Top 20 Shocking Conspiracy Theories About Historical Figures

Top 20 Conspiracy Theories About Historical Figures

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the most fascinating and far-fetched claims that suggest theres more to some of historys most famous people than meets the eye.

In 1969, the "Paul is dead" conspiracy theory emerged, alleging that the famed Beatle had died in a 1966 car accident and was secretly replaced by a look-alike. Proponents pointed to supposed clues in The Beatles' work: the Abbey Road album cover depicted a funeral procession with McCartney barefoot and out of step; the license plate "28IF" suggested he would have been 28 if alive. "Strawberry Fields Forever" was also cited, as some listeners claimed to hear John Lennon confessing to having quote-unquote "buried Paul." McCartney humorously addressed the rumors, stating, "If I were dead, I'd be the last to know." He later parodied the theory with his 1993 live album titled Paul Is Live.

In 1809, the famed co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition died from gunshot wounds at Grinder's Stand along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee. No one actually saw what happened, and while many believed Lewis had taken his own life, others suspected foul play. As the isolated location was notorious for bandits, some believe that Lewis was killed during a robbery. Other theories implicate political adversaries, such as General James Wilkinson and Aaron Burr, suggesting Lewis was assassinated. Although a coroner's jury ruled Lewis had died by his own hand, debates continue due to conflicting testimonies and lack of definitive evidence.

This famed politician, who was Maines sixth governor and a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln, died in 1829 and was interred in a mausoleum in Augustas Capitol Park. However, during an inspection roughly 150 years after Lincolns death, workers discovered that his body and casket were missing, with no official explanation available. Numerous explanations have been proposed: some suggest the remains were removed for cleaning and never returned, while others propose he was never buried there at all. The fate of Lincoln's body ranks among Maine's most enduring mysteries, not unlike something out of a Stephen King novel.

After this English statesmans death in 1658, he was buried in an extravagant funeral at Westminster Abbey. Following the Restoration in 1660, a vengeful King Charles II ordered Cromwell's body exhumed for a posthumous execution. The body was reportedly hanged and then beheaded, with the head displayed on a spike above Westminster Hall. Yet, some historians question whether the body exhumed was truly Cromwell's. Rumors suggest his remains were secretly reburied elsewhere or even submerged in the Thames to prevent desecration. The authenticity of the head displayed has also been debated, with some believing it was not Cromwell's. The true fate of Cromwell's body remains a subject of historical intrigue.

When word spread that the Princess of Wales had died in 1997, people around the world mourned her untimely demise. But some wondered if there was more at work here than just an unfortunate accident. Namely, the father of Diana's companion Dodi Fayed who was also killed in the crash stated that the British royal family orchestrated the accident to prevent Diana from marrying his son. These allegations prompted Operation Paget, a comprehensive police inquiry, which concluded that there was no credible evidence of a conspiracy. Nevertheless, speculation about foul play continues to captivate public imagination.

This infamous Russian mystic is as well-known for the eerie circumstances of his death as for his influence over the Romanovs. In December 1916, a group of nobles conspired to assassinate Rasputin. According to one account, he survived poisoning and multiple gunshots before finally succumbing to his injuries. However, modern forensic evaluations suggest Rasputin died from a single gunshot wound to the head, with no evidence of poisoning or drowning. The bizarre nature of Rasputins demise has left ample room for theories, including ideas that he faked his death or even possessed supernatural resilience. One things for sure: Rasputin remains one of historys most perplexing figures.

The inventor of the diesel engine met a mysterious end in 1913 while aboard a ship traveling from Belgium to England. Diesel vanished without a trace, and his body was later found floating in the sea. While most believe Diesel took his own life, some wonder whether he may have been killed due to his controversial ideas about alternative energy sources, which threatened the oil industry. Others argue that he was involved in a larger international conspiracy involving the German government. But the true cause of Diesel's death remains unsolved, fueling intrigue over his untimely demise.

When youre as iconic as Elvis, its no surprise that rumors of your demise would spark decades of speculation. While official records confirm that Presley died in 1977 at his Graceland estate, some believe "The King" staged his death to escape the pressures of fame. Sightings of Elvis have been reported across the U.S., including a particularly persistent claim that he was spotted at a Burger King in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Others point to supposed inconsistencies in his autopsy and the misspelling of his middle name on his gravestone. Though various theories about Elvis death have popped up over the years, we think its pretty safe to say hes left the building.

When labor leader Jimmy Hoffa vanished in 1975, he left behind one of the biggest question marks in American history. The former Teamsters president was last seen outside the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Michigan, reportedly waiting for a meeting with mob affiliates. Naturally, Hoffas disappearance prompted extensive investigations, but no definitive answers were ever found. Some believe he was murdered to prevent him from regaining power within the union, while others suspect a Mafia hit gone awry. Over the years, searches in fields, landfills, and even beneath stadiums have come up empty. With no body and no closure, your guess as to what happened to Hoffa is as good as ours.

If youve read or seen The Da Vinci Code, you know all about this off-the-wall legend. Some have said that Jesus Christ was secretly married to Mary Magdalene, pointing to apocryphal texts like the Gospel of Philip, which refers to Mary as Jesus close companion. In 2012, the controversial "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" papyrus briefly reignited debate, though experts later declared it a modern forgery. Despite a lack of evidence, the theory lingers, with some claiming the early Church buried the truth to preserve celibacy ideals. While mainstream scholars dismiss the claim, the idea of a hidden bloodline has fueled endless speculation and pop culture fascination.

