Nearly half of Americans have long believed UFOs actually exist.
Evidence
Within a few months of the fi rst modern claim of a fl ying saucer sighting in June 1947, polls showed that 90 percent of the population had heard of them. By 1966, that fi gure had risen to 96 percent, and, more important, 46 percent of all Americans believed UFOs actually existed. More than a decade later—in 1978—30 percent of college graduates believed they existed. At that time, the number of Americans who believed UFOs were real reached its highest level, 57 percent. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 404
Categorization
- CANDY: A striking dinner-party fact that UFO belief peaked at 57 percent of Americans in 1978, with an even split between believers and skeptics near half a century after the first sighting.
- XREF: connects to: Nearly half of Americans believed in UFOs half a century after first sightings. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 405; More Americans believe in UFOs than accept evolution or deep Earth age. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 825; UFO believers are a large, stable, mainstream slice of the American public — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 408
Broader Connections
- Nearly half of Americans believed in UFOs half a century after first sightings.
#corroborates(0.90) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 405 - UFO believers are a large, stable, mainstream slice of the American public
#corroborates(0.90) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 408 - More Americans believe in UFOs than accept evolution or deep Earth age.
#qualifies(0.70) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 825