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Today in History: Military Claims Roswell Incident Was Weather Balloon

7/8/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On July 8, 1947, the U.S. Army Air Forces announced the recovery of a "flying disc" near Roswell, New Mexico, sparking widespread intrigue. Within a day, the military retracted the statement, claiming the debris was merely a weather balloon. This incident later fueled conspiracy theories about extraterrestrial spacecraft and government cover-ups.

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Story summary

On July 8, 1947, the U.S. Army Air Forces announced the recovery of a "flying disc" near Roswell, New Mexico, sparking widespread intrigue. Within a day, the military retracted the statement, claiming the debris was merely a weather balloon. This incident later fueled conspiracy theories about extraterrestrial spacecraft and government cover-ups.