In August 1835, the New York Sun published a series of six articles announcing the discovery of life on the Moon, complete with beaver-like bipedal creatures, unicorn goats, and winged humanoids called Vespertilio-homo. Supposedly reporting the astronomical observations of Sir John Herschel, the articles were completely fabricated by writer Richard Adams Locke. The public went wild, creating an insatiable appetite for the newspaper.
At the time, the New York Sun had recently adopted steam-powered printing presses, a technological leap that allowed it to print thousands of copies per hour. However, the Moon Hoax created unprecedented demand, pushing the paper's daily circulation past 19,000 copies—making it the highest circulating daily newspaper in the world at the time. To meet the public's frantic clamor, the Sun's steam presses were run continuously at maximum capacity for days on end.
The relentless mechanical strain caused frequent overheating, gear slippages, and structural fatigue, pushing the cutting-edge machinery to its absolute physical limits. Workers labored in suffocating, soot-filled pressrooms to lubricate hot metal joints and clear paper jams as mobs outside demanded fresh prints. Even after the fraud was exposed, the Sun never issued a formal retraction, enjoying its permanent boost in prestige and circulation won on the back of moon bats and stressed steam engines.