Orson Welles radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds anniversary

On October 30, 1938, the CBS radio program The Mercury Theatre on the Air aired a broadcast of The War of the Worlds, an adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel. Directed and starring 23-year-old Orson Welles, the production presented the Martian invasion as a series of live news bulletins, which led some listeners to believe the fictional event was a real emergency.

While some historical accounts suggest the scale of public panic was amplified by the press, the broadcast remains a landmark event in communication history. It demonstrated the power of radio as a medium and is frequently studied in journalism and communication schools regarding media credibility and the spread of misinformation. The success of the broadcast helped launch Welles' career, leading to his work on Citizen Kane.