Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Roy was chosen because he was the most psychologically prepared human for the encounter. His intense focus on the mountain shape and his relentless pursuit of answers made him stand out. The aliens selected him not for any special merit but because his mind was already open and aligned with their communication. His willingness to leave everything behind signaled his readiness for the journey.

Foreshadowing: Roy's obsession with the mountain shape begins immediately after his close encounter, suggesting a mental connection was already forming.

• Roy Neary
• alien selection
• chosen one
• mothership
• Devils Tower

The five-tone melody in a pentatonic scale serves as a universal greeting or recognition signal. When scientists broadcast it into space, the aliens responded with coordinates, indicating it was a deliberately designed communication attempt. The tones represent a shared language that bridges human and alien understanding.

Foreshadowing: The melody is first heard in Dharamsala when witnesses report UFOs emitting the sound.

• five tones
• pentatonic scale
• communication
• alien language
• broadcast

David Laughlin, a cartographer by profession, used his mapping expertise to interpret the numeric sequence (104 44 30 40 36 10) returned by the aliens. He recognized these as geographic coordinates pointing to Devils Tower in Wyoming. His cartographic skills were essential in connecting the mathematical message to a specific location.

Foreshadowing: The numeric sequence is received immediately after the melody is broadcast into space, implying a deliberate response.

• David Laughlin
• coordinates
• Devils Tower
• decoding
• numbers

Barry was likely taken as part of the aliens' broader pattern of abducting humans for examination and eventual return. His young age may have made him particularly susceptible to the UFO's influence, as evidenced by his toys coming alive before the abduction. His return later demonstrates the aliens' practice of taking specimens and releasing them.

Foreshadowing: Barry's toys animate before his abduction, showing his connection to the UFO phenomena.

• Barry abduction
• child taken
• abductees
• return

The crew of Flight 19, the missing squadron of Navy torpedo bombers from 1945, were never found at the crash site. Their disappearance remains unexplained, but at the climax of the film, they return as abductees alongside other missing persons from different eras. This suggests they were taken by the same aliens and held aboard the mothership for years.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of Flight 19 without its crew establishes early that missing people are connected to the UFO phenomena.

• Flight 19
• Bermuda Triangle
• 1945
• Navy bomber
• missing crew

Roy's wife Ronnie left because his obsession with UFOs and the mountain vision consumed him entirely. He abandoned his family responsibilities, stopped working, and spent all his time building model after model of the mountain. His erratic behavior and refusal to explain his actions made it impossible for her to stay.

Foreshadowing: Ronnie's concern grows visible early as Roy becomes increasingly distracted by his visions.

• Ronnie Neary
• family
• divorce
• obsession
• abandonment

The Curwen hand signs are a visual language using specific hand positions that correspond to musical notes. When Roy enters the mothership, an alien uses these signs to communicate, matching the five-tone melody previously established. This demonstrates that the aliens had learned to bridge their communication method with human musical notation.

Foreshadowing: The five-tone melody establishes the auditory component, and the hand signs provide the visual counterpart.

• Curwen signs
• hand gestures
• alien communication
• five notes
• mothership

The SS Cotopaxi, a ship that mysteriously disappeared in 1882, was found intact in the Gobi Desert alongside Flight 19's empty aircraft. Both discoveries demonstrate a pattern where the aliens remove people and objects from their original locations. Like the pilots, the ship's crew was taken and later returned during the Devils Tower event.

Foreshadowing: The discovery parallels Flight 19, suggesting a connected phenomenon of unexplained disappearances.

• SS Cotopaxi
• Gobi Desert
• missing ship
• abducted sailors

The aliens returned most abductees, including Barry, World War II pilots, and the Cotopaxi sailors, as part of what appears to be a demonstration of goodwill. Taking Roy represents something different: an invitation for him to join them, possibly as an emissary or to share knowledge. His voluntary choice to enter the mothership indicates the aliens sought willing participants rather than forced abductees.

Foreshadowing: Roy's selection is not random; the aliens observe and choose those who have shown openness to the encounter.

• abductees return
• Roy leaves
• chosen
• mothership
• journey

Both Roy and Jillian experienced the same vision of a specific mountain because the aliens planted the image in their minds as a signal. This shared vision served to draw them to Devils Tower for the rendezvous. The aliens needed certain individuals present at the location to facilitate first contact between species.

Foreshadowing: The vision strikes both characters independently after their respective encounters, creating parallel paths toward the same destination.

• mountain vision
• Devils Tower
• shared dream
• psychic connection

The military concealed the alien encounter by claiming a train derailment caused toxic gas, justifying the evacuation of Devils Tower. This cover-up prevented public panic and allowed the government to control the interaction with the aliens. The authorities wanted to manage first contact on their own terms without widespread public interference.

Foreshadowing: The cover-up begins when coordinates are deciphered, showing the government's intent to control the situation.

• military cover-up
• train derailment
• evacuation
• government
• secrecy

Roy's obsession with the mountain shape was triggered by the alien encounter itself. The experience left an imprint on his mind, manifesting as an irresistible compulsion to recreate the mountain form. This was not a choice but a psychological effect of the close encounter, similar to Jillian's experience of sketching the same shape.

Foreshadowing: Roy's first model appears shortly after his UFO encounter, marking the beginning of his fixation.

• mountain obsession
• models
• compulsion
• vision
• obsession