Eric Gairy
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 👤 Person
Contents 5
| Type | Person |
|---|---|
| On the Timeline | 1 event, 1978 |
Sir Eric Matthew Gairy (18 February 1922 – 23 August 1997) was a Grenadian labour leader and politician who became the first prime minister of independent Grenada in 1974. He is remembered in UFO history for urging the United Nations in 1977 and 1978 to set up an agency to study UFOs, and he was at the UN pursuing the subject when he was overthrown in 1979.[1][2]
Labour leader and politician
Gairy was born in St Andrew's Parish, Grenada. In 1950 he founded the Grenada Manual and Metal Workers' Union and the Grenada United Labour Party, and in 1951 he led a general strike that was followed by unrest known as "Sky Red". He served as chief minister in 1961–1962, premier of the associated state from 1967, and prime minister from independence on 7 February 1974. His rule was accused of authoritarianism, and a feared group of enforcers called the "Mongoose Gang" was associated with his government.[1]
UFOs at the United Nations
Gairy became known to UFO researchers at an international UFO congress in Acapulco, Mexico, in April 1977. In a letter of 14 July 1977 he asked the UN General Assembly to consider establishing an agency to investigate UFOs and share information about them, and he raised the subject in the Assembly that autumn; British files later showed that the UK government worked to talk down the proposal. On 27 November 1978 he addressed the UN Special Political Committee on the subject, leading a group that included scientists and an astronaut, and in December 1978 the General Assembly adopted decision 33/426 on UFO research.[1][2][3][4][6]
Overthrow and later life
On 13 March 1979, while Gairy was abroad and at the UN for further UFO discussions, Maurice Bishop's New Jewel Movement seized power in a largely bloodless coup. Gairy lived in exile in the United States until after the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, then returned and led his party in unsuccessful elections in 1984, 1990 and 1995. He died at Grand Anse, Grenada, in 1997.[1][5]
On the UAP Timeline
- United Nations decision 33/426 (8 December 1978) — A UN draft resolution to create a UAP study body fails; Hynek and Vallée speak at the UN.
References
- Eric Gairy — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- Verbatim record of the 35th meeting of the Special Political Committee, UN General Assembly, 33rd session (27 Nov 1978) · digitallibrary.un.org · archived copy
- Letter from Grenada to the UN Secretary-General on unidentified flying objects, A/32/142/Add.1 (1977) · digitallibrary.un.org · archived copy
- "MoD shows close encounter files", Insider.co.uk · insider.co.uk · archived copy
- "Sir Eric Gairy, ex-Grenada prime minister, dies", The Washington Post (25 Aug 1997) · washingtonpost.com · archived copy
- "Envisioning" conference abstracts, Freie Universität Berlin · geschkult.fu-berlin.de · archived copy
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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