable figures in Broadcast Journalism at the time. He devoted an entire half-hour to Flying Saucers and to the phenomena surrounding them.
To get an idea where America was during this period, here is The Case Of The Flying Saucer as it was broadcast by CBS Radio, April 7, 1950.
