I just got the test. I remember them from the 1950s when the Civil Defense would do a TV test letting everyone know it was “Only a test.”
In the early 1960s there was a Civil Defense test on all TV stations from “A secret location outside Washington DC”.
But that was when we were expecting Russian rockets to be heading our way at any time. I still remember the broadcast of Dec 24, 1963 just after the Cuban Missile Crisis almost led us to war.
On that date they broke into the TV broadcasts to let everyone know that an unidentified object had crossed the DEW line heading for the US.
The fears of October that year came back. Blood pressure skyrocketed! Was it Russian missiles? Would we see a tomorrow? WAS THIS THE END?
Then they showed a real chintzy photo of Santa in his sleigh with cotton ball clouds floating by.
We were relieved but upset due to the scare that year.