On April 1, 2018, we have just 2 words for you, April Fools! This time instead of publishing a satirical spoof containing false stories, we will list 10 times real people really got fooled, either as individuals or as a group.
Digging Deeper
1. US Public, War of the Worlds.
On October 30, 1928, CBS radio in the United States aired a for radio adaptation of the HG Wells 1898 science fiction story, The War of the Worlds, directed and narrated by Orson Welles. In spite of periodic reminders that the program was a work of fiction, “millions” of listeners that tuned in between those warning thought the invasion of the Earth by Martians was real! The panic that ensued is legendary, but perhaps exaggerated, as is the number of actual listeners. Still, the event remains one of the greatest public “fools” of all time. Running time of the show was only 60 minutes. (Honorable Mention: Piltdown Man, Cardiff Giant, PT Barnum’s Mermaid, Sasquatch and Nessie.)
