The Contactees
In November 1952, George Adamski said he met a tall, long-haired man from Venus in the desert near Desert Center, California, who warned him about nuclear weapons. His 1953 book 'Flying Saucers Have Landed' became a bestseller. Others followed with their own messages from benevolent aliens. George Van Tassel hosted Giant Rock Spacecraft Conventions in the Mojave Desert from the mid-1950s, drawing thousands of people.
The ledger
What the record shows, what people say, and the best explanation available so far.
What's documented
- The books, lectures and conventions are well documented.
- The FBI kept files on Adamski and other contactees.
What's claimed
- Direct meetings and rides with peaceful beings from Venus, Mars and Saturn.
Best explanation so far
Space probes later showed Venus cannot support life as described. Adamski's photos were widely judged to be models. Serious researchers of the time saw the contactees as a problem that made the whole subject look ridiculous.
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If you liked this one
APRO, NICAP and the Civilian Investigators
Ordinary citizens organize to investigate UFOs and push the government for answers.
Betty & Barney Hill
The first widely publicized alien abduction story, recovered under hypnosis.
The Robertson Panel
The CIA asks top scientists if UFOs are a threat. Their answer shaped policy for decades.