1952

  • 1952.0100 APRO founded

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    During January 1952, the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (“APRO”) of Tucson, Arizona was founded by Mrs Coral E Lorenzen and her husband, Leslie James (“Jim”) Lorenzen.

     See the separate entry in relation to APRO.

     

  • 1952.0205 Air Force Regulation 202 revised

     

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    Air Force Regulation 202 revised
    On 5 February 1952, Air Force Regulation 202 (“AFR 202”) was revised.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0229 Grudge Report 4

     

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    Grudge Report 4
    On 29 February 1952, Project Grudge issued its Status Report Number 4.

     

     

     

     

     

  • 1952.0300 Project Bluebook

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    During March 1952, Project Grudge was redesignated as Project Blue Book.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0403 US Air Force Press Release

     

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    US Air Force Press Release
    On 3 April 1952, the US Air Force issues a press release stating that it continued to study the UFO problem.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0407 Ginna's Life article

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    An article entitled “Have We Visitors from Outer Space” by H B Darrach Jr and Robert Ginna was published in the 7th April 1952 issue of Life mazagine.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0422 Second Storey meeting

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    On 22 April 1952, the first meeting was held of the Project Second Storey committee, established by the Canadian Government.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0429 Air Force Letter 200-5

     

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    Air Force Letter 200-5
    On 29 April 1952, the US Air Force Air Force Letter 200-5 (“AFL 200-5”) entitled “Unidentified Flying Objects Reporting” set forth UFO reporting procedures within the US Air Force, giving Project Blue Book authority to contact any Air Force unit in the USA without going through usual channels.

    AFL 200-5 was later modified by the release of AFR 200-2 (26th August 1953).

     

  • 1952.0507 Barra da Tijuca photos

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    On 7 May 1952, Ed Keffel, a writer for the O Cruzieromagazine, claims to have taken photographs of a UFO from Ilha Dos Amores (“The Island of Lovers”) near Barra da Tijuca, Brazil whilst in the company of Joao Martins.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0628 Spitzbergen crash article

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    On 28 June 1952, an article is published in the German newspaper “Saarbrücker Zeitung”[i] (and is republished in the German newspaper “Berliner Volksblatt” [ii] on 9 July 1952) alleging that a flying disc crashed on Spitsbergen/ Spitzbergen Island in 1952 and had been recovered by the Norwegian Air Force.

  • 1952.0700 APRO first bulletin

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    Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (“APRO”) of Tucson, Arizona, founded by Mrs Coral Lorenzen and her husband Leslie J Lorezen, mailed out its first mimeographed bulletin to 52 members during July 1952.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0700 Washington National sightings

     

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    Washington National sightings

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Several radar/visual sightings occur near Washington DC during July 1952 and receive considerable publicity.

    (Commonly referred to as the Washington National sightings).

     

    This incident is Case 8 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article, since it was referred to in 171of the books covered by that article.

    Official US documents about this incident can be found online. See the material on the ambitious “Project Blue Book Archive” website in relation to Project Blue Book Case Number 1649 and Project Blue Book Case Number 1661, which commences at the links provided (and continues on the pages which follow them).

    This incident came second in a survey in 1965 by Jacques Vallee of the opinion of various UFO groups as to the most significant UFO sightings.

    This incident came seventh in an online poll conducted in March/April 2006 by Paul Kimball of “the UFO case with the ‘best evidence’ ever”. This incident has also featured in a list by Paul Kimball of his own nominations for the top 10 cases.

    This incident also featured in a document (“the Rockefeller Briefing Document”) endorsed by Dr Mark Rodeghier (President of CUFOS), Richard Hall (Chairman of FUFOR) and Walter Andrus (President of MUFON) as containing “the best available evidence for the existence of UFOs”.

    This incident has also featured in lists by various UFO researchers of the top UFO cases, including the following:

    * a list by Don Berliner of “the top 10 cases of World Ufology” in an interview made available on the UFO UpDates discussion List on 14 January 2007.

