1950 — McMinnville, Oregon, USA — Historic UFO Sighting Over a Farm
Historic UFO photo over farm — McMinnville, Oregon 1950
On May 11, 1950, Evelyn Trent was walking back to her farmhouse in rural McMinnville, Oregon, when she noticed a metallic disc-shaped object silently moving across the sky. She immediately called her husband, Paul Trent, who grabbed his Kodak camera and captured two photographs of the strange object before it rapidly flew away.
The photographs, later published in the McMinnville Telephone-Register and subsequently featured in Life magazine, became some of the most well-known UFO images in history. The Trents’ photos sparked national attention and have since been analyzed extensively by researchers, skeptics, and scientists alike.
Investigations over the decades have produced mixed conclusions. Optical physicist Dr. Bruce Maccabee conducted detailed photo analyses and argued that the object was a genuine, physical craft — not a hoax. Skeptics have countered with theories suggesting the object might have been a model or household item suspended by wires.
Despite ongoing debate, Paul and Evelyn Trent maintained the truth of their story throughout their lives. They never sought financial gain from the incident, lending further credibility to their account. Today, the sighting is commemorated annually at McMinnville’s popular UFO Festival, which draws thousands of enthusiasts and researchers from around the world.
The McMinnville UFO photographs continue to captivate the UFO community and remain a key piece of evidence in the broader conversation about unidentified aerial phenomena.