On this day in conspiracies

A letter published in the Dandenong Journal, attributed to a RAAF navigator, suggests the description is consistent with a nylon target drogue towed behind an aircraft. The event then fades from the news and remains largely a local memory for decades.

Governor Greg Abbott directs the Texas State Guard to monitor Jade Helm 15, saying Texans deserve to know their safety and constitutional rights will be protected. The order is widely read, by supporters and critics alike, as lending official weight to the fears.

At 12:33 CET the Spanish and Portuguese grids collapse together, shedding about 31 GW of load in seconds. Most of mainland Spain and Portugal loses power; transport, payments and telecoms fail. Restoration takes roughly ten hours in most areas, stretching into the night.

Snopes publishes a fact-check examining whether eleven U.S. scientists connected to sensitive research died or went missing. It concludes that the idea of a single conspiracy connecting them is purely conjecture.