Maracaibo

On October 24, 1886, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, a peculiar and unsettling event took place during a thunderstorm that would become one of the earliest recorded UFO sightings. On that day, a bright object accompanied by a humming noise appeared over a hut. The intensity of the light and sound startled the hut's occupants, causing them to rush outside and witness the phenomenon. As the glowing object hovered, it emitted a blinding light that illuminated the surrounding area. The witnesses experienced symptoms akin to what we now recognize as radiation poisoning: nausea, burns, and weakness. The presence of the object was brief, but its impact was profound. In the days following the sighting, the surrounding vegetation, including several trees near the hut, began to wither and die, adding to the mystery of the encounter. This incident was reported in the Scientific American magazine in December 1886, highlighting the unusual nature of the sighting and the physical effects experienced by the witnesses and the environment.