Erich Von Daniken

Erich von Däniken (April 14, 1935 – January 10, 2026) was a Swiss author and one of the most influential figures in popularizing the ancient astronauts (or "ancient aliens") theory. He passed away on January 10, 2026 at the age of 90 in a hospital in central Switzerland.

His Most Famous Work and Core Ideas
Von Däniken burst onto the world stage with his 1968 book Chariots of the Gods? (originally published in German as Erinnerungen an die Zukunft — "Memories of the Future"). The book became an international bestseller, selling tens of millions of copies and being translated into dozens of languages.

In it (and in more than 30 subsequent books), he argued that:
- Extraterrestrials visited Earth in ancient times
- These "ancient astronauts" influenced or directly assisted early human civilizations
- Many of humanity's greatest architectural and technological achievements were either taught by or built with help from these visitors

Famous examples he frequently cited include:
- The construction of the Egyptian pyramids (claiming ancient Egyptians lacked the tools and knowledge)
- The Nazca Lines in Peru (suggesting they were landing strips or signals for spacecraft)
- The giant Moai statues on Easter Island
- Ancient Indian Vimanas (flying machines described in epics)
- Certain religious texts and art depicting what he interpreted as spaceships, astronauts, or advanced technology

His basic premise: "Gods" in ancient myths were actually extraterrestrial visitors.

Life, Career, and Controversies
- Born in Zofingen, Switzerland, he worked as a hotel manager before becoming a full-time writer.
- He had earlier legal troubles, including a fraud conviction that led to an 18-month prison sentence in the 1960s.
- In 2003 he opened Mystery Park (later JungfrauPark) in Interlaken, a theme park dedicated to his ideas — it faced financial difficulties but left a cultural mark.
- He appeared frequently on the long-running History Channel series Ancient Aliens, which kept his theories alive for new generations.

Reception
Von Däniken was extremely popular with the general public and paranormal enthusiasts, but almost universally rejected by mainstream archaeologists, historians, and scientists, who labeled his work pseudoscience. Critics accused him of:
- Cherry-picking evidence
- Ignoring cultural context
- Underestimating ancient human ingenuity
- Sometimes promoting ethnocentric views (implying non-European civilizations needed outside help to achieve greatness)

He even received the satirical Ig Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991 for his contributions to questionable scientific claims.

Despite the criticism, his influence on popular culture has been massive — inspiring movies (like parts of Prometheus and Stargate), countless documentaries, conspiracy theories, and the broader modern "ancient aliens" phenomenon.

In short: Erich von Däniken was the man who, for better or worse, convinced millions that the gods might have come from the stars. Love him or dismiss him, he undeniably changed how many people look at ancient history. His death marks the end of an era for that particular branch of speculative non-fiction.