
Millions of people in the Chicago area were forced to watch a major broadcast hijacking exactly 34 years ago. On the evening of November 22, 1987, a masked person took over transmission twice, uttering seemingly meaningless jokes and trivia for a total of two minutes.
The incident, dubbed “Max Headroom signal jacking” because of the perpetrators’ mask choice, sparked a lot of speculation, but no answers. Authorities were unable to apprehend the culprits despite a lengthy investigation.
However, the event has been immortalized due to the lack of clarity, making it a must-know for any fan of hacker culture and subversive art.
The first interruption
The Max Headroom hack appears to be a scene from a modern hacker film like Mr. Robot or even a techy horror film. The hack becomes stranger the more you read about it.
The first intrusion lasted about 25 seconds and happened during the sports segment of Chicago’s WGN-TV newscast. The broadcast was initially interrupted by a ten-second black screen, followed by a creepy-looking masked person in front of a corrugated metal background.
A screeching digital noise accompanied the interruption, making it unclear whether the character had anything to say.
WGN-engineers TV’s were perplexed, so they turned off the intrusion by changing the signal frequency between the broadcast studio and the station.
Once the stations’ engineers were able to get the regular broadcast back on the air, sports anchor Dan Roan commented, “Well, if you’re wondering what’s happened, so am I.”
Who is Max Headroom?
The creepy aesthetics were not chosen at random. The perpetrator was dressed as Max Headroom, a fictional British TV character.
A fictional ‘artificial intelligence’ character appeared in the first season of the show. In reality, Canadian-American actor Matt Frewer wore prosthetic makeup to create the character’s computer-generated appearance.
In the TV show, Max Headroom was a journalist who was assassinated over digging dirt on the corporation that owned the TV station he worked at. Headroom’s hacker friend preserved his brain and uploaded it to the network, effectively turning him into a digital entity.
The ghost of Headroom used to appear in broadcasts, like in a modern horror story, sharing snarky, sometimes off-beat jokes with a dash of social commentary.
‘Giant masterpiece’
Viewers only heard what the people behind the Max Headroom mask had to say after a second attempt at hijacking the TV signal. Hackers broke into the signal of another Chicago-based station, WTTW, around 11:20 p.m. the same night.
The perpetrators began an episode of Doctor Who by saying, “He’s a fricking nerd,” followed by a digitalized laughter reminiscent of the original Max Headroom show.
The 90-second video was disorganized, with the perpetrator gliding over seemingly random subjects. WGN sportscaster Chuck Swirsky was called a “frickin’ liberal,” and a Pepsi can was displayed while a Coca-Cola slogan was called.
Swirsky later expressed concern for his safety, claiming that he was singled out in the transmission for no apparent reason.

The hijacker then began humming the Temptations’ 1966 song “Your love is fading.” However, the twitchy, strange-sounding character’s somewhat juvenile presentation makes it difficult not to see a movie villain in him.
In the middle of the video, the hacker proudly stated, “I just made a giant masterpiece for the Greatest World Newspaper nerds.” The first station to be hacked that day was WGN-TV, which stands for “World’s Greatest Newspaper.”
The interruption was followed by a side view of exposed buttocks being spanked by a female character with a fly swatter. The broadcast returned to normal a few seconds later, leaving many people puzzled by the ordeal.
The second hijacking came to an end when the hackers terminated the transmission on their own. WTTW did not have engineers on the scene to deal with the signal disruption.
Targeted attack
According to television engineers, whoever was behind the attack needed access to a costly transmitter because hijacking the broadcast required extremely high-powered equipment.
It’s thought that the intrusion was carried out by using a transmitter to overturn the signal sent by TV studios to transmitters that amplified the signal to reach Chicago audiences. Between the studio and the transmitter, the perpetrators most likely used a high-rise apartment or a roof.
“You need a lot of power to do that, and the interfering signal has to be quite strong,” WGN director of engineering Robert Strutzel told the Chicago Tribune the day after the incident.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into the attack. It never discovered who was behind it, though. No one took responsibility for the hijacking, despite the fact that the case’s five-year statute of limitations had expired in 1992, meaning the perpetrators would face no charges even if they came forward.
The attack was suspected to be carried out by students, disgruntled employees, and radio enthusiasts. Only those involved in the attack, 34 years later, are certain who carried it out. The attack is one of the most well-known hacking attempts due to the cryptic broadcast, bizarre broadcast, and lack of accountability.
The Max Headroom hack occurred less than a year after a satellite dish salesman, John R. MacDoughall, interrupted HBO’s transmission with a written message criticizing the company for preventing non-subscribers from receiving the stations’ transmission. Despite the fact that millions of people saw the message, authorities only fined MacDougall $5,000.

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?
Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.

Henry Ford, The man popularizing the concept of the weekend off
Henry Ford was the first Industrial Giant to give his employees both Saturday and Sunday off in the hope of encouraging more leisurely use of automobiles and thus popularizing the concept of the "weekend."

The incredible story of Julia "Butterfly" Hill and her legacy
American environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill lived in a 1500-year-old California Redwood tree for 738 days to prevent it from being cut down by the Pacific Lumber Company. The Simpson’s episode “Lisa the Tree Hugger” was inspired by Hill’s story.

Top 10 Greatest and shocking Archaeological Discoveries of All Time
While we're all locked at home, there's no better way to escape to another time and place than to learn about amazing archeological sites and discoveries from around the world. Here are the 10 greatest and shocking archaeological discoveries —and don't be shocked if they inspire future trip plans whenever it's safe to do so again.