    * a list by James Carrion, the International Director of the Mutual UFO Network, of the “top 10 cases” in an interview in 2006.

    * a list of Dennis Balthaser’s “ten favourite cases” in an article in the MUFON Journal in 2003.

     

     

    Isaac Koi’s “ICES” Rating for this sighting = 25,480 (out of a potential score of 14*14*14*14 i.e. 38,416)

    (1) “Impact” Rating of 14 (out of a potential score of 14), because it is Case 8 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article.

    (2) “Credibility” Rating of 14 (out of a potential score of 14) because radar operators saw something on their screens. The debate has centered on what (if anything) was actually detected by the radar systems.

    (2) “Expert” Rating of 13 (out of a potential score of 14). It is given this relatively high rating because (at the time of writing) it has been included in many of the short lists of the best cases produced by various UFO researchers that have been compiled by Isaac Koi (see the “Best UFO Cases" article at PART 3: Existing lists by various individuals).

    (4)“Strangeness” Rating of 10 (out of a potential score of 14). The sighting has an above average strangeness rating since there is considerable debate as to whether the reported radar returns are explainable by temperature inversions or other mundane causes.

     

     

    Sections below:

    1. Web Resources

    2. Book References

    3. Other material

     

  • 1952.0702 Air Force Regulation 200-3

     

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    Air Force Regulation 200-3
    On 2 July 1952, Air Force Regulation (AFR) 200-3, entitled “Reporting Vital Sightings from Aircraft”, sets forth Intelligence regulations governing reporting in accordance with Joint Army-Navy-Air Force Publication 146 (JANAP 146).

    Superseded by Air Force Regulation 200-3 dated 13th May 1955.

     

     

  • 1952.0702 Tremonton film

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    Tremonton film

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The Tremonton, Utah incident occurred on 2 July 1952, involving film taken during a sighting by US Navy Warrant Officer Delbert C Newhouse.

    Commonly referred to as “the Tremonton film” and “the Utah film”.

    This incident is Case 34 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article, since it was referred to in 64 of the books covered by that article.

    The Tremonton film was one of two motion pictures of UFO sightings considered by the Robertson Panel, organized by the CIA, in January 1953.

     

    Isaac Koi’s “ICES” Rating for this sighting = 5,460 (out of a potential score of 14*14*14*14 i.e. 38,416)

    (1) “Impact” Rating of 13 (out of a potential score of 14), because it is Case 34 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article.

    (2) “Credibility” Rating of 12 (out of a potential score of 14) because the debate regarding this incident has centered on what was filmed, rather than whether the incident was a hoax.

    (2) “Expert” Rating of 7 (out of a potential score of 14). It is given this neutral rating because (at the time of writing) it has not been included in any of the short lists of the best cases produced by various UFO researchers that have been compiled by Isaac Koi (see the “Best UFO Cases" article at PART 3: Existing lists by various individuals), but also is not commonly given by UFO researchers as an example of an incident that can be explained by hoax, misperception or other mundane cause.

    (4)“Strangeness” Rating of 5 (out of a potential score of 14). The sighting has a below average strangeness rating since there is relatively limited evidence to be explained as to the nature of the objects that was filmed. Several researchers have plausibly suggested that the objects that were filmed were merely birds.

     

    Sections below:

    1. Web Resources

    2. Book References

    3. Other material

     

     

  • 1952.0714 Nash Fortenberry sighting

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    Nash Fortenberry sighting

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The Pan American Airways UFO sighting involving Captain William B Nash and Second Officer William H Fortenberry occurred on 14 July 1952 above Chesapeake Bay near Newport News, Virginia.

    This incident is Case 44 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article, since it was referred to in 57 of the books covered by that article.

    This incident featured in a list of the ten “best” case published by Ronald Story in his book “UFOs and the Limits of Science” (1981).

