There are many legends surrounding Area 51. UFO enthusiasts are convinced that American military personnel hide the bodies of aliens (and perhaps even keep living extraterrestrials) there, as well as develop experimental aircraft based on extraterrestrial technologies. But is this really the case? Where is Area 51 located, and what is it famous for?
Area 51 is located in the southern part of the state of Nevada, about 130 kilometers from Las Vegas. For a long time, the existence of the base was kept secret by the US government. However, some rumors did leak to the press. Many believed that it was in Area 51 where the remnants of a flying saucer, which allegedly crashed during a visit to Earth, were stored.
Journalists and ordinary citizens actively demanded that the government declassify information about Area 51. This was expected to be a real sensation. What if it turned out that aliens had indeed visited our planet multiple times? And their technologies became available to American scientists?
In 2013, some information about the activities in Area 51 was finally disclosed under public pressure. This information suggested that indeed secret tests were conducted there, but they were not related to aliens. The Area was used only to test new military aircraft. That’s why access to it was restricted.
However, not everyone believed this information, or rather not only everyone… In fact, few could do that.
Why was Area 51 created?
Area 51 was created during the Cold War between America and the Soviet Union. New models of reconnaissance aircraft were supposed to be tested here.
The base was strictly classified, and the CIA denied its existence for a long time. Official information about it became available to the general public only in 2013, as mentioned earlier.
Where did the rumors about aliens come from?
The rumors arose because of the strict, even excessive secrecy surrounding Area 51. Naturally, journalists and ordinary citizens began to build the most incredible theories about what might be happening at the base.
The most popular theory is that the remnants of an extraterrestrial spacecraft, which allegedly crashed in New Mexico in 1947, are stored in the Area. Allegedly, the military managed to seize the flying saucer and even perform autopsies on the bodies of the deceased aliens, which was captured on video and fell into the hands of journalists.
However, the information about this incident was never officially confirmed. Experts in forensic science analyzed the film with the alien autopsy multiple times and came to a clear conclusion: the “alien” body is clearly a forgery, and the video is fiction.
Nevertheless, the legend of Area 51 has firmly entered American culture, giving rise to other myths about aliens and their connection to the US military.
Modern testimonies
Many people claim to have witnessed multiple UFO flights over the base. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that they were indeed witnesses to tests of new aircraft. But there are also more exotic testimonies. Many Americans firmly believe that they were abducted by aliens or military personnel and taken to Area 51, where cruel experiments were conducted.
Is it really so? Most likely, the testimonies of abductions are nothing more than attempts to attract attention. But the myth that the American government has access to extraterrestrial technologies and that people are abducted by strange creatures on flying saucers has become a true archetype of mass consciousness. It has been exploited in numerous books, movies, and TV series, with the most popular being “The X-Files.”
An “alien technology researcher”?
In 1989, a certain Robert Lazar claimed to the press that he had worked at Area 51 for a long time and personally studied the wreckage of an extraterrestrial spacecraft. Robert claimed to have seen photographs from the famous alien autopsies and could vouch for the fact that the autopsy did indeed take place in reality.
Should Lazar be believed? This is a controversial issue. Robert himself has repeatedly claimed that he holds a degree in theoretical physics, which he obtained while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
However, university officials insist that no Robert Lazar was ever enrolled in the physics department. Lazar, on the other hand, explains that there is no deception. He did indeed write scientific papers while studying at MIT, but they were classified by the US government.
Perhaps that’s true, but Lazar couldn’t prove his words. He has no photographs or videos with aliens in his possession. Nevertheless, in America, he became a true messiah for all UFO enthusiasts, although the scientific community doesn’t take him seriously.
Storming Area 51
In 2019, a playful call to storm Area 51 appeared on one of the American social networks. The user who posted the call suggested that everyone who wished to do so should go to the Nevada desert and run towards the base, but they had to run in the style of heroes from Japanese cartoons.
Surprisingly, more than 3 million people responded to the call, including Keanu Reeves, Elon Musk, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Zone’s staff even had to issue a warning about the inadmissibility of storming and the possible consequences of this reckless action for the stormers themselves, as well as to reinforce the security of the secret facility.
The warning had its effect, and on September 20, 2019 (the appointed day of the storm), only about 4,000 people arrived at the base. Another 3 million watched the events live. Only 75 desperate daredevils approached the base’s gates. However, only two decided to make a real storm, and they didn’t even reach their goal because they were immediately arrested.
And that’s how this limited commotion ended. According to the participants, the “storm” went great. People met each other, made new acquaintances, and drank beer. Although the storm was ridiculed by journalists, the “stormers” themselves don’t think they wasted their time.
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Area 51 has become one of the archetypes of American culture. Movies and TV series are made about it, books are written. What really happens there? Most likely, humanity will learn all the details not soon. Who knows, maybe experiments with aliens are really being conducted in underground bunkers, and the wreckage of a flying saucer that crashed in 1947 is stored there? Area 51 knows how to keep secrets…