Paul Trent

Paul Trent (1917-1998) was an Oregon farmer who lived near Sheridan, Oregon. On May 11, 1950, his wife Evelyn first spotted a disc-shaped object over their farm, prompting Paul Trent to capture two photographs of the phenomenon.

These images became among the most famous and extensively analyzed UFO photographs in history. Published in Life magazine, they were investigated by multiple analysts over decades, including the Condon Committee, which initially could not debunk them, though later skeptics conclusively proved them to be a hoax.

The McMinnville UFO photographs remain some of the most compelling photographic evidence in ufology.