Majestic 12 (MJ-12) Briefing Document

November 18, 1952 — Unknown / Disputed

Overview

The Majestic 12 (MJ-12) documents are a set of allegedly classified documents that first surfaced in 1984. They purport to describe the formation of a secret committee of scientists, military leaders, and government officials, formed in 1947 by an executive order of President Harry S. Truman to investigate the Roswell incident and manage the alien presence.

The Alleged Committee

The twelve members reportedly included:

• Dr. Vannevar Bush - Head of wartime Office of Scientific Research and Development
• Secretary James Forrestal - First US Secretary of Defense
• General Nathan Twining - Commanding General of Air Materiel Command
• Dr. Donald Menzel - Harvard astronomer
• Admiral Roscoe Hillenkoetter - First Director of the CIA

Authenticity Debate

The authenticity of the MJ-12 documents remains one of the most contentious issues in ufology. The FBI declared them "BOGUS" in an investigation. However, researcher Stanton Friedman spent decades analyzing the documents and argued that key elements are consistent with known historical facts, document formatting of the era, and classification procedures. The debate continues with no definitive resolution.