History's Greatest Hoaxes

S01E04 War Of The Worlds

In this episode of History's Greatest Hoaxes, we delve into Orson Welles's radio dramatization of H.G. Wells’s classic, 'The War of the Worlds'. This faux news report alarmed numerous listeners, leading them to believe that Martians were invading Earth. While reports suggest that the broadcast caused widespread hysteria across the nation, we explore whether the audience was truly as extensive as claimed.