In August 1835, The New York Sun published a six-part series claiming that Sir John Herschel had discovered life on the Moon — including crystal forests, bipedal beavers, and four-foot-tall bat-winged humanoids worshipping at sapphire cathedrals. It was completely made up. It also made the Sun the most widely read newspaper in the world, sent circulation soaring, got reprinted across the country as straight news, and inspired readers to write letters to the bat-people. This episode of Sidequests covers the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 — one of the greatest media pranks in American history and an early lesson in how easily a beautiful lie, printed with authority, can outrun the truth.
","author_name":"Keith Conrad"}