1969 in UFO history
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 📅 Year
Contents 5
| Year | 1969 |
|---|---|
| Events | 2 |
| Decade | 1960s |
| Topics | Government programs (topic), Congress & law (topic) |
| Timeline | 1969 on the UAP Timeline |
1969 in UFO history — the UAP Timeline records 2 events in 1969, mostly about government programs and congress & law. People named in these events include Jacques Vallée, Hugh Dryden.
Overview
1969 ended the Air Force's public study of UFOs. The Condon Committee's report, delivered in November 1968, was released in January 1969. It concluded that UFO study had added nothing to science, and a National Academy of Sciences panel endorsed it.[1] On 17 December the Secretary of the Air Force announced the end of Project Blue Book.[2] Between 1947 and 1969 the Air Force had received 12,618 reports, of which 701 remained "unidentified." It concluded that none had indicated a threat to national security, shown technology beyond current science, or proved to be extraterrestrial.[2] A 1969 Air Force memo, the Bolender memo, noted that reports which could affect national security "are not part of the Blue Book system" and would continue to be handled through standard Air Force procedures.[3]
Private research grew as official study ended. The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) was founded on 31 May 1969.[3] Jacques Vallée's Passport to Magonia compared UFO encounters with fairy folklore and argued for a "parallel universe co-existing with our own."[4] After watching the Apollo 11 Moon landing that July, Vallée copied into his diary a line from Carl Jung about life's biggest problems being "outgrown" rather than solved.[5]
The timeline's 1969 entries are two claims. A former intelligence officer told Vallée that the National Bureau of Standards had investigated UFOs as early as 1943 under Hugh Dryden.[6] On 24 October a Chilean informant said a Chilean Navy destroyer saw six cube- and egg-shaped objects, one larger than the ship, with electromagnetic interference.[7]
Events
- National Bureau of Standards 1943 UFO claim (1969) — A former intelligence officer tells Vallée the National Bureau of Standards studied UAP as early as 1943.
- Chilean destroyer encounter (1969) (24 October 1969) — A Chilean informant says a navy destroyer was approached by six objects, one larger than the ship.
People
- Jacques Vallée — Computer scientist and astronomer, author of the Forbidden Science journals and a central figure in UFO research.
- Hugh Dryden — Aerodynamicist and NASA deputy administrator named in a claim about 1943 UFO studies.
Nearby years
1968 in UFO history · 1970 in UFO history
References
- Condon Committee — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet on UFOs and Project Blue Book — National Archives · archives.gov
- Unidentified flying object — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Interdimensional hypothesis — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Chris Tattoli, "Jacques Vallée Still Doesn't Know What UFOs Are", Wired · wired.com
- UAP timeline published with Michael Shellenberger's 2024 congressional testimony, entry for 1969 · oversight.house.gov
- UAP timeline (Shellenberger testimony), entry for 24 October 1969 · oversight.house.gov
Facts in this article are drawn in part from the Wikipedia articles “Condon Committee”, “Unidentified flying object”, “Interdimensional hypothesis”, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
This page was last edited on 29 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.
No discussion yet.