War of the Worlds Broadcast episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 11, 2026 · 21 MIN

War of the Worlds Broadcast

from History Dispatches · host Matt and McKinley Breen

For the Halloween special of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air, in 1938, they performed a radio adaptation of HG Wells’ landmark science fiction novel 'War of the Worlds.' The only problem is that it was so realistic, it caused panic amongst listeners, who thought a Martian invasion was imminent. At least, allegedly. This is the story of the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies by plan. 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year while subscription is active. Sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q7tN7MhQ4I https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/infamous-war-worlds-radio-broadcast-was-magnificent-fluke-180955180/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orson-Welles-Studio-1938.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 11, 2026

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War of the Worlds Broadcast

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