Some Of The Craziest Conspiracy Theories Of All Time
1 Reptilian Elite
According to some conspiracy theorists, there is an elite group of celebrities who are shape-shifting lizards. New age philosopher David Icke claimed in his 1998 book The Biggest Secret that Bob Hope, Madonna, Queen Elizabeth, Hillary Clinton, and several other world leaders are actually humanoid reptilians that can take a human form.
Followers believe that these shape-shifting celebs want total world domination and complete control of the entire globe. Time magazine reported, “Encroaching on other conspiracy theorists’ territory, Icke even claims that the lizards are behind secret societies like the Freemasons and the Illuminati.”
2 Moon Landing Hoax
There is a fringe group of people that believe the Apollo moon landing of 1969 was a hoax. As they would have it, the United States government hired filmmaker Stanley Kubrick to shoot a fake moon landing on a soundstage.
The claims are unproven and Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian Kubrick, took to Twitter to shoot down the theory. “There are many, very real conspiracies that have happened throughout our history,” she wrote. “But, claims that the moon landings were faked and filmed by my father? I just can’t understand it!!?”
3 Elvis Presley Is Still Alive
Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee, but some people believe the King is still alive. There are several theories floating around that he never passed away, and an Elvis spotting happens every few years.
One theory is that he is in the witness protection program after he escaped the mob as a mole for the FBI. People have claimed to see him everywhere from an airport to the grocery store. Many think that Presley left a clue that he’s still alive on his tombstone, where they misspelled his middle name Aron as Aaron.
4 Chemtrails
Chemtrails, which are short for chemical trails, are the white lines left behind in the sky as a plane flies overhead. Some conspiracy theorists believe the trials are actually clouds of chemicals produced by the government for suspicious purposes, most of which point to overreach and control.
A fringe group insists that the government uses chemtrails for mind control, weather modification, or population control through sterilization. They claim that the vapor left behind is full of unidentifiable substances, but the theory remains unproven.
5 The Beatles Never Existed
A conspiracy theory emerged claiming that The Beatles never existed, and the band was made up of body doubles for John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. There’s even a website, thebeatlesneverexisted.com, dedicated to the theory.
The site offers photographic evidence that the band members’ faces changed over the years, from differing pupil levels to changing eye color. According to The Sun, believers say they have proof that the band members often swapped out with clones because of grueling schedules. They even claim that there were actually 3 different versions of John Lennon and 12 different Paul McCartney body doubles.
6 The Earth Is Hollow
“Hollow Earthers” are people who question the contents of the earth’s core. This nutty group believes that the globe is empty and a race of aliens live just below the surface. It just gets weirder from there.
The Daily Mail first reported on the bizarre theory, “A group of conspiracy theorists believe the Earth is hollow—and that superior ‘alien’ humans, Vikings, and Nazis live inside. Instead of thinking that the world is flat, they’re convinced that it actually contains a paradise at its core that resembles the Garden of Eden,” the story said.
7 The Denver Airport Is Run by the Illuminati
There’s much speculation surrounding the Denver International Airport. Conspiracy theorists believe the Illuminati had a hand in the construction. There’s also talk of secret tunnels and hidden images of harbingers of doom in the art displayed in and around the airport.
According to Travel and Leisure, The Blue Mustang, a red-eyed horse sculpture by artist Luis Jiménez, is a nod to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. A buried time capsule on the property contains markings of the FreeMasons, a group that is linked to the Illuminati, deepening the speculation of secrets in the airport.
8 Keanu Reeves Is A Time Traveller
Keanu Reeves may be an A-list Hollywood actor, but a sect of his fans believe that he’s actually immortal. The theory came about because there are several old paintings and photos with historical figures who look almost exactly like him. From Charlemagne to Paul Mounet, the likeness is uncanny.
Reeves addressed the conspiracy theory when he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and responded to the photos. “I can see we have a likeness in the eyes, and the nose… and the mustache, and the beard, and the cheekbones, and the forehead,” he jokingly said.
9 Nicolas Cage Is An Immortal Vampire
The Hollywood Reporter ran a story claiming that Nicolas Cage is an immortal vampire. The theory began when an eBay seller posted a historical Civil War photo that featured a Cage look-alike from 1870. The headline on the sale said, “Nicolas Cage is a Vampire.”
The seller added this hilarious description, “Showing a man who looks exactly like Nick Cage. Personally, I believe it’s him and that he is some sort of walking undead/vampire, et cetera, who quickens/reinvents himself once every 75 years or so. 150 years from now, he might be a politician, the leader of a cult, or a talk show host.”
10 The Moon Is Fake
“Moon Truthers” take the notion that the Apollo moon landing was fake to a whole new level. This group believes that there is no evidence that the moon actually exists, and it’s really a money-making scheme created by the U.S. Congress.
There’s even a Reddit page dedicated to the topic. One member wrote, “As all evidence suggests, the moon is a hologram set up by the U.S. government and maintained by a series of unregistered satellites in space that power the projection of the big, ivory object so many people believe to be real.”
