1958

  • 1958.0000 Movie “The Blob”

     

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    “The Blob”
    The Movie “The Blob” was directed by Irwin S Yeaworth and starred Steve McQueen.

     

     

     
  • 1958.0000 Project Orion

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    During 1958, theoretical work begins on Project Orion, which considered the feasibility of constructing a nuclear-pulse rocket powered by nuclear fission, using nuclear bombs for propulsion

     

     
  • 1958.0116 Trindade Island photos

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    On 16 January 1958, Almiro Barauna allegedly took several UFO photos near Trindade Island, Brazil (east of Rio de Janeiro) while on board the ship Almirante Saldanha,which was conducting research for the International Geophysical Year (“IGY”).

     

    The Trindade Island photographs have been referred to as “the most famous of all purported photographs of a UFO” (by Donald Menzel and Lyle Boyd in their book “The World of Flying Saucers”, 1963).

    This incident is Case 26 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article,  since it was referred to in 72 of the books covered by that article.

    This incident came third in a survey in 1965 by Jacques Vallee of the opinion of various UFO groups as to the most significant UFO sightings. This case featured in a list of 5 cases which APRO nominated as being the best in the same survey.

    The Trindade Island photographs were the only photos to get their own chapter 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 been included within various lists of the best UFO cases produced by various researchers. For example:

    • a list by Bruce Maccabee of 20 cases which give “the best evidence for an extraterrestrial origin for the UFO phenomenon”.
    • a list by Ronald Story of the 4 best photographic cases.
    a list of twenty UFO cases produced by Bruce Maccabee in 1999 in response to a challenge to produce “the best evidence for an extraterrestrial origin for the UFO phenomenon”.

     
  • 1958.0122 Armstrong Circle Theater

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    On 22 January 1958, Donald Keyhoe appears as a guest on CBS television program, “Armstrong Circle Theater” in a presentation entitled “UFO, The Enigma of the Skies”. Dr Menzel was also interviewed.

     

     

     
  • 1958.0200 Air Force Regulation 200-2 revised

     

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    Air Force Regulation 200-2 revised
    During February 1958, US Air Force Regulation 200-2 (“AFR 200-2) was revised, inter alia, to eliminate portions which might provoke suspicion or misinterpretation by the public.

     

     

     
  • 1958.0222 Villas Boas report

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    On 22 February 1958, Olavo Fontes privately circulated a report on the alleged abduction of Villas Boas.

     

     
  • 1958.0409 Panel report release

     

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    Panel report release
    On 9 April 1958, a summary of the Robertson Panel report was released to Donald Keyhoe.

     

     

     
  • 1958.0808 McCormack hearing

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    On 8 August 1958, an informal hearing on UFOs was held by the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Atmospheric Phenomena (a sub-committee of the House Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration), chaired by Congressman John McCormack.

     

     

     
  • 1958.0925 Viktor Schauberger dies

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    On 25 September 1958, Viktor Schauberger (an Austrian who claimed to have worked on flying saucer technology under the Nazis) dies.

     

     
  • 1958.1006 DoD press release

     

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    DoD press release
    On 6 October 1958, the US Department of Defense issues a news release stating that the UFO “unknowns” remained below 2 percent in the 1270 new reports received in the previous 13 months, and details methods of investigation (Air Force Fact Sheet Number 986-58).

     

     
  • 1958.1026 Loch Raven Dam incident

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    On 26 October 1958, the incident at Loch Raven Dam, Maryland, near Baltimore occurred allegedly involving Alvin Cohen and Phil Small experiencing a close encounter and engine failure.

    This incident is Case 100 in Isaac Koi's "Top 100" article,  since it was referred to in 27 of the books covered by that article.

    This was Project Blue Book Case Number 6148. 

     
  • 1958.1220 Gustafsson Rydberg encounter

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    On 20 December 1958, Hans Gustafsson and Stig Rydberg claim that “jellylike creatures” attempted to drag them toward a craft in the early morning whilst driving to Helsingborg, Sweden.