War of the Worlds Broadcast
11 March 2026

War of the Worlds Broadcast

History Dispatches

About
For the Halloween special of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air, in 1938, they performed a radio adaptation of HG Wells’ landmark science fiction novel 'War of the Worlds.' The only problem is that it was so realistic, it caused panic amongst listeners, who thought a Martian invasion was imminent. At least, allegedly. This is the story of the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast.



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Sources



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q7tN7MhQ4I

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/infamous-war-worlds-radio-broadcast-was-magnificent-fluke-180955180/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orson-Welles-Studio-1938.jpg



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