Top Ten UFO Stories of 2024

It’s been another wild year for UFOs. UFO-related stories have filled headlines around the world. But what were the biggest UFO stories of 2024? Let’s find out.

You might have heard the old stereotype from UFO lore that the government controls UFO information, and that journalists are scared to cover the UFO topic because, if they do, they’ll lose their jobs and become social pariahs. But, that’s not true. Media outlets all around the world cover UFOs every day. There’s never a shortage of UFO-related headlines. That’s always been the case, and 2024 continued that trend.

Let’s look back at 10 of the biggest UFO-related stories of the year. And, just to clarify, these aren’t necessarily the most important stories of the year, or ones that had the greatest impact on UFO research, or anything like that. These are simply stories that generated lots of buzz, and, for one reason or another, garnered lots of media attention. So, let’s jump into it.

A UFO book by politics, technology, and national security journalist Garrett Graff was published in November of 2023. But that book was still generating considerable media coverage in early 2024.

Although the contents of UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There were, and still are, very trendy, the extensive news coverage focused on Graff’s book was primarily driven by who Graff is and his broad media connections. He is a columnist for The Washington Post, the former editor of POLITICO Magazine, a contributor to WIRED and CNN, and he’s written for major publications including Esquire, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. Graff himself authored many of the news stories related to this book.

2. Sean Kirkpatrick leaves his AARO post

The United States Department of Defense’s UFO project known as AARO—the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office—experienced its first leadership change at the end of 2023. Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, who previously led the office, retired from the post in late 2023, as had been the plan since he agreed to take the assignment. Kirkpatrick participated in interviews with several media outlets in early 2024, including an opinion piece he authored for Scientific American. This article and his other interviews generated noticeable news coverage.

3. The Launch of the Hollywood Disclosure Alliance

UFO news stories involving celebrities or public figures always generate buzz. And the launch of an advocacy effort called the Hollywood Disclosure Alliance at the beginning of the year prompted several news stories primarily because actors like Dee Wallace, Thomas Jane, Shirley MacClaine, and Michael Ian Black are all members of this newly formed organization.

4. AARO publishes the first volume of its historical records review

In March, the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) published Volume 1 of its Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). This UFO report reviews the record of the United States government pertaining to UFOs, as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. 

5. Roswell Police Department Patch

Roswell, New Mexico is internationally synonymous with “UFO.” The 1947 Roswell UFO incident is a staple in UFO lore. In March, the Roswell Police Department debuted a new official uniform patch that pays homage to the city’s UFO history. The new patch was reportedly selected by department employees through an online survey. This new UFO patch was the most popular design.

6. Steven Spielberg’s New UFO Movie

Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg announced he’s making a new UFO movie, tentatively scheduled for a mid-2026 release. With titles like Close Encounter of the Third Kind, E.T., War of the Worlds, and Super 8 under his belt, Spielberg knows the UFO theme well. Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment have simply described the movie as an “event film,” leaving plot details unknown for now. Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, and Eve Hewson are all reportedly signed on for the film, with more to be announced.

7. Kona Blue

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) publicly released documents related to a proposed UFO project named “Kona Blue.” This DHS prospective special access program wasn’t an actual program, but rather a proposed and scrapped one. It was reportedly intended to be the successor to the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Application Program (AAWSAP).

8. Big Claims

Big claims are a staple in the world of UFOs. And, although typically void of substance or verifiable evidence, these stories generate substantial worldwide media coverage. This year was no different. One notable example is Karl Nell. This aerospace executive and military officer appeared at the SALT iConnections conference in New York on May 21st, 2024. From the stage, he shared his opinion that he has “zero doubt” that there’s a non-human intelligence on Earth.

9. UFO Hearings

What was once a rare occurrence appears to be almost common these days—Congressional hearings focused on the topic of UFOs. 2024 began with Congressional classified UFO briefings. And, on November 13, the United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation held a public UFO hearing titled, “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth.” This was followed by both public and private hearings in the United States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities on Tuesday, November 19th to hear updates on the progress of the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office.

10. Drones

UFO-related news became saturated with stories about drone sightings to close out 2024. Unverified reports of UFOs and mysterious drones swarming New Jersey and other cities across the United States persisted for weeks, and continue generating widespread headlines and social media activity. Stories about the New Jersey drones generated mild hysteria and prompted governors, law enforcement officials, and politicians to demand answers and seek help identifying the reported drones.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s been another year full of UFO-related news. And 2025 is sure to be even more packed with interesting stories, bold claims, and lots of UFO projects, events, and movies. If you’re interested in staying current with the latest UFO news, I invite you to sign up for our free weekly UFO newsletter UFO? UAP? WTF?.