The 1996 film Independence Day features a highly classified United States Air Force facility in Nevada called Area 51, which was established after the Roswell incident of 1947, where an extraterrestrial spacecraft and its occupants were stored and studied. The film's sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, released in 2016, continues the story and also features Area 51 as a key location, now serving as the headquarters for the Earth Space Defense, an international military defence and research organisation.
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The US Military withdrew support due to Area 51 scenes
The 1996 film Independence Day features a highly classified United States Air Force facility in Nevada called Area 51. The facility was established after the Roswell incident of 1947, in which a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft and its occupants were stored and studied. In the film, Area 51 serves as a critical location where the Earth Space Defense organisation is headquartered, and it plays a pivotal role in the battle against alien invaders.
The US Military withdrew its support for the film Independence Day due to the inclusion of Area 51 scenes. The producers refused to remove references to Area 51 from the script, leading to the military's decision to back out of the movie's production. The US Military's decision was likely influenced by the sensitive and highly classified nature of the real-life Area 51 facility.
Area 51, also known as Homey Airport and Groom Lake, has long been surrounded by secrecy and has been the subject of conspiracy theories and unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore. The US government publicly denied the existence of Area 51 and dismissed it as a conspiracy theory, with only a select few government officials being aware of its true nature.
In the film, Area 51 is depicted as a highly advanced facility with a deep-level hangar for studying and repairing alien spacecraft and a vault containing the preserved bodies of extraterrestrial beings. It becomes a crucial site during the alien invasion, with President Thomas Whitmore leading a counterattack against a City Destroyer over Area 51. The battle is a significant turning point, as the aliens' energy shields are disabled, allowing the destruction of the City Destroyer.
The inclusion of Area 51 in Independence Day added a layer of realism and intrigue to the film, drawing upon the public's fascination with the mysterious facility. However, it also presented a challenge in terms of filming and production, as the US government was unwilling to grant access to the real Area 51 location. Instead, alternative locations, such as Wendover Airport and the Hughes Aircraft manufacturing plant in California, were used to create the sets and film the scenes depicting Area 51.
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Area 51 was a highly classified US Air Force facility
The US government denied the existence of Area 51 and publicly dismissed it as a conspiracy theory. Only a select few high-ranking government officials were aware of its existence, with even the President being kept in the dark for the sake of "plausible deniability." Funding for the base was funnelled through a black budget, secretly diverted from the American congress.
Area 51 was established as a storage and research facility for an alien spaceship and the bodies of its passengers, which were allegedly recovered from the Roswell incident of 1947. The base contained a deep-level hangar where the spaceship was studied and repaired, as well as a vault containing the preserved bodies of the vessel's occupants, dubbed "The Freak Show" by staff members.
Following the War of 1996, during which Area 51 played a significant role, the base was renamed the Center of Alien Technology and became one of the largest military installations on Earth. It served as the headquarters for the Earth Space Defense and expanded its facilities to include housing for thousands of employees and new manufacturing and testing facilities to reproduce alien technologies.
The intense secrecy and rumoured connection to UFOs and aliens have made Area 51 a popular setting in movies and TV shows, including the 1996 blockbuster "Independence Day."
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Area 51 was renamed as the Center of Alien Technology
Area 51 is a highly classified U.S. Air Force facility located in Nevada, 120 miles (200 km) northwest of Las Vegas. The base was established in 1955 as part of the Nevada Test and Training Range complex and was also known as "Paradise Ranch" and "Groom Lake".
Area 51 has long been associated with UFOs and government cover-ups, with conspiracy theories claiming that the base is used to test alien technology and house extraterrestrial beings. These theories were fuelled by the secrecy surrounding the base and its inaccessibility to the public.
In the 1996 film "Independence Day", Area 51 is depicted as a pivotal location in humanity's fight against an alien invasion. The film shows the base being attacked by a City Destroyer, with President Thomas Whitmore leading a counterattack.
Following the events of the film, in which the world successfully defends itself against an alien invasion, Area 51 is placed under the control of the Earth Space Defense (ESD), a global defence and research organisation dedicated to fusing alien and human technology and defending Earth against future extraterrestrial threats.
Five years after the War of 1996, Area 51 is renamed the Center of Alien Technology and becomes one of the largest military installations on Earth. The facility expands significantly, including housing for thousands of employees and new manufacturing and testing facilities to reproduce alien technologies.
