One of the earliest recorded UFO reports in what is now the United States describes a strange light seen near Muddy River in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In his journal, colonial governor John Winthrop recounted what James Everell and two companions reportedly witnessed in 1639. He recorded a puzzling light—not its cause, and not proof of an extraterrestrial craft.
What did John Winthrop record?
Winthrop’s journal entry is dated March 1, 1639, but HISTORY says he described an incident that had happened earlier that year. The account does not establish the precise day of the sighting.
Winthrop called James Everell “a sober, discreet man” and wrote that Everell and two others saw “a great light in the night at Muddy River.” His account continues:
“When it stood still, it flamed up, and was about three yards square; when it ran, it was contracted into the figure of a swine: it ran as swift as an arrow towards Charlton, and so up and down about two or three hours.”
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Winthrop then says that after the light disappeared, the men found themselves carried back against the tide to their starting place. He adds that other people later saw the light near the same place.
These are Winthrop’s descriptions of what the men reportedly experienced, not modern measurements or independently verified observations. “Three yards square” should not be treated as a confirmed size, and the account of the boat’s return does not establish missing time or an abduction. Read the 1853 edition of Winthrop’s journal at Tufts Digital Library.
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Why is it called the first recorded UFO sighting?
“UFO” is a modern label applied to the story; Winthrop wrote about a “great light” without identifying what it was. Likewise, “first” is best understood as a common description of an early recorded UFO report in what is now the United States—not proof that no earlier reports existed. The journal does not identify an alien vehicle.
The record preserves a report, not a confirmed explanation. HISTORY mentions ignis fatuus, or a marsh light, as one possibility, while noting that the reported rapid motion would make that explanation less likely if the account were accurate. That remains a suggested interpretation, not a solved identification. HISTORY’s account of the reported sighting discusses the modern framing and the possible marsh-light explanation.
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How can readers consult Winthrop’s journal?
The Massachusetts Historical Society’s publication history notes that James Savage’s first edition appeared in two volumes in 1825 and 1826, followed by later editions, including the 1908 edition prepared by James Kendall Hosmer. The digitized 1853 edition linked above is another way to read the journal. The Massachusetts Historical Society’s Winthrop family papers guide provides further edition history.
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