1979 in UFO history
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 📅 Year
Contents 5
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| Year | 1979 |
|---|---|
| Events | 11 |
| Decade | 1970s |
| Topics | Beings & bodies (topic), Secrecy & cover-up (topic), Government programs (topic), Congress & law (topic) |
| Timeline | 1979 on the UAP Timeline |
1979 in UFO history — the UAP Timeline records 11 events in 1979, mostly about beings & bodies and secrecy & cover-up. People named in these events include Leonard Stringfield, J. Allen Hynek, Jacques Vallée, Dale Graff, Charles Hickson.
Overview
Two of 1979's best-known cases involved physical effects. In Marshall County, Minnesota, Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson reported an alleged UFO encounter. See Val Johnson incident.[1] Forester Robert Taylor came home from Dechmont Law near Livingston, Scotland, with torn clothes and grazes. He said a "flying dome" had tried to pull him aboard. The police recorded the matter as a common assault, and the case is promoted as the only alien sighting to become the subject of a criminal investigation. See Robert Taylor incident.[2] A 1979 New York Times report on about 900 pages of CIA, FBI and other records released under the Freedom of Information Act said that, despite public dismissals, UFOs had caused "serious behind-the-scenes concern" in government.[3]
The timeline's 1979 entries focus on secrecy. J. Allen Hynek said the CIA's Robertson Panel had "handed down" an unwritten Air Force rule to play UFOs down.[4] Jacques Vallée wrote that he was convinced the government was still involved, including monitoring UFO groups, staging false sightings and leaking false documents.[4] In May former CIA official Victor Marchetti wrote that Earth had been "contacted — perhaps even visited" and that governments were keeping it secret.[5] On 16 February an FBI memo relayed New Mexico police officer Gabe Valdez's claim that the Energy Department and Los Alamos were covering up cattle mutilations around Dulce.[5] In February a Mississippi House resolution calling for a Senate UFO investigation died in committee.[4] In September NORAD told a Freedom of Information requester that a search for UFO tracking data would cost $294,157.[6]
Other entries are claims, including that Dale Graff ran a small remote-viewing program at Wright-Patterson, and anonymous crash or body stories from Hampton Roads, Virginia, southeastern Oregon and Del Rio, Texas, many collected by Leonard Stringfield.[4][5][6]
Events
- Hynek on the Robertson Panel's legacy (1979) — Hynek says the Robertson Panel set an unwritten Air Force rule to play UAP down.
- Vallée's 1979 conclusions on government involvement (1979) — Vallée says he is convinced the government still monitors UAP groups and stages false sightings.
- Dale Graff and Wright-Patterson remote viewing (1979) — Dale Graff is said to have run a remote viewing program at Wright-Patterson, then moved to the DIA.
- Sunnyvale hangar saucer claim (1979) — A Navy radar observer says he saw a large saucer in a hangar at Sunnyvale in 1950.
- Mississippi UFO resolution (1979) (February 1979) — A Mississippi resolution calling for a Senate UAP investigation dies in committee.
- Gabe Valdez and the Dulce cattle mutilations (16 February 1979) — An FBI memo relays a police officer's claim of a cover-up of New Mexico cattle mutilations.
- Hampton Roads bodies claim (1979) (5 April 1979) — A source says 13 bodies and two saucers were stored at a base in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
- Victor Marchetti's Second Look article (May 1979) — Former CIA official Victor Marchetti writes that the government is hiding alien contact.
- Southeastern Oregon crash claim (1979) (27 June 1979) — An informant claims a craft crashed in southeastern Oregon and he helped load crates.
- Del Rio crash claim (13 August 1979) — A retired airman says he learned of a 1950 crash near Del Rio, Texas.
- NORAD's $294,157 search fee (September 1979) — NORAD says a search for UAP tracking data would cost $294,157.
People
- Leonard Stringfield — Former Air Force intelligence officer and NICAP researcher who collected anonymous crash-retrieval accounts from 1978 to 1994.
- J. Allen Hynek — Astronomer and Air Force UFO consultant from 1948 to 1969 who later founded the Center for UFO Studies.
- Jacques Vallée — Computer scientist and astronomer, author of the Forbidden Science journals and a central figure in UFO research.
- Dale Graff — Physicist who managed remote viewing at Wright-Patterson and later the Stargate program.
- Charles Hickson — Shipyard worker in the 1973 Pascagoula abduction case.
- Calvin Parker — Shipyard worker in the 1973 Pascagoula abduction case.
- Gabe Valdez — New Mexico State Police officer who investigated cattle mutilations near Dulce.
- Harrison Schmitt — Apollo astronaut and New Mexico senator who pressed for a cattle mutilation inquiry.
- Kenneth Rommel — Former FBI agent whose 1980 report attributed most cattle mutilations to natural causes.
- Paul Bennewitz — Albuquerque physicist targeted by Air Force disinformation in the Bennewitz affair.
Nearby years
1978 in UFO history · 1980 in UFO history
References
- Val Johnson incident — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Robert Taylor incident — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Unidentified flying object — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- UAP timeline published with Michael Shellenberger's 2024 congressional testimony, undated 1979 entries and February 1979 · oversight.house.gov
- UAP timeline (Shellenberger testimony), entries for 16 February to May 1979 · oversight.house.gov
- UAP timeline (Shellenberger testimony), entries for 27 June to September 1979 · oversight.house.gov
Facts in this article are drawn in part from the Wikipedia articles “Val Johnson incident”, “Robert Taylor incident”, “Unidentified flying object”, 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.
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