11 The Titanic Disaster Was Planned
There is a theory that the millionaire banker J.P. Morgan planned the Titanic disaster. According to History, believers claim Morgan orchestrated the sinking to kill off rival millionaires Isidor Straus, Benjamin Guggenheim, and Jacob Astor, who all died in the disaster.
They based the entire idea on the fact that Morgan was scheduled to board the Titanic, but decided not to only moments before it went on its maiden voyage. They also assert that he was motivated to kill them because they were against creating the federal reserve. Although, there is little to no evidence to back this one up.
12 The Mandela Effect
The “Mandela Effect” originated in 2009 when Fiona Broome started a website addressing the paradox. It’s a strange occurrence where a sizeable group of people shares the memory of an identical event differently than how it actually happened. Conspiracy theorists claim it proves the existence of alternate universes.
According to VeryWellMind, they named the effect after Nelson Mandela because several people mistakingly remembered the tragedy of Mandela dying in jail in the 1980s, even though he didn’t actually pass away until 2013. Broome’s website lists other incidents where people question the validity of past universal memories.
13 Birds Aren’t Real
Members of the “Birds Aren’t Real” movement claim that all birds were killed and replaced with government surveillance drones in 2001. The theory is gaining traction, and the group’s Twitter page has over 60,000 followers.
The founder, Peter McIndoe, started a website where you can buy merchandise to support the cause. Their FAQ page says, “Once a preventative cause, our initial goal was to stop the forced extinction of real birds. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful, and the government has since replaced every living bird with robotic replicas. Now our movement’s prerogative is to make everyone aware of this fact.”
14 Planet X Apocalypse
The Planet X Apocalypse conspiracy theory pops into the news from time to time. Believers claim that an undiscovered planet, known as both “Planet X” or “Nibiru”, is going to crash into the earth and cause mass destruction.
Doomsday enthusiasts insist Anunnaki Aliens inhabit Planet X and plan to mine the earth for minerals. David Morrison, a planetary astronomer at NASA Ames Research Center and senior scientist at the NASA Astrobiology Institute said that the doomsday enthusiasts “are watching YouTube videos and visiting slick websites with nothing in their skeptical toolkit.”
15 Aliens Helped Build Stonehenge
Few places are more mysterious than Stonehenge. The prehistoric monument is in Wiltshire, England, and dates back to 3000 BC. The site has led to several conspiracy theories, but our favorite is that aliens helped construct the site.
Although there is zero evidence that aliens were involved, many people prescribe to the theory. Erich von Däniken’s book Chariots of the Gods? asserts that God-like aliens helped place the 50-ton rocks in a circular formation. Others believe it was an alien landing site. Either way, this theory is pretty bonkers.
16 Bigfoot Lives In Washinton State
The legend of Bigfoot has been around since the 1800s and there have been several sightings of the hairy ape-like creature across North America. According to Newsweek, the Bigfoot Researchers Organization (BFRO) teamed up with the Travel Channel to determine the best places to catch a glimpse of a Sasquatch in America.
The location with the most Bigfoot sightings has taken place in Washington at the Blue Mountains in Okanogan County. “In 1924, a group of miners reported being attacked by multiple sasquatches, which allegedly threw rocks at their cabin and tried to break in,” the Travel Channel reported.
17 The Rosewell Incident
Many people believe that a UFO crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, and the government is covering it up. The theory originated when a man found strange objects on his property. He called the Roswell Army Air Force to collect the metal scraps and foil reflectors.
Not long after, an article was published by the Roswell Daily Record titled “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region,” which ignited a conspiracy theory that the objects were from an alien spacecraft. Officials later claimed it was fragments from Project Mogul, a secret military project designed to spy on the Soviet Union, or so they say!
18 Katy Perry Is JonBenét Ramsey
The tragic murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey captured the attention of America. The case is unsolved to this day, but a conspiracy theory surfaced claiming that her death was faked and Ramsey is actually the singer Katy Perry.
The rumor started on a YouTube video posted in 2014 that laid out evidence of the similarities between the two, from their similar facial features to hidden clues in Perry’s songs. The theory has been disproven because Perry, who was born in 1990, is too young to be Ramsey, who was born in 1984.
19 The Earth Is Flat
Another group questions the geographical makeup of our world. Although maps and satellite images prove that the earth is round, there is a section of people who insist that the earth is really flat. The group, known as “flat-earthers”, claim that NASA orchestrated a round earth conspiracy.
According to Live Science, The Flat Earth Society, which is mostly in America and Brittain, has grown by 200 people every year since 2009. Members diligently spend their time offering proof the world is flat on YouTube and various websites.
20 Meghan Markle Is A Robot
Meghan Markle has been in the news lately, but a fascinating conspiracy theory surfaced in 2018 claiming that the Duchess of Sussex was a robot. The controversy began during a clip of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sitting in the audience of Britain’s Got Talent.
The couple was shown clapping, but their facial expressions didn’t move, leading the internet to believe that Markle was a robot. Turns out that the eerie cameo was actually two audience members wearing masks as a stunt to promote Madame Tussauds London Live Figures exhibit. Yet, many still cling to the notion that Markle is actually a robot.
