USA: National Archives releases Blue Book microfilm
On July 12, 1976, the National Archives released 94 reels of redacted 35mm microfilm containing Project Blue Book files to the public. This made decades of UFO investigation records accessible for research.
Background
Background
Project Blue Book, the US Air Force programme for investigating UFO sightings from 1952 to 1969, collected reports on 12,618 cases, of which 701 remained unexplained. The files comprise case reports, correspondence, newspaper articles, and analyses of photographs and physical evidence.
Event
On July 12, 1976, the National Archives in Washington, D.C. released the redacted records on 94 rolls of 35 mm microfilm (T-1206). The redaction removed personal data to protect privacy, following cooperation with the Air Force, which had handed over the files in 1975. The microfilms can be consulted in the reading room and contain project administration files, individual cases in chronological order, and OSI records.
Significance
This release gave broad access for the first time to the declassified material, which produced no evidence of extraterrestrial origins or security threats. It encouraged independent UFO research and remains a central source for historians (about 94 rolls, 2 cubic feet of administrative files, 37 cubic feet of case files).