
William Cooper, whose full name was Milton William Cooper, was an American author, radio broadcaster, and prominent figure in conspiracy literature. Born in 1943 in Long Beach, California, he served in the U.S. Navy and later became known for his lectures and radio program *The Hour of the Time*. During the late 1980s and 1990s, he gained attention for his claims concerning secret government programs, UFOs, political institutions, and alleged global conspiracies. Cooper is best known for his 1991 book *Behold a Pale Horse*, which became one of the most widely circulated books in American conspiracy literature. In it, he presented numerous controversial theories about government secrecy, UFOs, political power, and alleged hidden organizations; many of these claims are disputed or unsupported by established evidence. Cooper continued broadcasting and writing until his death in 2001 in Arizona, where he was killed during a confrontation with sheriff's deputies.