Little green men facts for kids

"Little green men" is a popular way people imagine aliens. They are often shown as small, human-like creatures with green skin. Sometimes, they even have antennae on their heads. This idea is a stereotype, which means it's a common but often oversimplified picture of something. The term "little green men" can also describe gremlins. Gremlins are mythical creatures known for causing problems with airplanes and machines. Today, people often think of "greys" when they talk about aliens. Greys are another type of alien often described as having grey skin, not green.

An example of a common depiction, in Mars, Pennsylvania.

What are Little Green Men?

The idea of "little green men" is a very old one. It describes how many people imagine creatures from other planets. These creatures are usually small and look a bit like humans. They have green skin and sometimes have feelers, called antennae, on their heads. This image is a stereotype. A stereotype is a widely held but often oversimplified idea of a particular type of person or thing.

How the Idea Started

The phrase "little green men" became very popular in the 1950s. This was when many people reported seeing flying saucers. Flying saucers are disc-shaped objects that some people believe are alien spacecraft. The term helped describe the aliens people thought were flying these strange objects.

The Kelly-Hopkinsville Story

One famous event helped make "little green men" a common phrase. This happened in 1955 in Kentucky, USA. It is known as the Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter. Two men living in the countryside said they met strange creatures. These creatures were about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall. They looked somewhat like humans but had metallic-silver skin.

A local newspaper, The Evansville Courier, wrote about this story. They used the term "little green men" even though the witnesses said the creatures were silver. Other news outlets then started using the phrase too. This helped spread the idea of green-skinned aliens.

From Green to Grey

Over time, the image of aliens began to change. Today, many people think of "greys" when they imagine aliens. Greys are often described as having large heads, big dark eyes, and grey skin. They are not green. This shows how ideas about aliens can change over the years, even though the idea of "little green men" is still well-known.