How Gremlins Went From Fairy Stories to Warplanes to Hollywood Legend

Image caption: Gremlins emerged in the popular consciousness during World War II, when they were said to haunt warplanes. Image credit: Chronicle / Alamy. Article by Hadley Meares. Atlas Obscura – October 24, 2023.

Meet these slippery, mischievous reflections of our anxieties about technology.

It was 1944, and an Allied pilot was flying a B-17 bomber over Nazi territory. Suddenly, the plane began to rattle. He checked his instruments—they were going haywire. As the rattling and noises continued, he glanced out the cockpit window and saw something: a creature, about three feet tall, gray and hairless. Its teeth were sharp and its eyes were red. […]

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