War of the Worlds In 1938 millions of people crowded around their radios They listened as the announcer spoke He explained that Martians had invaded Earth He said they were firing heat-ray guns at humans Families often listened to the radio together 5 Chapter 1
A microphone picks up a radio announcer’s voice In the 1930s hardly anyone had a television Instead people listened to stories and news on the radio Many listeners had missed the beginning of the program about the 6
Martians They didn’t know it was just a story They thought they were hearing a news report Panic broke out Cars jammed the highways Soon word reached the radio station The announcer stopped the show He told listeners the story wasn’t real Everyone was relieved Fun Fact Radio dramas are still popular today These programs use dialogue music and sound effects to tell stories 7
