Known as the father of modern paranormalism, Charles Fort’s name rings a bell among those interested in exploring the mysteries of our universe. Fort, a writer and researcher, devoted his life to documenting anomalies and mysteries that confounded conventional scientific understanding.

The Early Life of Charles Fort

Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York. His early years were filled with hardship and rebellion, which eventually led him to explore unorthodox routes in knowledge gathering. Fort was always intrigued by the inexplicable, and this curiosity ultimately gave birth to his extensive research on phenomena rejected by mainstream science.

Fort’s Unconventional Research

Fort amassed an extensive collection of newspaper clippings and scientific journals documenting inexplicable phenomena. He covered a vast range of subjects from UFOs, unexplained disappearances, spontaneous combustion, teleportation, to unknown creatures, and mysterious showers of objects from the sky. He filled numerous notebooks, referred to as “Fort’s Fortean data,” with these accounts.

Fort’s Contributions: ‘Book of the Damned’ and Beyond

Fort’s first published book, “The Book of the Damned” (1919), was a collection of data concerning phenomena science couldn’t explain, which he sarcastically termed ‘damned’ data. He followed up with “New Lands” (1923), “Lo!” (1931), and “Wild Talents” (1932), each contributing further to his legacy of examining the unexplainable.

Charles Fort’s Legacy

Fort’s works inspired countless researchers, contributing to the foundation of modern UFOlogy and cryptozoology. Today, we have the Fortean Society, the International Fortean Organization, and FortFest, all dedicated to his work and philosophy. His influence is also evident in the term “Fortean phenomena,” used to describe strange, supernatural, and unexplained occurrences.

Conclusion: Embracing the Unexplained

Charles Fort was not merely a critic of mainstream science; he challenged the notion that we fully understand the world around us. His work reveals that there is more to reality than what meets the eye or what our accepted knowledge allows. His legacy is a powerful reminder to keep an open mind and a spirit of inquiry, urging us to explore and make sense of the extraordinary universe we inhabit.