“The War of the Worlds”—Orson Welles’s realistic radio
dramatization of a Martian invasion of Earth, was broadcast
on the radio on October 30, 1938.

Welles was only 23 years old when his Mercury Theater
company decided to update H.G. Wells’s 19th-century
science fiction novel The War of the Worlds for national
radio. 

It was not planned as a radio hoax, and Welles had little
idea of how legendary it would eventually become.

Sunday evening in 1938 was prime-time in the golden age
of radio, and millions of Americans had their radios turned
on. But most of these Americans were listening to Edgar
Bergen with his dummy “Charlie McCarthy” on NBC and
only turned to CBS at 8:12 p.m. after the comedy sketch
ended and a little-known singer went on. By then, the story
of the Martian invasion was well underway.

George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985)

The Star of India, left, and the DeLong Star Ruby, center,
at the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals inside the
American Museum of Natural History in New York. The
two were among the 24 gems stolen. (FOX NEWS)

Two men broke into the American Museum of Natural History
in New York City and made off with millions of dollars in gems
on this day in history, Oct. 29, 1964. 

James A. Oliver, director of the Museum of Natural History, inspecting the case that held jewels stolen from the
museum.

Jack Roland Murphy, who also went by "Murf the Surf," was sentenced to three years in jail for stealing 24 gems from
the American Museum of Natural History.

Nearly four decades after he became the first American to orbit
the Earth, Senator John Herschel Glenn Jr.was launched into
space again as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle
Discovery on October 29, 1998.

At 77 years of age, Glenn was the oldest human ever to travel
in space. During the nine-day mission, he served as part of a
NASA study on health problems associated with aging.

The crew of space shuttle Discovery mission STS-95,
including John Glenn. On this flight, Glenn became
the oldest person to fly in space. NASA

(FOX NEWS) – "Friends" star Matthew Perry has died. Law enforcement sources said that the actor was found dead
at a house in Los Angeles on Saturday. The authorities
stated he appeared to have died due to accidental
drowning.

Emergency personnel first responded to a call reporting
cardiac arrest at the house. No drugs were found on the
scene and no foul play is suspected.