The Miracle of the Sun at Fatima

On October 13, 1917, an estimated 70,000 people gathered at Fatima, Portugal, following predictions by three shepherd children that the Virgin Mary would perform a miracle. What they witnessed became one of the most documented mass sightings of anomalous phenomena in history.

The Prediction

Since May 1917, three children—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta—had been experiencing visions of a figure they identified as the Virgin Mary. She promised a miracle on October 13 that would convince all.

The Crowd

Despite heavy rain, approximately 70,000 people gathered at Cova da Iria. They included believers, skeptics, and journalists sent to debunk the children’s claims. All became witnesses.

The Phenomenon

The rain stopped and the clouds parted, revealing the sun. The sun began to spin like a wheel, emitting colored lights that tinted the landscape. Then it appeared to plunge toward the earth before returning to its normal position. Witnesses’ wet clothes were suddenly dry.

The Witnesses

Newspaper accounts, including from anticlerical papers, confirmed the phenomenon. Witnesses miles away reported seeing the same thing. The sheer number of independent witnesses makes mass hallucination unlikely.

Assessment

The Miracle of the Sun remains one of history’s most witnessed anomalous events. Whether divine intervention, mass perception alteration, or something else, what 70,000 people saw that day defies conventional explanation.