The ESD also establishes bases on the Moon, Mars, and Rhea, as well as orbital defence satellites above Earth, to fortify our planet against future invasions.
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Area 51 housed a refurbished alien ship and three alien corpses
The intense secrecy surrounding Area 51 has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component of unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore. One of the most prominent theories is that Area 51 houses a refurbished alien ship and three alien corpses.
Area 51 is a highly classified United States Air Force facility located in Nevada. The base was established in 1955 as part of the Nevada Test and Training Range complex. The facility is officially called Homey Airport or Groom Lake, after the salt flat next to its airfield. The name "Area 51" is believed to come from an Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) numbering grid, although Area 51 is not part of this system.
The base was established in the wake of the Roswell incident of 1947, in which it stored and studied a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft and its deceased occupants. Area 51 contains a deep-level hangar where the spaceship is studied and repaired, and a vault containing the preserved bodies of the vessel's passengers, dubbed "The Freak Show" by staff members. The U.S. government denied the existence of Area 51 and publicly dismissed it as a sensational conspiracy theory. Only a select few in the government were aware of its existence, with even the President and other high-ranking officials kept in the dark for the sake of "plausible deniability."
The intense secrecy surrounding the base has fuelled conspiracy theories and speculation about what might be housed there. While there is no evidence to support the theory that Area 51 houses a refurbished alien ship and three alien corpses, the base's connection to the Roswell incident and its long-standing secrecy have ensured that it remains a popular topic of speculation and intrigue.
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Area 51 was the site of a second battle against the Harvesters
The Second Battle of Area 51 was fought between the Earth Space Defense (ESD) and the Harvesters on July 4, 2016, marking a decisive victory for humanity against a second hostile alien invasion. The ESD's initial counterattack on the Harvester Mothership, in an attempt to kill the Harvester Queen, resulted in heavy losses and the destruction of human satellite communications. However, the discovery of an alien container from the wreckage of an unknown alien ship that was shot down on the Moon revealed an artificial intelligence (AI) that was part of a coalition of alien races opposed to the Harvesters. This AI offered to evacuate humanity to a planet of refugees from other worlds targeted by the Harvesters.
Recognising the opportunity to eliminate the Queen, the ESD devised a plan to lure her into a trap using the AI, dubbed the Sphere, as bait. They isolated the Sphere inside an isolation chamber and duplicated its RF frequency into a transmitter on a space tug, which was loaded with cold fusion bombs. Thomas Whitmore, a hero from the War of 1996, volunteered to pilot the space tug, knowing that the mission would require self-sacrifice to detonate the tug and destroy the Queen's ship.
As the aliens began their assault on Area 51, the ESD implemented their plan, using the base as a distraction for the main alien attack force. Whitmore lured the Queen away from Area 51 to the salt flats, where David Levinson oversaw the shield generators. Meanwhile, Julius Levinson, David's father, drove a school bus of children across the salt flats to reunite with David. The trap was successful, and the Queen's ship was instantly destroyed. However, protected by a powerful energy shield, the Queen herself survived and began chasing the Levinsons' group.
Lieutenant Patricia Whitmore led a fighter squadron in attacking the Queen and managed to destroy her personal shield despite losing her entire wing. ESD pilots Dylan Hiller, Jake Morrison, Rain Lao, and Charles Miller joined the battle, having hijacked alien fighter crafts, and together they attacked the now-vulnerable Queen. During the skirmish, the Harvester prisoners at Area 51 escaped and notified the Queen of the Sphere's exact location. The Queen then telekinetically controlled her fighters, including the ESD pilots in their captured crafts, to protect her as she stormed towards Area 51.
The ESD pilots broke free from the Queen's control by overheating their crafts' fusion drives and managed to fatally wound her just as she reached the Sphere. With the Queen's death, all the remaining alien fighters became inactive, and the Harvester Mothership ceased its operation and retreated from Earth.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Area 51 is featured in Independence Day.
Area 51 is a highly classified United States Air Force facility located in Nevada.
In the film, Area 51 is where the alien spaceship that crashed in Roswell in 1947 is stored and studied. It also becomes the headquarters of the US government during the alien invasion of 1996.
No, the US military withdrew their support for the film when the producers refused to remove references to Area 51 from the script.
Yes, the sequel is called Independence Day: Resurgence and it was released in 2016.