Murdered in Memphis, Tennessee, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s death has long been the subject of many conspiracy theories. His alleged assassin, James Earl Ray, recanted his confession soon after his conviction. In addition, evidence of illegal surveillance of King by government agencies, including the FBI and the local police department, have led many to conclude that King may have been killed for political reasons. The jury of a 1999 civil suit concluded as much, though a lack of evidence made definitive proof elusive. Other potential culprits include southern white supremacy groups. Whoever was responsible, its heartening to know that while they may have killed the man, his message lives on.

A genius inventor ahead of his time in many ways, Nikola Tesla developed many ideas that would pave the way for the 20th and 21st centuries. However one of his most elusive inventions was for a particle beam weapon, which the press called a death ray. Tesla claimed it would draw power from the ionosphere and had a range of 200 miles. However, the device remained mysterious and unseen. Upon his death in 1943, many of Teslas papers and research were taken by the federal government, leading some to suggest that the U.S. or various European governments may have gotten their hands on the plans for this weapon. If someone does have such a powerful weapon, why it hasnt seen widespread use in the years since is anyones guess.

A notorious gangster in the early 20th century, John Dillinger was decried as public enemy #1 in the U.S.A. However, some contend that he was not killed by the F.B.I. outside a theater as has been claimed. According to autopsy reports, Dillingers corpse differed from his appearance in several ways. Granted, the gangster had received plastic surgery to conceal his identity, but still! Its suggested that Dillinger may have faked his death or else that the F.B.I. attempted to cover up their murder of an innocent man. Some people have claimed to have met Dillinger after his death. Dillingers relatives even sought to have his body exhumed to confirm his identity. Still, they were denied, which means the conspiracy remains just a theory.

Queen Elizabeth I of England was highly regarded both in her own time and in hindsight as an excellent ruler. The conspiracy theory that she was actually replaced by a man at some point in her life is indicative of how ingrained gender roles were in Elizabethan society; that even the Queen herself could not be seen as powerful without some questioning it. Even so, there are still some interesting aspects to this strange theory. One story suggests that the real Elizabeth died while at a village called Bisley, and that she was replaced with a young boy to avoid the ire of King Henry VIII. Her reputation as the Virgin Queen, her use of wigs, and her habit of wearing tall ruffs are cited as evidence of this wild theory. Although its unlikely, given how much Elizabeth was in the public eye; Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, apparently believed it.

Jack the Ripper is one of historys most famous serial killers, in part because his identity has never been proven. With so many candidates for the Ripper (including American murderer H.H. Holmes), its hardly surprising that one of them ended up being famous. Still, Lewis Carroll, author of books like Alices Adventures in Wonderland, is an odd choice - although he admittedly is no stranger to controversy. Richard Wallace pointed to supposed evidence that Carroll was abused as a suggestion that he had a psychotic break and became a killer. He also pointed to anagrams in some of Carrolls writing as confessions to the Ripper crimes. Wallaces own words have been turned into an anagram confessing similarly serious crimes, so the evidence is pretty flimsy

In July of 64 A.D., two thirds of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome. While popularly believed to be caused by arson, the culprit is a matter of some debate. Some historians, many of whom are the only sources for information on the fire, blame Nero, Romes emperor at the time. Motives have ranged from wanting to put up new palaces, to just wanting to watch it all burn while he sang and danced. Regardless of whether Nero was the culprit, he laid the blame on the Christians in the city, leading to their persecution. Were they a convenient scapegoat for his own crime, or were they implicated due to existing prejudices? Short of a time machine, we may never know.

William Shakespeare wrote some of the most well-known plays and poetry in history. Or did he? The playwrights success has led to a lot of scrutiny and some believe that Shakespeare may have been a front or pseudonym for another writer entirely. Proponents point to the bards middle-class background being inconsistent with his highly literate and witty plays, his names inconsistent spelling, a lack of documentary evidence, and his decidedly mundane will. Candidates for the bards true identity include as many as 80 different candidates, with the most popular being Sir Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere, and fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe. Were not sure if this theory is to be or not to be but wed sure like this question settled.

One of the most famous incidents of the last 100 years, President John F. Kennedys public assassination in Dallas, Texas in 1963 has launched countless theories of a conspiracy. Lee Harvey Oswald was the prime suspect, but his subsequent murder, along with the belief that a second shooter may have been present, has led many to conclude there is more to the event than initially appears. Suspected players have ranged from the Soviet Union, to the CIA, to organized crime. No matter who it was on that grassy knoll, conspiracy theorists and pop culture in general have had a field day putting their own spin on the Presidents death.

In 1937, Amelia Earhart and her co-pilot Fred Noonan attempted to circumnavigate the world, but disappeared after departing New Guinea. Earharts disappearance has long fascinated the public consciousness. While the most commonly believed answer is that her plane went down over the Pacific, plenty of people believe theres more to the story. Some suggest that she landed on an island which she was unable to escape from. Others believe she was taken prisoner by the Japanese. Most strange of all are the beliefs that she was a spy or assumed another identity. Still, without proof, well never know where - or even if - Earhart came down.

John Wilkes Booth, a famous stage actor and Confederate sympathizer, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Fords Theatre in 1865. Although Booth is known to have acted with other conspirators to try to kill other top members of the government the same night, there are those who believe a larger scheme was at work. In the years since Lincolns death, conspiracy theorists have pointed to everyone from the Confederates, to members of Lincolns own government, to a cabal of international bankers. While there are plenty who likely wanted the President dead, whether they acted with Booth is a matter of speculation at this point.

Could any of these far-fetched ideas be true? Lets talk about it in the comments.