“ ‘Flying Saucers’ Mystify”, 7 July 1947
(The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
The Age reports that hundreds of persons in 28 U.S. states had sighted UFOs between 25 June and 7 July 1947:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qwhFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vL0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1638,598447
Quote from the article:
“Actually the first mysterious flying saucer was sighted in Oregon on June 25 by Kenneth Arnold, …
Perhaps the most reliable description came from Captain E. J. Smith, of United Airlines, who reported seeing ‘round flat objects for 12 minutes’ in the course of a flight over Idaho. The co-pilot, Ralph Stevens, and a stewardess confirmed Smith’s story.”
Captain E. J. Smith (left), Kenneth Arnold and
Co-Pilot Ralph Stevens (historylink.org photo)