    This incident featured in the results of a survey in 1965 by Jacques Vallee of the opinion of various UFO groups as to the most significant UFO sightings. As part of the same survey, NICAP included this case in a list of 5 cases which it nominated as being the best.

    This was Project Blue Book Case Number 1444.

     

    Isaac Koi’s “ICES” Rating for this sighting = 7,800 (out of a potential score of 14*14*14*14 i.e. 38,416)

    (1) “Impact” Rating of 13 (out of a potential score of 14), because it is Case 44 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article.

    (2) “Credibility” Rating of 12 (out of a potential score of 14) because this sighting was by several credible witnesses. The debate regarding this incident has focused on what caused the sighting, rather than suggesting a hoax.

    (2) “Expert” Rating of 10 (out of a potential score of 14). It is given this above average rating because (at the time of writing) it has been included in a small nubmer of the short lists of the best cases produced by various UFO researchers that have been compiled by Isaac Koi (see the “Best UFO Cases" article at PART 3: Existing lists by various individuals).

    (4)“Strangeness” Rating of 5 (out of a potential score of 14). The sighting has a below average strangeness rating since several authors (particularly Philip Klass) have suggested plausible mundane causes for the sighting, particularly a meteor.

     

     

    Sections below:

    1. Web Resources

    2. Book References

    3. Other material

     

     

  • 1952.0716 Salem photo

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    Salem photo

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    On 16 July 1952, a UFO photograph was allegedly taken by United States Coast Guard station phototographer Shell Alpert at Salem, Massachusetts.

    This incident is Case 75 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article, since it was referred to in 38 of the books covered by that article.

    J Allen Hynek has referred to this photograph as a “widely publicized case”, a “classic” that “has made the rounds in just about every magazine and book on the subject”.

    This was Project Blue Book Case Number 1501.

    This photograph was listed by Project Blue Book as “unidentified”.

     

     

    Isaac Koi’s “ICES” Rating for this sighting = 8,232 (out of a potential score of 14*14*14*14 i.e. 38,416)

    (1) “Impact” Rating of 12 (out of a potential score of 14), because it is Case 95 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article.

    (2) “Credibility” Rating of 5 (out of a potential score of 14) because there is persuasive evidence that the eyewitness account that accompanied this photo was untrue.

    (2) “Expert” Rating of 7 (out of a potential score of 14). It is given this neutral rating because (at the time of writing) it has not been included in any of the short lists of the best cases produced by various UFO researchers that have been compiled by Isaac Koi (see the “Best UFO Cases" article at PART 3: Existing lists by various individuals), but also is not commonly given by UFO researchers as an example of an incident that can be explained by hoax, misperception or other mundane cause.

    (4)“Strangeness” Rating of 5 (out of a potential score of 14). The sighting has a relatively low strangeness rating since the photo merely shows unstructured lights.

     

     

    Sections below:

    1. Web Resources

    2. Book References

    3. Other material

     

     

  • 1952.0719 Washington National first events

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    Washington National first events
    The first of the well publicised Washington National Radar/Visual Sightings occurred during the night of 19th/20th July 1952.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0726 Washington National further events

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    Washington National further events
    The second set of the well publicised Washington National Radar/Visual Sightings occurred during the night of 26th/27th July 1952.

     

     

     

  • 1952.0728 Winston Churchill memo

     

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    Winston Churchill memo
    On 28 July 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote a memo to Secretary of State for Air, Lord Cherwell, asking what the truth was about “all this stuff about flying saucers”

     

     

     

  • 1952.0729 CIA study group memo

     

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    CIA study group memo
    A memorandum from Ralph L Clark, Acting Assistant Director of the CIA’s Office of Scientific Intelligence to DDI Robert Amory, Jr, on 29 July 1952 stated that a special study group has been formed to review the situation, involving the OSI and the Office of Current Intelligence (OCI).

     

     

     

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