On This Day in History 1938: Orson Welles Reads ‘War of the Worlds’ over Radio causing Mass Panic

Posted on 30 October 2025 by The Tactical Hermit

Orson Welles at the microphone and how the New York Times reacted to the broadcast

Panic Over War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds, the science fiction novel by English author H.G. Wells telling of a space ship from Mars landing on Earth and causing panic, death and destruction, was published in 1897. On this day in 1938 actor Orson Welles allegedly caused real-life panic across America when he presented the story in an all-too-realistic radio broadcast.

RTWT @ On This Day

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