Hopkinsville Goblins incident of 1955

E653400

The Hopkinsville Goblins incident of 1955 is a famous alleged close encounter in which a Kentucky family reported being terrorized by small, glowing-eyed creatures, becoming one of the most influential and debated cases in UFO and cryptid lore.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (59)

Predicate Object
instanceOf American folklore event ⓘ
UFO incident ⓘ
alleged close encounter ⓘ
cryptid encounter ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Hopkinsville Goblins case ⓘ
Kelly Green Men case ⓘ
Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter ⓘ
annualCommemoration Kelly Little Green Men Days festival ⓘ
associatedWith "little green men" trope in popular culture ⓘ
UFO folklore ⓘ
alien visitation theories ⓘ
cryptozoology ⓘ
country United States ⓘ
county Christian County ⓘ
creaturesDescribedAs goblin-like creatures ⓘ
little men ⓘ
small beings ⓘ
creaturesEarDescription large pointed ears ⓘ
creaturesEyeDescription large glowing eyes ⓘ
creaturesHeight about 2.5 to 3.5 feet tall ⓘ
creaturesMovementDescription seemed unaffected by gunfire ⓘ
strange, almost weightless movements ⓘ
creaturesSkinDescription shiny or metallic skin ⓘ
culturalImpact became a classic case in UFO literature ⓘ
helped popularize the phrase "little green men" for aliens ⓘ
inspired festivals and tourism in Kelly, Kentucky ⓘ
date 1955-08-21 ⓘ
debatedBy folklorists ⓘ
skeptics ⓘ
ufologists ⓘ
duration several hours during the night of 1955-08-21 ⓘ
initialTriggerReported sighting of a bright object in the sky ⓘ
involvedGroup Sutton family and friends ⓘ
involvedPerson Billy Ray Taylor ⓘ
Elmer "Lucky" Sutton ⓘ
location rural farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky ⓘ
near Hopkinsville, Kentucky ⓘ
numberOfWitnesses approximately 11 ⓘ
policeInvestigationResult no bodies or physical evidence of creatures found ⓘ
policeObservation numerous bullet holes and damage at the farmhouse ⓘ
policeObservation witnesses appeared genuinely frightened ⓘ
primaryWitnessFamily Sutton family ⓘ
reportedTo Christian County police ⓘ
Fort Campbell military police ⓘ
Kentucky State Police ⓘ
local media ⓘ
skepticalExplanation effects of alcohol or heightened fear ⓘ
skepticalExplanation exaggeration or misperception in low light ⓘ
misidentification of great horned owls ⓘ
state Kentucky ⓘ
statusInFolklore legendary event in Kentucky folklore ⓘ
statusInUFOCommunity one of the most discussed close encounter cases ⓘ
subjectOf documentaries and television programs about UFOs ⓘ
numerous UFO books and articles ⓘ
timePeriod 1950s ⓘ
witnessesClaimed creatures approached the farmhouse repeatedly ⓘ
creatures peered into windows and onto the roof ⓘ
creatures retreated into the darkness but kept returning ⓘ
family fired guns at the creatures for several hours ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Hopkinsville, Kentucky → hasHistoricEvent → Hopkinsville Goblins incident of 1955 ⓘ
Hopkinsville Goblins incident of 1955 → alsoKnownAs → Hopkinsville Goblins case ⓘ
linked to: Hopkinsville Goblins incident of 1955