The War of the Worlds was written by H.G. Wells and adapted to be read on the radio in 1938. The story tells a tale about an alien invasion, with very little chance of escape. When the story was adapted for the radio, it was read by broadcasters as if it was a real event; listeners in New Jersey were convinced that it was happening in their state and that the world was about to end.

In 1938, Americans were gripped by panic after hearing the broadcast. Many called police and fled from their homes. Many reported seeing and hearing aliens attacking the city. Luckily, there were no injuries associated with this radio broadcast.
 
However, in a small town in Mexico about 20 years later, the story was read again on the radio. This time, broadcasters took the reading too far. They brought in people to speak who sounded like city officials. They convinced the local newspaper to run stories in the days leading up to the radio broadcast that planted seeds of worry in townspeople. When the story was broadcast, people were terrified. Many ran to the only place they felt safe: church. They cried and confessed their sins, and many were overcome with terror.
 
The broadcast was so real that the military rushed to the far end of the city where aliens were reported to be. Once people saw this, they really panicked. Immediately, radio broadcasters realized they had made a big mistake, and they announced that it had all been a hoax. Townspeople became so angry that they marched to the radio station, picking up rocks and torches along the way. Once there, they hurled the rocks through the windows and began to burn the building with radio announcers still inside.
 
Radio announcers called for help, but police and the military were busy driving around the city looking for aliens. Six people ended up dying in the aftermath. Some ran from the burning building and were left to die by the townspeople, their former friends.
 
The War of the Worlds was also released as a movie in 2005, directed by Steven Spielberg and boasting a cast including Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins and more.
 

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