Erich von Däniken, the Swiss author whose revolutionary theories about extraterrestrial influences on human civilization captivated millions worldwide, has died at age 90. His passing was confirmed through multiple Swiss media outlets including national broadcaster SRF, with his official website noting the event occurred on Saturday.
Von Däniken achieved global recognition with his groundbreaking 1968 publication “Chariots of the Gods?” which presented the provocative hypothesis that ancient monuments including Egypt’s pyramids, Britain’s Stonehenge, and Peru’s Nazca lines demonstrated architectural sophistication beyond contemporary human capabilities. The author maintained that while humans physically constructed these marvels, they received technical guidance and knowledge from advanced extraterrestrial visitors.
Throughout his career, von Däniken faced substantial criticism from academic circles including historians, scientists, and fellow authors who dismissed his theories as pseudoscientific. Despite this scholarly opposition, his works achieved remarkable commercial success, with SRF reporting nearly 70 million books sold across more than 30 languages worldwide. His subsequent publications, including “The Gods Were Astronauts,” further developed his central premise that ancient religious texts, mythological narratives, and artistic representations documented early human encounters with technologically advanced beings misinterpreted as deities.
Von Däniken’s cultural impact extended beyond literature into multimedia platforms, where he actively promoted his vision of human history through his YouTube channel and numerous television appearances. He consistently predicted that these extraterrestrial pioneers would eventually return to Earth, maintaining this belief throughout his decades-long career that fundamentally reshaped public discourse about humanity’s ancient past and potential cosmic connections.