some for as long as 2 months. "Trembling Disease" (1905–06) – An estimated 237 children were impacted between October 1905 and May 1906 in Meissen, Germany. Miracle of the Sun (1917) – Occurring in Fátima, Portugal, on the 13 October 1917, witnesses describe the strange actions of the sun according to the prophecy that claimed the Virgin Mary would appear on that date to perform miracles. After a period of rain, the dark clouds parted and the Sun emerged as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky, according to numerous witnesses. It was claimed to be noticeably dimmer than usual, casting colourful lights across the landscape, people, and surrounding clouds. Afterwards, the Sun was said to have careened towards the Earth before "zig-zagging" back to its original position. Halifax Slasher (1938) – The "Halifax Slasher" was the name given to a supposed attacker of residents, mostly women, of the town of Halifax, England, in November 1938. The week-long scare began after two women claimed to have been attacked by a mysterious man with a mallet and "bright buckles" on his shoes. Further reports of attacks by a man wielding a knife or a razor followed. The situation became so serious that Scotland Yard was called in to assist the Halifax police. On November 29 one of the alleged victims admitted that he had inflicted the damage upon himself for attention. Others soon had similar admissions, and the Yard investigation concluded that none of the attacks had been real. Five local people were subsequently charged with public mischief offenses, and four were sent to prison. "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast (1938) – Newspaper headlines reported that thousands of Americans were plunged into panic over an Orson Welles radio play, convinced that America was under a deadly Martian attack. Bellevue, Louisiana (1939) – A girl developed a leg twitch at the annual homecoming high school dance. Attacks worsened and spread to friends over the next several weeks. Mad Gasser of Mattoon (1940s) – Mattoon, Illinois Ghost rockets (1946) – German, British and Scandinavian intelligence officials concluded that the Ghost rockets which were reported over Scandinavia are a case of mass hysteria (among other conclusions). Tokyo, Japan (1947) - On May 29, 1947, the United States armed forces radio station in Tokyo (WVTR) broadcast a "news bulletin" that a 20-ft sea monster was spotted in Tokyo Bay and travelling inland. 1947 flying