WAR OF THE WORLDS
Sunday evening, October 30, 1938, between the hours of eight and nine o’clock, millions of Americans were tuned to the CBS radio network. They heard an announcer’s voice breaking into the music of an orchestra: “Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News.” Then, during the next hour, the audience was stunned to hear a series of increasingly hysterical voices narrating an invasion of Martian monsters, landing first on a New Jersey farm, then unleashing poisonous gases over New York City. The broken, anguished voice of an announcer continued: “Avoid bridges to Long Island — hopelessly jammed. All communication with Jersey shore closed. …No more defenses. Our army wiped out… artillery, air force, everything wiped out. This may be the last broadcast.” Later they learned that they had been listening to the Orson Welles – Mercury Theatre production of “War of the Worlds.” It has been estimated…
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