Iranian inmate dies from happiness after finding out he will not be executed
An Iranian man who was convicted of murder reportedly died from happiness after learning that his death sentence was being commuted.

The true story of Josephine Myrtle Corbin, the lady born with four legs and two private parts
Josephine Myrtle Corbin, an American sideshow performer born in 1868, had a rare condition known as dipygus, which caused her to have four legs, each smaller inner leg paired with one of her outer legs. Corbin joined the sideshow circuit, captivating audiences as the "Four-Legged Girl from Texas."

Top 10 most cruel medical procedures that are being used today
We are all aware that medicine has advanced dramatically over the last fifty years. There are several modern medical approaches available today, but this was not always the case. However, the past of medicine is a dark one. Medical leeches, lobotomy, vascular surgery, cranial stenosis, and even electroshock therapy are all options. These are only a couple of the cruel healing techniques that are still in use today.

Mother who spent entire life savings for daughter’s cancer treatment won the lottery
A mother won $2 million from a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket after she spent all of her entire life savings to pay her daughter’s cancer treatment. She bought the winning ticket after her daughter’s last cancer treatment.

Ancient Jericho: The First Walled City In History
The ancient city of Jericho is the world's oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9000 years.

The Assassination Of King Alexander
The assassination of King Alexander of Yugoslavia marked a pivotal moment in the country's history. This article delves into the rise and reign of King Alexander, exploring his early life and ascension to the throne. It also examines the political and social climate in interwar Yugoslavia, setting the stage for the tensions and challenges that ultimately culminated in his tragic assassination. By understanding the context in which this event unfolded, we can better grasp the significance and impact it had on the nation and its future.

The true story Of The Radium Girls that change US labor laws
Hundreds of young women worked in clock factories during World War I, painting watch dials with luminous radium paint. The company lied about the risk of radiation, claiming there was no danger, which resulted in the death of the young women.

How Dmitri Mendeleev Developed the periodic table of the elements
1850 Dmitri Mendeleev walked almost a thousand miles to Moscow so he could apply for the University of Moscow. Although he was not accepted, he walked to St. Petersburg where he was accepted, And with that education, he developed the the periodic table of the elements

story of the youngest mother in the world at age of five - Lina Medina
Lina Medina, a five-year-old Peruvian girl, became the youngest mother in history in 1939 when she gave birth to a boy.

The Tragic Story Of Mary Ann Bevan, The ‘Ugliest Woman In The World’
After the death of her husband, Mary Ann Bevan had no income to support herself and her children. She then decided to enter a contest where she won the title of “ugliest woman” and was later hired by a circus. She endured this ridicule from the world to provide for her family.

What is the story behind Wrigley chewing gum?
Wrigley's was originally a soap company that gifted baking powder with their soap. The baking powder became more popular than the soap so they switched to selling baking powder with chewing gum as a gift. The gum became more popular than the baking powder so the company switched to selling gum.

The Amazing Truth About The German U-Boat That Was Sunk By A Toilet
During WWII, a German captain and an engineer flushed the submarine's high-tech toilet incorrectly, causing the vessel to rapidly fill with water. British planes patrolling the sea attacked them as the submarine was brought to the surface. While many members of the crew were killed in the attack, the captain escaped!

Sylvan Goldman: The Visionary Who Revolutionized Shopping with the Cart
The inventor of shopping carts, Sylvan Goldman, had to hire several male and female models to push carts around in his store, demonstrate their utility, and explain their use to other customers, due to not catching on initially.

How Cleveland's Balloonfest in 1986 Turned Into a Public Tragedy
In Cleveland, Ohio, United Way broke the world record by deflating nearly 1.5 million balloons as part of a publicity stunt to raise money. The balloon obstructed a US Coast Guard search for two boaters who were subsequently discovered to have drowned, blocked airport runways, and blocked land and waterways.

Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his own life
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his life in order to warn an incoming train of an imminent explosion. His telegraph said “Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys.” He saved 300 lives.

Remembering the 1945 Empire State Building Disaster: When a Plane Met Skyscraper
An airplane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Among other damage, plane parts severed the cables of an elevator and the woman inside fell over 70 stories. She lived and holds the world record for the longest survived elevator fall.

Atomic Tourism: In the 1950s, nuclear tests in Las Vegas served as a draw for tourists
Between 1950 and 1960, Las Vegas offered “Atomic Tourism” in which guests could watch atomic bombs being tested in the desert as a form of entertainment.

How a Total Lunar Eclipse Saved Christopher Columbus in 1504
In 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica with natives who refused to give him food. But he knew the date and time of an upcoming lunar eclipse. So he told the natives that his gods were angry at their treatment of him, and would provide a clear sign. Once the eclipse started, the natives raced to give him food and begged for mercy.

Why the Word ‘Pen’ Comes from the Latin ‘Penna’ Meaning Feather
The humble word “pen” carries a rich history rooted in ancient times, derived from the Latin word penna, meaning “feather.” Long before modern pens revolutionized writing, feather quills—especially from geese—were the essential tools of scribes, scholars, and artists. This article journeys through the origins of the pen, its evolution, and fascinating trivia about the timeless connection between feathers and writing.

15 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled Britain for 70 years, has away at the age of 96. She was the country's longest-reigning monarch. Here are some little-known facts about her.

Why This Belgian Bar Makes You Trade Your Shoe for a Beer
To prevent tourists from stealing their beer glasses, some bars in Belgium require people to hand over one of their shoes as a deposit which is then put in a basket and hung from the ceiling. These shoe baskets have also become an attraction.