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7 eerie things that actually happened on Halloween
7 eerie things that actually happened on Halloween
Darcy Schild,Caroline FoxOct 8, 2020, 21:01 IST
Orson Welles gave his famous "War of the Worlds" broadcast the night before Halloween in 1938.Harry Warnecke/NY Daily News via Getty Images
A number of eerie happenings have actually occurred on the last night of October.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Famed magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926.
The radio broadcast "War of the Worlds" caused mass hysteria on Halloween Eve in 1938.
On Halloween Eve in 1938, Americans tuning in to CBS radio programming got an eerie interruption: "Martians have invaded New Jersey!" At the time, the pre-Halloween allusion to extraterrestrials caused mass hysteria for thousands of listeners around the country.
Although it was simply a radio play by Orson Welles titled "War of the Worlds," most listeners didn't realize this. In fact, according to NPR, "about 12 million people were listening when Welles' broadcast came on the air and 'about 1 in every 12 ... thought it was true and ... some percentage of that 1 million people ran out of their homes.'"
This panic-inducing radio broadcast is just one example of a spooky happening that has occurred on Halloween (or the night before the notoriously chilling holiday).
Famed illusionist Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926 after suffering a ruptured appendix — though to some, the story surrounding his death is shrouded in mystery.
Harry Houdini performs a rope escape stunt and a card trick.
AP Photo
On Halloween Eve in 1938, people tuning in to CBS radio heard an unsettling announcement that martians had invaded New Jersey, which created mass hysteria.
Orson Welles rehearsing a "War of the Worlds" broadcast.
Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images
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In 1961, former USSR leader Joseph Stalin's body was removed from public display in Moscow's Red Square and transferred to a nearby tomb.
The mausoleum where Stalin's body was transferred from in 1961.
Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini organized the first parade to showcase the growing power of the fascist party on Halloween in 1922.
Fascist Parade in Piazza del Quirinale, Rome, on October 31, 1922.
De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images
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In 1981, a murder on Halloween morning happened inside a Manhattan home. To make things even spookier, the exact murder had been predicted by an infamous serial killer.
Serial killer David Berkowitz (center) who may have predicted a murder on Halloween.
Bettmann / Contributor/Getty Images
On Halloween in 1974, 8-year-old Timothy O'Bryan ate poisoned candy, killing him — and the culprit had an eerie motive.
Halloween candy.
Oliver Kramm / EyeEm/Getty Images
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On Halloween in 1963, an accidental propane gas explosion at an ice-skating exhibition in Indiana caused 74 deaths and left 400 people injured.
The aftermath of the propane gas explosion.
Bob Daugherty/AP