Just weeks later, two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and the most horrific war in human history ended. Los Alamos National Laboratory spawned from this project and is at the forefront of international scientific development as is Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. Shortly after the war, the U.S. Air Force issued a press release out of Roswell that stated debris from a crashed flying saucer was recovered near the ranching community of Corona in July 1947. After the ensuing international media storm and public hysteria, the Air Force retracted its original statement and took the position that the debris was actually an experimental weather balloon. Many believe that a UFO crash really did occur and that the U.S. Government continues to cover it up.
Some believers say the military actually recovered the body of an alien near the crash site.
Whether you believe or not, the community of Roswell celebrates alleged UFO phenomena with museums, curio shops and annual festivals. Literally hundreds of movies have been made here, ranging from the days of the caveman to the future. A still photo from the first motion picture shot in New Mexico by Thomas A. Edison in 1898. Today, New Mexico continues to beckon modern explorers with its magnificent landscapes, wide-open vistas and abundance of sun. The enticing terrain invites newcomers and New Mexicans alike to make their own discoveries and to leave their own marks in time.