FATE Magazine – considered the world’s longest-running magazine devoted to UFOs and other paranormal topics – has thrown its support behind ‘6/22: The Men in Black Birthday Party,’ the first-ever event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Maury Island Incident and the world’s first alleged encounter with the iconic Men in Black.
The 6/22 party will be held on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, and is set to begin precisely at 6:22 p.m. at the Quarterdeck in Des Moines, on the shores of Puget Sound and in the shadow of Maury Island. The evening will feature the Men in Black Birthday Bash Awards (the MIBBBYs) to celebrate outstanding contributions to Pacific Northwest mythology.
The North Carolina-based magazine’s support is inspired by its own historical connection to Washington’s infamous 1947 “flying disc” sightings.
“Our histories – the founding of FATE Magazine and the strange events of the Maury Island Incident – are shared in many ways,” Phyllis Galde, FATE’s editor-in-chief, said. “Our founder Ray Palmer was instrumental in the 1947 Maury Island investigations during the Summer of the Saucers.”
In July, 1947, Palmer – then an editor for Amazing Stories – hired Kenneth Arnold, a pilot famous for his own UFO sighting at Mt. Rainier, to cover the Maury Island Incident story. Arnold interviewed Maury Island UFO witness Harold Dahl. Arnold’s own story helped launch FATE in March1948, and Arnold and Palmer’s 1953 book “The Coming of the Saucers” fully revealed Dahl’s 1947 Men in Black encounter.
“We had to be involved with the 75th Anniversary,” said Galde. “The Maury Island story is important and has been overlooked for too long. Plus, sometimes history should be fun.”
6/22 co-founder Steve Edmiston agreed.
“We’ve celebrated Maury Island for a decade at a private event we call Burning Saucer, but 6/22 is kind of our coming out party,” Edmiston said. “For us, preserving this history and culture is a mission. The Maury Island story is continually ignored for reasons that – based on the FBI’s own records – have proven historically inaccurate. We’re trying to change that. And there is no dispute that Maury Island provides the first reported Men in Black encounter. Our gratitude to FATE for joining with us to shine a light on the story is immeasurable.”
The Northwest’s UFO history and status as the birthplace of the Men in Black has long been celebrated by the Maury Island Incident Historical Society. The event has been labeled the Birthday Party for the Men in Black by Den of Geek, featured in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, inspired the award-winning film The Maury Island Incident, landed a segment on the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, and inspired the Washington State Senate to pass Resolution 8648 to acknowledge the Maury Island Incident’s contribution to Washington history and culture.
WHAT: ‘6/22: The Men in Black Birthday Bash’
WHEN: Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the Great Synchronization is at 6:22 p.m.
WHERE: Quarterdeck – 22307 Dock Ave. S., Des Moines, WA 98198 (map below)
TICKETS: On sale now at EventBrite.
For more information:
- Follow 6/22 on Facebook
- Follow 6/22 on Instagram
- Visit the Quarterdeck events page
- Visit the 6/22 website
About FATE Magazine.
Six decades before the AMC’s Walking Dead, SyFy’s Paranormal Witness, late-night radio’s Coast to Coast AM, and countless websites, blogs, books, and movies began captivating audiences with true tales of the paranormal — there was FATE — a first-of-its-kind publication dedicated to in-depth coverage of mysterious and unexplained phenomena. FATE publishes true reports of the strange and unknown and has been published continuously since 1948. FATE is published by Galde Press, Inc. Phyllis Galde is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief.
About Quarterdeck at the Des Moines Marina
The Quarterdeck serves beer, wine, and coffee, all enjoyed with the best view in Des Moines. Learn more at https://www.quarterdeckdm.com. Contact: Ken Rogers dmharborside@gmail.com
About the Maury Island Incident Historical Society / Burning Saucer
The annual meeting of the Maury Island Incident Historical Society, a.k.a. Burning Saucer, is a private community celebration of Puget Sound’s most infamous alleged UFO sighting that features the annual “telling of the tale,” as well as a serious dose of comedy, camaraderie, and actual history, all followed by that famous, flaming, flying saucer. Learn more at https://www.quadrant45.com/#/mauryisland.
About Steve Edmiston (6/22 host)
Steve is an appointee to the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, and has keynoted the Washington State Historical Society, Smith Tower Rumrunners Club, McMenamin’s History Pubs, conferences, festivals, historical societies, and business groups. He is also a business, entertainment, and IP attorney, and independent film screenwriter/producer. He is credited with four feature films (including Lifetime’s Crimes of the Past), and his award-winning shorts include The Maury Island Incident, The Day My Parents Became Cool, and Thr33. Contact: Steve Edmiston steveedmistonQ45@gmail.com or visit https://www.quadrant45.com.
The Quarterdeck is located at 22307 Dock Ave S.: