On This Day in Radio History

The Shadow asks "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

Orson Welles terrifies the nation with War of the Worlds.

War clouds gather in Europe; Edward R. Murrow begins his London dispatches.

Pearl Harbor. Radio is how the nation learns, and how it grieves.

America at war — rationing begins, radios and morale kept high.

War bond drives, V-discs, and overseas broadcasts unite the home front.

D-Day coverage brings the war's turning point into every living room.

The Cold War begins — suspense and espionage thrillers flood the schedule.

Television appears in department store windows. Radio watches nervously.

Post-war optimism surges; television arrives but radio fights back with quality.

Korean War begins. Television spreads but radio drama is at its creative peak.

I Love Lucy launches on TV — the competition turns serious.

The armistice in Korea; radio's finest detective dramas reign.

Gunsmoke premieres — radio's adult western redefines the genre.

Rock and roll explodes on AM radio; the medium finds a new identity.

Sputnik launches — radio covers the space age's dawn.

The golden age is memory; the archive endures.

The golden age is memory; the archive endures.

The golden age is memory; the archive endures.