I was not around for today’s feature, but I know about it and have taught students in the past about it. On this date in 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater radio broadcast of War of the Worlds frightened a nation. Although it was stated in the beginning that this radio broadcast was a dramatization, many tuned in late and missed that announcement. Orson Welles knew what he was doing, and his broadcast did spark genuine fear amongst his listening public. People thought it was a genuine alien invasion. I would say that Orson Welles secured his place in history with this broadcast.
For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio_drama)
http://famousdaily.com/history/orson-welles-war-of-the-worlds.html
Want to listen to the original broadcast?
https://archive.org/details/OrsonWellesMrBruns