ILLINOIS — As World UFO Day approaches on July 2, some Illinois residents are revisiting bizarre and unexplained phenomena they’ve witnessed in the skies. From mysterious orbs to triangle-shaped crafts, recent reports suggest the Land of Lincoln has seen its fair share of aerial oddities.
The day marks the anniversary of the famed Roswell incident in 1947 — often considered the beginning of modern UFO lore — and encourages public discussion about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs).
Recent UFO Sightings Across Illinois
In 2025 alone, the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) has logged 34 new reports from Illinois. The incidents range in description, location, and credibility — but all share one thing in common: the inability to explain what was seen.
According to Patch, some notable Illinois sightings include:
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June 15 – Triangle-shaped UFO hovering above the Johnston City high school football field
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May 18 – Chicago resident recorded a strange noise and spotted a crystal sphere outside a bedroom window
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April 27 – A solid metal craft described as “offset stacked flat cylinders” appeared over Lake Michigan
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April 8 – Gurnee witness saw an orb-shaped craft hovering just 300 feet away
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Jan. 26 – Steeleville resident reported a silent, glowing object floating above their home
The Legacy of the “Flying Saucer” Summer
Interest in UFOs surged after a June 24, 1947 sighting by pilot Kenneth Arnold, who reported seeing nine crescent-shaped objects flying at speeds far beyond known aircraft capabilities. His description of them moving “like a saucer would if you skipped it over water” coined the now-iconic term “flying saucer.”
Shortly after, the infamous Roswell crash drew headlines when the military initially claimed to have recovered a “flying disc” — only to later retract the statement, calling it a weather balloon.
Decades of speculation followed, especially after Maj. Jesse Marcel, a key figure in the recovery, later stated the balloon story was a cover-up, and that alien technology was involved. These stories remain foundational to America’s obsession with extraterrestrial life.
New Revelations in 2025: Disinformation or Disclosure?
This year, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed that some UFO myths may have been intentionally amplified by the U.S. government to distract from classified military programs at facilities like Area 51. The report, backed by findings from the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, states that some early UFO sightings may have coincided with stealth aircraft testing.
Yet despite these revelations, the U.S. military continues to actively investigate UAPs, acknowledging that many remain unexplained.
Have you seen something strange in the sky? Submit your story or photos at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com.
