Top 10 Conspiracy Theories About Historical Figures

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, it’s 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 Tesla’s 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 hasn’t seen widespread use in the years since is anyone’s 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, Dillinger’s corpse differed from his appearance in several ways. Granted, the gangster had received plastic surgery to conceal his identity, but still! It’s 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. Dillinger’s 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 it’s unlikely, given how much Elizabeth was in the public eye; Bram Stoker, author of “Dracula,” apparently believed it.

Jack the Ripper is one of history’s most famous serial killers, in part because his identity has never been proven. With so many candidates for the Ripper, it’s hardly surprising that one of them ended up being famous. Still, Lewis Carroll, author of books like “Alice’s 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 Carroll’s writing as confessions to the Ripper crimes. Wallace’s 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, Rome’s 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 playwright’s 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 bard’s middle-class background being inconsistent with his highly literate and witty plays, his name’s inconsistent spelling, a lack of documentary evidence, and his decidedly mundane will. Candidates for the bard’s 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. We’re not sure if this theory is “to be or not to be” but we’d sure like this question settled.

One of the most famous incidents of the last 100 years, President John F. Kennedy’s 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 President’s death.

In 1937, Amelia Earhart and her co-pilot Fred Noonan attempted to circumnavigate the world, but disappeared after departing New Guinea. Earhart’s 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 there’s 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, we’ll never know where - or even if - Earhart came down.

John Wilkes Booth, a famous stage actor and Confederate sympathizer, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s 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 Lincoln’s death, conspiracy theorists have pointed to everyone from the Confederates, to members of Lincoln’s 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.