Joe Simonton's Pancakes
A chicken farmer said a silver craft landed in his yard, and its crew asked for water and gave him pancakes.
What was reported
On the morning of 18 April 1961, Joe Simonton, a 60-year-old chicken farmer in Wisconsin, said a silver saucer landed in his yard. A hatch opened and three small, dark-haired men inside held out a jug, which he filled with water.
One of them was cooking on a flat grill, and they gave him three small pancakes in return. The craft then left. Simonton gave the pancakes to investigators.
Explanations offered
The US Food and Drug Administration tested a pancake and found it was an ordinary one made of buckwheat, wheat and soy, though without salt. Simonton was considered sincere by those who interviewed him. Sceptics suggest a waking dream; no one else saw the craft.
- When
- 18 April 1961
- Where
- Eagle River, Wisconsin, USA
- Witnesses
- Joe Simonton
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.