Mysterious 'Area 51' Sparks Intriguing Conspiracy Theories

Located at Groom Lake in the Nevada Desert, Area 51 was a US Air Force base 85 miles (135 km) north of Las Vegas. The site created controversy, as nobody knew what happened inside, and the area was guarded by warning signs, cameras, and armed guards. Additionally, no aircraft could fly over the base, although satellite images could show some details from outside.

Area 51 had runways up to 12,000 feet (2.3 miles or 3.7 km) long. Annie Jacobsen, who researched Area 51, told the BBC , "Area 51 was a test and training facility. The research began with the U-2 spy plane in the 1950s and moved on to drones." The conspiracy theories surrounding the base attracted many visitors, benefiting small towns like Rachel and Hiko, which were located near Area 51.

Knewz.com noted that while there was not much information available about its establishment and operations, Area 51 started during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. Its main aim was to test and develop aircraft, including the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes. Although Area 51 opened in 1955, the CIA only confirmed its existence in August 2013.

Benjamin Radford, an American folklorist, writer, investigator, and skeptic, told Space.com , "The base itself was fairly small, but the restricted area around it was over 90,000 acres [36,000 hectares]—partly to prevent prying eyes and partly because they needed to test classified aircraft. It was mostly conspiracy theorists and the media who called it Area 51. To the U.S. government, it was simply the Nevada Test and Training Range, part of Edwards Air Force Base."

The secrecy of the base fueled many conspiracy theories. One of the most famous claims was that the site was home to alien spacecraft and bodies from the 1947 Roswell crash. Others claimed to have seen UFOs near the site or even believed in the phenomenon of 'alien abduction.' In 1989, Robert Lazar claimed he worked on alien technology at Area 51 and saw photos of aliens.

Jacobsen further explained to the BBC , "As early as 1950, the CIA developed a UFO office to deal with the sightings of unidentified flying objects over Nevada. When people first saw the U-2 spy plane flying, no one knew what they were seeing." However, some experts believed that the extraterrestrial theory was merely a distraction from the activities happening at the site.

Matty Roberts, 20, along with other users, created a Facebook event called Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us , suggesting 'we can run faster than their bullets. Let's see them aliens.' The event was scheduled for September 20 but was postponed due to safety reasons. Many commented that entering the base was no joke. Area 51 had clear warning signs that stated "Trespassers will not be tolerated." The US Air Force reminded people, saying, "The US Air Force was always ready to protect America and its assets."

Jacobsen told CNN , "The facility was the birthplace of what was called ISR—intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance." She added, "So to think that the federal government didn’t have a clear idea of who was there, when they got there, and where they were at that moment was extremely naive. There was no way anyone was going to get anywhere near the classified facility."