Alien Time Line
Like other popular images—-such as pictures of Santa Claus or portraits of Jesus—the concept of what extraterrestrial creatures look like has changed over time. The study of such images is called iconography (from the Classical Greek word for "likeness," eikon). Here is an updated chart (originally published in Skeptical Inquirer magazine, September/October 1997) that traces the development of the popular concept of aliens. Beginning with the origin of the modern UFO era in 1947, there is a great variety of depictions provided by alleged "contactees" in the 1950s, numerous later "abductees," and others who have claimed "close encounters" with occupants of "flying saucers." In 1961 with the "abduction" of Betty and Barney Hill (whose psychiatrist concluded they were sharing their dreams), the little big-headed humanoid debuted. This type was repeated in the cases of Betty Andreasson and Travis Walton, and all three received extensive publicity. In time, with the addition of large, black, wrap-around eyes, this humanoid model became the standard image.
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