Learn how Washington State spawned the ‘Men in Black’ legend at two upcoming events, including this Saturday, May 4

All are invited to explore the Pacific Northwest’s connection to perhaps the most mysterious legend in UFO history – the iconic “Men in Black” during two upcoming events.

Local historian Steve Edmiston will recount the story of the first recorded Men In Black sighting in two talks – including one this Saturday, May 4 at the Highline Heritage Museum – sponsored by Humanities Washington.

Edmiston is a local lawyer, filmmaker, and community activist. He wrote the screenplay for the award-winning film The Maury Island Incident directed by Scott Schaefer and executive produced locally by John White. Edmiston is a co-founder of the “Men in Black Birthday Bash” (MIBBB) held annually on June 22 in Des Moines.

“If you like your history with a bit of an edge, this talk is for you,” said Edmiston. “This story is like a history-based X-Files cocktail–a mix of mythology, tragedy, legacy, controversy, with a few Cold War twists and a dash of J. Edgar Hoover thrown in.”

The first appearance of a Man in Black is said to have been after the Maury Island Incident on June 22, 1947. That is the day a Tacoma man, Harold Dahl, reported that a flying saucer dropped burning slag on his boat while off the shores of Maury Island. Dahl’s story was the first UFO sighting during the “Summer of the Saucers,” when thousands of UFO incidents were reported worldwide.

Get the whole story at one of the two presentations offered this month.

UFO Northwest: How Washington Spawned the Men in Black

• WHEN: Saturday, May 4, 2024: 2 p.m.
• WHERE: Highline Heritage Museum, 819 SW 152nd Street, Burien

UFO Northwest: How Washington Spawned the Men in Black

Space limited – ticket required (CLICK HERE TO RSVP):

• WHEN: Wednesday, May 29, 2024: 7 p.m.
• WHERE: Marina Mercantile, 22341 Marine View Drive S. Suite A, Des Moines

This program is just in time to prime UFO aficionados for the Men in Black Birthday Bash, aka MIBBB Fest, June 21-22 (tickets at EventBrite) and the Burien UFO Festival (BUFO) in August.