18 Top Secret Facts about Area 51

Area 51 has its own "airline" to ferry people in and out of Las Vegas. It's called Janet, and it stands for "Just Another Non-Existent Terminal."

2. A family with property overlooking Area 51 refused a $5.2 million offer from the government to buy their land. So a judge took their land away from them and gave it to the Air Force.

3. An Area 51 researcher claims that the "aliens" that allegedly crash-landed there were actually World War 2 POW's who were being experimented on to study the risks of space exploration on the human body and that the images of aliens are, therefore, derived from that of humans whose bodies were destroyed.

4. In 1994, five unnamed civilian contractors and the widows of two more contractors sued Air Force after they were presented with large quantities of unknown chemicals to be burned in open pits and trenches at Area 51. These chemicals were allegedly paints and solvents used to make the Stealth bomber and other classified aircraft. The clouds of poisonous smoke resulted in respiratory illness, cancers, and rashes. The official response was nothing happened at Area 51.

5. In 1997 syndicated talk show host Art Bell received a frantic call from a man claiming to have worked in area 51. Moments later the radio transmitter mysteriously was shut down.

President Eisenhower threatened to attack area 51 over them telling him that the government had no jurisdiction over Area 51.

7. During the cold war, the workers at Area 51 would bring out crazy shaped planes made of cardboard every time a soviet spy satellite flew by.

8. Area 51 has a neighbor site similarly named, Area 25, and it's where black Project NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) was developed.

9. In 1955, 14 government employees flying to Area 51 died after their plane crashed into a nearby mountain. In 2016, a memorial was constructed in their honor, containing “many hidden messages.”

10. Area 51 was nicknamed 'Paradise Ranch' in the hope of luring young and innocent flight crews to work there.

Area 51 was founded to test the U-2, a highly advanced spy plane where pilots needed a spacesuit to operate at its flight altitude of 70,000 feet.

12. There was a secret government project in the '70s at Area 51 to build stealth aircraft that could launch cruise missiles. It's name was "Lockheed Senior Prom."

13. Area 51 is called Area 51 because it is one of 51 areas the government used to test nuclear bombs and other weapons.

14. The closest town to Area 51 is Rachel Nevada, where one could stay at the Little A'le'inn, enjoy an Alien Burger, and go on UFO tours.

15. The Red Hats was an Air Force Squadron at Area 51 that flew Soviet fighters to teach dogfighting.

Area 51 has a baseball/softball diamond at the airbase.

17. Area 51 was an aerial weapon target range for the duration of World War 2.

18. Area 51 wasn't confirmed to actually exist by the US Government until 2013.