The Truth Behind the War of the Worlds Broadcast

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles interrupted America's radios with terrifying news: Martians had invaded New Jersey.

Except they hadn't.

Welles's War of the Worlds was a radio drama presented partly as breaking-news bulletins. Some listeners who tuned in late mistook fiction for reality, and stories of nationwide panic quickly followed.

But did millions of Americans really flee their homes in terror?

Not quite. Later research suggests the legendary mass hysteria was greatly exaggerated—ironically, by newspapers eager to portray radio as dangerous competition.

In this episode of History Shorts, we separate the broadcast from the myth and uncover how a fictional invasion created a very real media legend.

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