War Of The Worlds Radio Broadcast 70th Anniversary
On this day in 1938, "The War of the Worlds" was broadcast by CBS's Mercury Theatre On The Air from NYC. The show began innocently with weather, music and even an introduction of H. G. Wells' novel about an alien invasion of Earth. The broadcast was later interrupted and all hell broke loss. Apparently, an explosion on Mars bombarded Grover's Mill, New Jersey with meteorites. An elaborate and wonderful story follows, and it causes panic among the public. At the end of the show, Welles explains that the show was fiction and a Halloween special! Even with this disclaimer, millions of people believed the show to be actual news. In the days following the broadcast, CBS aired PSAs exclaiming the show a fictional performance. Take a listen for yourself and enjoy the mayhem.
