CBS News Radio flashback: Orson Welles' 1938 "War of the Worlds" broadcast

On Oct. 30, 1938, CBS News Radio listeners were sent into a frenzy listening to Orson Welles' reading of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds," thinking it was a real broadcast detailing an alien invasion. CBS News' Caitlin Huey-Burns introduces the fictional, now-iconic breaking news bulletin.

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According to CBS News’s linked item, CBS News Radio flashback: Orson Welles’ 1938 “War of the Worlds” broadcast, On Oct. 30, 1938, CBS News Radio listeners were sent into a frenzy listening to Orson Welles’ reading of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds,” thinking it was a real broadcast detailing an alien invasion. CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns introduces the fictional, now-iconic breaking news bulletin.

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The development sits in VINI’s Global coverage for readers following international affairs, institutions, conflict, diplomacy, economics, and cross-border consequences. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The linked item is dated 2026-05-08T22:47:45+00:00.

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Primary source: CBS News Radio flashback: Orson Welles’ 1938 “War of the Worlds” broadcast via CBS News. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.

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