Barney and Betty Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betty and Barney Hill
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Betty and Barney Hill with their dog, Delsey
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| Born | Barney Hill Jr.: July 20, 1922 Newport News, Virginia Eunice Elizabeth Barrett: June 28, 1919 Newton, New Hampshire |
| Died | Barney: February 25, 1969 (aged 46) Betty: October 23, 2004 (aged 85) |
| Occupation | Postal worker, civil rights leader (Barney) Social worker, civil rights advocate (Betty) |
| Known for | Claimants of alien abduction |
Barney and Betty Hill were an American couple. They claimed they were taken by aliens in a quiet part of New Hampshire. This happened between September 19 and 20, 1961. Their story was the first widely known report of an alien abduction in the United States.
People called the event the "Hill Abduction." It was also known as the "Zeta Reticuli Incident." This is because a star map Betty Hill saw might have been the Zeta Reticuli star system. Their story became a popular book in 1966 called The Interrupted Journey. It was also made into a TV movie in 1975, called The UFO Incident.
Many of Betty Hill's notes and tapes are now kept at the University of New Hampshire. In 2011, a special historical marker was placed. It shows where the Hills said the alien craft first appeared.
Contents
Who Were Betty and Barney Hill?
The Hills lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Barney (1922–1969) worked for the United States Postal Service. Betty (1919–2004) was a social worker. They were active in their church and community. They were also leaders in the NAACP. This group works for equal rights. Barney was Black and Betty was White. They were an interracial couple. This was quite unusual in the United States at that time.
The UFO Sighting
The Hills said their UFO sighting happened around 10:30 p.m. on September 19, 1961. They were driving home to Portsmouth. They had been on vacation in Niagara Falls and Montreal. South of Lancaster, New Hampshire, Betty saw a bright light in the sky. It moved strangely.
Betty thought it might be a falling star, but it moved upwards. It got bigger and brighter. Betty asked Barney to stop the car. They wanted to get a closer look and walk their dog, Delsey. Barney stopped at a picnic area near Twin Mountain.
Betty used binoculars. She saw an "odd-shaped" craft with flashing lights. It moved across the moon. Barney first thought it was an airplane. But then it quickly came down towards them. Barney realized, "this object that was a plane was not a plane." They quickly got back in their car. They drove towards Franconia Notch, a narrow, mountain road.
The Hills said they drove slowly. They watched the object as it came even closer. It passed over Cannon Mountain. Betty said it was very large. It seemed to be spinning. The silent, bright craft moved strangely in the night sky.
About a mile south of Indian Head, the object came down fast. It hovered about 80 to 100 feet above their car. Barney got out of the car. He used binoculars. He said he saw eight to eleven human-like figures inside the craft. They seemed to be looking at him. One figure seemed to tell him to "stay where you are and keep looking." Barney remembered the figures wore shiny black uniforms.
Barney quickly ran back to his car. He told Betty, "They're going to capture us!" He saw the object move right above their car. He drove away very fast. Betty looked out the window. They heard a series of beeping or buzzing sounds. The car vibrated. A strange tingling feeling went through their bodies.
The Hills said they then felt very sleepy and confused. After a second series of sounds, they felt normal again. They found they had driven almost 35 miles south. They had only vague memories of this part of the trip. They remembered a sudden turn and a fiery object in the road.
What Happened Next?
The Hills arrived home around dawn. They felt strange. Betty wanted their luggage kept near the back door. Their watches never worked again. They took long showers. They each drew a picture of what they had seen.
The Hills tried to remember everything that happened. But after the buzzing sounds, their memories were broken. Betty later found her dress was torn. It also had a pinkish powder on it. She threw it away, but then got it back. Scientists later looked at the dress.
Their car also had shiny, round marks on the trunk. These marks were not there before. When they put a compass near the marks, the needle spun fast. A few inches away, it dropped down.
Reporting the Event
On September 21, Betty called Pease Air Force Base. She reported seeing a UFO. She did not tell them all the details. The Air Force looked into it. They first thought the Hills had seen the planet Jupiter.
Betty then wrote to Donald Keyhoe, who led a UFO research group called NICAP. She told him the full story. She mentioned the human-like figures Barney saw. Betty said they were thinking about using hypnosis to remember more. Her letter went to Walter N. Webb, an astronomer and NICAP member.
Webb met the Hills on October 21, 1961. They talked for six hours. Barney said he had a "mental block." He felt there were parts of the event he did not want to remember. He described the craft and the figures. He said the figures were "somehow not human."
Hypnosis Sessions
The Hills met Dr. Benjamin Simon in December 1963. Dr. Simon did not believe in aliens. But he thought the Hills truly believed they saw a UFO. He hoped hypnosis would help them remember more.
Dr. Simon started hypnotizing the Hills in January 1964. He hypnotized Betty and Barney separately. This way, they could not hear each other's memories. Their memories were mostly the same.
After the sessions, Dr. Simon thought Barney's memory might be a dream inspired by Betty's dreams. Barney did not agree. He said their memories were similar but also had unique parts.
After the hypnosis, the Hills went back to their normal lives. They talked about the UFO event with friends and family. They did not try to get famous.
In 1966, writer John G. Fuller wrote a book about the case. It was called "The Interrupted Journey." The book included Betty's drawing of the "star map." The book became very popular.
Barney died in 1969 at age 46. Betty became well-known in the UFO community. She died in 2004 at age 85.
Other Ideas About the Event
Some experts later suggested the abduction was a hallucination. They thought it was caused by the stress of being an interracial couple in the 1960s. Betty disagreed. She said her marriage was happy. She said their interracial marriage did not cause problems with friends or family.
A local resident named Jim Macdonald studied their journey. He thought the Hills might have mistaken an aircraft warning light on Cannon Mountain for a UFO. He noted that the light appeared and disappeared just as the Hills described the UFO. He suggested the rest of the experience came from stress, lack of sleep, and "false memories" that came out during hypnosis.
Robert Sheaffer, a writer who studies strange claims, said that Betty showed many blurry photos at a conference in 1980. These were supposed to be UFOs. He felt that after seeing these, many people doubted Betty's claims.
See also
In Spanish: Betty y Barney Hill para niños
- Angela Hill, granddaughter of the Hills
- List of reported UFO sightings
- Serpo
- Zeta Reticuli in fiction
