Whose 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds caused a widespread national panic?
H.G. Wells
Orson Welles
Edward R. Murrow
Walter Winchell
Fact: On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles performed a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds. Presented in the style of a live news bulletin, the broadcast described a Martian invasion of Earth. Many listeners who tuned in late missed the disclaimer that it was fiction, leading to confusion and, in some areas, panic. Though reports of mass hysteria were likely exaggerated by newspapers, the incident remains one of the most famous examples of the power of broadcast media and cemented Orson Welles’ reputation as a master showman.
Correct Answer: Orson Welles