When Radio Ruled The World

Long before screens dominated living rooms, families gathered around glowing dials, waiting for voices that could make them laugh, gasp, or hold their breath in silence. Radio had a magic all its own—turning sound into shared experience and fleeting words into history. But each broadcast carried more than words; it carried the weight of its moment. Here are 20 broadcasts that made the world stop and listen together.

Macfadden Publications, Inc.; CBS Radio photo on Wikimedia

1. KDKA Election Returns (1920)

When KDKA came alive on November 2, 1920, it launched America’s first commercial radio broadcast. Partnering with the Pittsburgh Post, the station converted phone-in ballot updates into live election coverage. Listeners even sent reception reports, turning a technical milestone into the birth of interactive broadcasting.

Austin C. Lescarboura on Wikimedia

2. Fessenden’s Christmas Eve Broadcast (1906)

On Christmas Eve in 1906, Brant Rock, Massachusetts, witnessed radio’s first miracle. Reginald Fessenden played O Holy Night on his violin, then read Bible passages aloud. Shocked ship operators heard not Morse code but a clear sound—the world’s first Christmas broadcast heard across the Atlantic.

Daderot on Wikimedia

3. Coolidge State Of The Union (1923)

Presidents once addressed Congress privately, but on December 6, 1923, Calvin Coolidge changed that. Using the radio's vast reach, he delivered the State of the Union directly to Americans at home. The event marked a turning point in public communication and presidential transparency.

National Photo Company Collection on Wikimedia

4. Roosevelt’s First Fireside Chat (1933)

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first Fireside Chat on March 12, 1933, transformed how presidents spoke to citizens. His calm words about the banking crisis built confidence during the national panic. Families gathered close and found comfort in a leader who sounded both wise and reassuringly familiar.

Series: Photographs of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1882 - 1945 Collection: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Photographs, 1870 - 2004 on Wikimedia

5. Morrison’s Hindenburg Disaster (1937)

Before 1937, radio reporting tended toward the stiff and formal, but Herb Morrison's emotional coverage of the Hindenburg disaster changed everything. His anguished cry, “Oh, the humanity!” during the Hindenburg explosion aired nationwide. Listeners heard raw emotion for the first time, and journalism changed forever.

Associated Press on Wikimedia

6. Welles’s War Of The Worlds (1938)

What began as a clever radio adaptation by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre spiraled into something extraordinary when their news-bulletin format convinced listeners that Martians were actually invading Earth. Though panic reports were exaggerated, the broadcast’s realism made Welles a star overnight.

Dallas Dispatch-Journal (no photographer credited) on Wikimedia

7. WJSV Full-Day Broadcast (1939)

While complete broadcasts from radio's golden age are rare today, one extraordinary recording is preserved. When Washington D.C.'s WJSV captured its entire broadcast day on September 21, 1939, it preserved a vivid window into pre-war America—soap operas, news bulletins, music, and commercials included.

Harris & Ewing, photographer on Wikimedia

8. NBC Apollo 11 Landing (1969)

As millions gathered around their radios, NBC Radio’s live coverage of the moon landing turned July 20, 1969, into a shared global triumph. Listeners experienced history unfold as Neil Armstrong’s words, “That’s one small step for man,” echoed across the plane

Apollo 11 Lunar Landing | Flashback | NBC News by NBC News

9. Murrow’s Wartime Reports (1940s)

From his dangerous rooftop vantage amid Nazi air raids, Edward R. Murrow displayed unmatched courage that redefined journalism. His reports from London during the Blitz, marked by “This...is London,” brought the realities to Americans and got CBS into global news.

CBS Radio on Wikimedia

10. Voice Of America Reports (1950)

Originally created for global news, Voice of America gained an important mission when war erupted in Korea in 1950. As communist forces spread propaganda, VOA evolved into a beacon of honest reporting, delivering vital updates to South Koreans, US troops, and Asian listeners.

Voice of America on Wikimedia

11. Radio Free Europe Broadcasts (1950)

In a high-stakes radio duel, Eastern Bloc jammers buzzed furiously against signals from Munich’s Radio Free Europe. Launched in 1950, the US-funded operation outsmarted Soviet censorship to broadcast uncensored news that pierced communist propaganda and reached millions trapped behind the Iron Curtain.

Radio Free Europe on Wikimedia

12. Mandela Rivonia Rebroadcast (1964)

In a three-hour courtroom address that echoed far beyond its origins, Nelson Mandela’s “I Am Prepared to Die” speech overcame apartheid censorship through international rebroadcasts. His defiant words from the Rivonia Trial even became a worldwide rallying cry for anti-apartheid supporters everywhere.

Governor-General of Australia on Wikimedia

13. MLK I Have A Dream (1963)

Radio waves carried Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful voice beyond the Lincoln Memorial’s steps on August 28, 1963, to transform a Washington gathering into a nationwide event. Americans across the country heard his “I Have a Dream” speech unfold in real time.

Rowland Scherman / Adam Cuerden on Wikimedia

14. Live Aid Global Simulcast (1985)

As music filled Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium, radio networks united two continents on July 13, 1985. The Live Aid benefit concert broadcast leapt across borders, amplifying an urgent call for famine relief and turning global airwaves into instruments of compassion and hope.

Squelle on Wikimedia

15. CBS Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Nowadays, with nonstop alerts, it’s easy to overlook who defined real-time crisis coverage. In October 1962, CBS Radio Network set the standard during the Cuban Missile Crisis by interrupting programming with urgent bulletins that informed anxious Americans through the tense US–Soviet standoff.

USAF on Wikimedia

16. BBC & VOA Iran Movement (2009)

During Iran’s 2009 Green Movement, BBC Persian and VOA Persian redefined traditional radio through seamless integration with online platforms. Their resilient transmissions countered government jamming, relayed verified protest updates, and transformed global understanding of how international broadcasters could challenge state-controlled information systems under pressure.

Hamed Saber on Wikimedia

17. NPR Fall Of Saigon (1975)

Emotion and urgency filled the airwaves as reporters captured Saigon’s chaotic final hours in April 1975. Through intimate interviews and live updates, NPR’s All Things Considered proved its ability to deliver in-depth, real-time journalism as the Vietnam War reached its dramatic conclusion.

Jbarta on Wikimedia

18. BBC Persian Revolution (1979)

The 1979 Iranian Revolution tested state control of information like never before. As government censorship intensified, the BBC Persian Service became a trusted lifeline, attracting huge audiences hungry for reliable news and changing perceptions of international broadcasting’s power in Iran’s volatile political climate.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

19. NHK Japan Tsunami Broadcasts (2011)

In the first chaotic moments of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, NHK Radio Japan became a national lifeline. Despite power failures, its clear emergency reports guided evacuations, coordinated disaster response, and kept millions—both in Japan and abroad—connected through real-time information.

Japan earthquake and tsunami anniversary: NHK reporter who filmed as she ran from disaster by The Telegraph

20. Radio Veritas EDSA Revolution (1986)

Throughout history, communication technology has driven transformative movements. In 1986, Radio Veritas symbolized that power during the Philippines’ People Power Revolution and broadcast peaceful protest calls that mobilized millions. Even after transmitter sabotage, its hidden broadcasts persisted.

National Library of the Philippines (distributed by Philippine Presidential Museum and Library) on Wikimedia