World Contact Day
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Overview
World Contact Day is celebrated on March 15 each year to promote the awareness of extraterrestrial life and the possibility of contact with other civilizations. It encourages discussions about our place in the universe and allows enthusiasts to share their experiences and thoughts about potential alien life.
Origin and story
World Contact Day was first celebrated in 1953 by a group of UFO enthusiasts.
The day encourages people to send signals or messages into space to attract extraterrestrial beings.
Quick facts
- DateMarch 15
- TypeCultural / community observance
- Great forFriends, Families, Classrooms, Teams
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Ways to celebrate
World Contact Day began with a very specific, very earnest experiment: getting a large group of strangers to think the exact same sentence at the exact same moment, in the hope that someone in space was listening.
The original 1953 telepathy experiment
On March 15, 1953, the International Flying Saucer Bureau, a civilian UFO research club founded by Albert K. Bender, asked its members worldwide to focus on a single message at a set time, reasoning that if telepathy and extraterrestrial life were both real, enough people concentrating on identical words might broadcast it into space. The message opened with the now-famous line "Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!" and asked any listening visitors to "give us some sign that you have received our message."
From UFO club to pop hit
That exact 1953 wording resurfaced more than two decades later as the lyrics to "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," a 1976 song by the Canadian band Klaatu that The Carpenters covered in 1977, turning it into a top-10 hit in the UK and Canada and a number one in Ireland.
Ways to mark the day now
- Read the original 1953 message aloud at the same moment as other participants, the way IFSB members originally intended.
- Explore the real Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence at SETI.
- Read about the science of habitability at NASA's astrobiology program.
- Listen to the Klaatu original or The Carpenters' cover version back to back.
Helpful resources: Wikipedia, "World Contact Day", which preserves the full 1953 IFSB message text.
Did you know?
On the event's 60th anniversary in 2013, organizers extended World Contact Day into a full week of related activities.
Fun facts
- World Contact Day was first celebrated in 1953 by a group of UFO enthusiasts.
- The day encourages people to send signals or messages into space to attract extraterrestrial beings.
- It aims to promote peaceful communication between humanity and potential extraterrestrial civilizations.
- Various organizations participate by hosting events and discussions related to UFO sightings and alien encounters.
- The day also inspires creative projects, including art and literature focusing on science fiction themes.
Sources and attribution
Primary source: Wikipedia, "World Contact Day", with resources from SETI and NASA Astrobiology.
External links may lead to third-party websites.
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FAQ
- When is World Contact Day?
- It is observed on March 15 each year.
- What is World Contact Day?
- World Contact Day is an observance focused on the search for extraterrestrial life.
- How do people celebrate World Contact Day?
- People revisit the original 1953 experiment, when the International Flying Saucer Bureau asked members worldwide to telepathically send the message 'Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!' into space, a message that later became the lyrics to a 1976 Klaatu song covered by The Carpenters.
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