Daily Curiosities: New Jersey was Invaded by Aliens
POSTED by: on 10/31/2009
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On October 30th 1938, a martian “cylinder” landed in Grovers Mill, New Jersey, heralding the beginning of a Martian invasion that created mass panic and caused immense damage throughout the world.
Luckily for us, it was only a radio broadcast.
In 1938, CBS was running a radio series named “Mercury Theatre,” narrated by Orson Welles. On October 30th of that year, Orson Welles ran a program based on H.G. Wells’ book, The War of the Worlds. It ran without commercial breaks and the first part was made up of mock news and public service broadcasts.
The broadcast caused panic and confusion among listeners as large numbers of them tuned into the show after it had started and believed it was a real report of an actual Martian invasion.
A recording of the original broadcast can be found on Mercury Theatre Online and makes good listening for Halloween.
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