Dead Air: The Night That Orson Welles Terrified America

In 1938, a young Orson Welles presented a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' “The War of the Worlds” as if it was a news bulletin reporting a Martian invasion of New Jersey, not a fictional tale. The broadcast, which included simulated news breaks, dramatic sound effects, and actors portraying reporters and officials, sparked an immediate and widespread frenzy. Many listeners, unaware it was a play, believed the invasion was real, leading to calls to police and newspaper offices, and even some evacuating their homes. Join us as author William Hazelgrove shares the story behind the greatest hoax in radio history and the panic that ensued.