UFO Northwest: How Washington State Spawned the Men In Black

Program Type:

Film, Speaker

Age Group:

Adults
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Event Details

On August 1, 1947, the tragic crash of a B-25 bomber in Washington State triggered an FBI investigation of “The Maury Island Incident”—an infamous Northwest UFO sighting, and history’s first alleged encounter with the so-called “Men in Black.” 

The FBI’s records from 1947, which were sealed for decades, reveal Cold War fears, jurisdictional disputes, cover-ups, false confessions, a courageous FBI Special Agent, and the hands-on involvement of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. 

Relying on the FBI records, this talk exposes a Washington story that shapes our current UFO narratives, from 1950’s pulp magazines to the ubiquitous X-Files and Men in Black film franchises. Also examined: how the Northwest’s unique position in UFO history is challenged by others that assert contradictory narratives. 

Program is part of our annual Wine & Wisdom series at Basalt Cellars and made possible with support from Humanities Washington.