Sitting, as we are, smack-dab in the middle of the month of October, it is worth remembering a month much like this one forty-three years ago, in a year that would become known as "The Year of the Humanoids" due to the number of close encounters of the third kind (CE-3s) reported in that month and throughout the year. While attention was understandably focused on the U.S. cases, the wave of unusual events had a global scope.
The case involving Dionisio Llanca in Argentina took place on 25 October 1973, Mexico gave us the controversial Cocoyoc UFO photos, Spain reported in with the sinister hooded humanoids of the Rupit Case in June '73, and a succession of similar events. Interestingly, as the "Year of the Humanoids" waned, it renewed its vigor during the following year, giving us a wealth of cases in elsewhere on the planet.
A number of admirable books capture the feel of the time, among them Len Strinfield's Situation Red: The UFO Siege and Kevin Randle's The October Scenario, Robert and Judy Blum's Beyond Earth and Robert Emenegger's UFOs Past Present and Future.
A sampling of cases from October 1973
10.04.73 - Gary Chopic reports a triangular UFO with a humanoid entity inside a bubble in Simi Valley, California. Second report of its kind.
10.05.73 - Schoolteacher reports large disk shaped object between El Centro and San Diego, California. Multiple witnesses aboard a Greyhound bus also present.
10.06.73 - Anonymous couple sees bright light in Canadian field; Next day reports humanoids in bright yellow-colored clothes.
10.11.73 - Tanner Williams, Alabama. 3-year-old boy tells mother he's been playing "with a nice monster" that had grey wrinkled skin and pointed ears.
10.11.73 - The Pascagoula Abduction
10.11.73 - Allen Robbins and spouse report a mass of lights over Boulder, Colorado
10.12.73 - Connersville, Indiana. Terry Eversole reports disk shaped UFO with a dome and three doors. Also in Connersville: Bill Tremper and 50 other witnesses watch a similar object over government ammo dump.
10.16.73 - Howard Moneypenny sees a bright, glowing UFO. Private pilot volunteers to chase the object.
10.16.73 - Oklahoma. WIlliam and Donna Hatchet see a UFO descending as they drove along a country road. Object was the size of "a Boeing 707".
10.17.73 - Falkville, Alabama "Tin Foil Alien" case with police chief Jeff Greenhaw.
10.17.73 - Paul Brown sees creatures next to a cone shaped object on Highway 2
10.17.73 - The Loxley, GA Abduction. Clarence Patterson claims his truck was pulled into a cigar-shaped UFO and that "robot-like creatures" read his mind.
10.18.73 - UFO sighting in Chatham, VA (CE-3); Savannah, GA (CE-3) Noblesville IA (CE-1)
10.19.73 - Ashburn, Georgia. "Bubble-headed, rectangular-eyed" alien inspects a woman's car before disappearing.
10.20.73 - College student vanishes and reappears 4 days later, claims having been subjected to tests aboard alien craft.
10.21.73 - Ohio. Mother and child witness grey humanoid near landed UFO. Ground traces found.
10.22.73 - Hartford CIty, Indiana. Debbie Carney reports seeing creatures in silver suits crossing the road in front of her car.
10.28.73 - The Dionisio Llanca Abduction
So as you watch the rich, red leaves of autumn falling of the trees, think back to a moment in time when the UFO phenomenon appeared to truly live among us, commanding the attention of television and print media on an almost daily basis.