15 Popular Conspiracy Theories That Stood the Test of Time
July 27, 2020
by Andreea Sterea
Are conspiracy theories becoming more popular because of the Internet? One might think so, especially in this overly connected tech-savvy world. However, some popular conspiracy theories are so old, the Internet was a mere concept. Let’s see today some of the most popular conspiracy theories that still stand the test of time, no matter how many years of research people spent to debunk them. These resilient little ideas seem to be here to stay…
Conspiracy, Theory, Days of Our Lives
Say the word “conspiracy” and you will split your group of people into two sides: the ones that will back away slowly in a corner looking like they instantly forgot who you were, and others who will engage – just as instantly – in hot debates about corporations, the Deep State, Bigfoot, GMOs, and, of course, aliens.
In light of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, some of the most popular conspiracy theories regarding the virus spread like wildfire all over the world. Conspiracy buffs, together with the people who don’t know how vaccines work and with those who believe the Earth is flat have a field day. Being curious and inquisitive is healthy. Twisting and turning all possible dark scenarios involving politics, the Global Occult, Illuminati, and so on leads to social media virality, link clicks, and endless debates.
In other words, there is no better time to be alive than these contemporary times, filled with progressively stranger popular conspiracy theories. And the Internet helps them propagating the “truth”, obviously.
Down the Memory Lane We Go
We are not here to discuss why people feel so inclined to believe in conspiracy theories and promote them, although we did enjoyed a recent BBC study about what conspiracy theories could teach us about people and the world. We strongly recommend that read. Since the psychology and sociology of conspiracy theories make the subject of extensive science and research, we may address them in a future article.
For today, I for one, want to walk down the memory lane and discuss some popular conspiracy theories that nobody forgot yet. We are just busy right now with more pressing matters, like Meghan Markle could be a robot, for instance. So let’s get nostalgic a little and see what truly kept people on their toes not so long ago, but generating conflict even as we speak.
10 Popular Conspiracy Theories That Stood the Test of Time
1. The Apollo Moon Landing: The Hoax that Left Souvenirs on the Lunar Surface
Even though we have been on the Moon plenty of times until now and we have left some debris up there, there are still people who believe the Apollo Moon landing was a hoax. Countless articles, movies, debates, and “debunk experiments” tried their best to draw us on either side.
We are with Buzz Aldrin on this one, the legend who punched a man that accused him of being a liar and a coward for making people believe he was actually on the Moon. Good for you, Buzz!
Well, as some of us know, NASA is getting ready to send people on the Moon for the Artemis mission quite soon. I guess we will all learn the truth then unless this is yet another conspiracy to convince us that the old hoax is still valid.
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2. J.F.K. and His Two Shooters Who Was Just One Who Then Was None
The J.F.K. murder is probably one of the most resilient popular conspiracy theories that re-surfaces in public attention from time to time. Although the Warren Commission concluded long ago that Oswald acted alone, some still believe in the two shooters’ theory. Even recent physics reports debunked the old ideas of Oswald being just a patsy. Oswald’s untimely and brutal death obviously put more wood on that fire.
The sheer amount of literature, books, movies, documentaries, and scientific reports is staggering, and yet the mystery remains…
Who killed J.F.K. and, most importantly, why? If you watch The X Files, you will learn it was the Cigarette Smoking Man, a prominent member of that Deep American State we are now talking about with a passion.
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3. Lady Diana’s Death – Murder, She Wrote
Speaking of famous and popular conspiracy theories, next in line comes another death that shook the world to its core. Princess Diana was an icon, and many people vividly remember the details of her untimely her demise (although some remember it in the wrong way, as we discussed on our Mandela effect examples).
However, her real cause of death is still the subject of many popular conspiracy theories. Did the Royal House murder her? Some still believe so. In fact, in 2013, a YouGov poll found that 38% of the British people believed Diana died due to a hit order carried by agents of the British government. Some Brits also believed in Brexit, so what can we say?
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4. Area 51 – The One That Got Away from Raiding
As you know, one of the most popular and viral news of last year was the raiding of Area 51. This mysterious place keeps humanity on its toes for decades, especially since The X Files or Independence Day made such a good case for it. So, is the U.S. government conducting experiments on alien technology and alien life forms?
Well, the officials keep insisting that the base has one purpose: to keep safe the U-2 spy plane and to test and develop super cool top-secret aircraft.
I am not sure when people plan the next Area 51 raid, so the aliens held hostage there might have to wait for quite a while before the subsequent rescue attempt.
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5. Roswell, New Mexico, 1947 – E.T. Did Not Call Home
…because it crashed, never to be seen again, now stuck in a basement, miles under Area 51. It is hard to believe today that a U.F.O. did crash for real in Roswell back in the day, but, alas, this one is still one of the most pervasive popular conspiracy theories in the world. Who can believe the object that created a massive slice of pop culture, literature, cinema, and research was just a high-altitude, top-secret military balloon dubbed Project Mogul? Seriously.
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6. The 9/11 Cover-Up – Another J.F.K. “Inside Job”
Nothing since the murder of President Kennedy could shake America and throw it in never-ending grief. Or conspiracy theory propelling. Until 9/11 happened and the world was never the same again. Despite the extensive reporting and research dedicated to the tragedy, some people still believe the 9/11 happened with the U.S. government’s direct implication or at least consent.
The popular conspiracy theories’ aficionados are confident that the attack on the U.S. soil was the pretext to wage war against Islam, spread some democracy in the Middle East, and come back home with some oil. The only unquestionable fact of this story is that people died, and families are still in pain after all these years – and this is something nobody can deny.
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7. Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? No, It’s Secret Societies Controlling the World!
This one is among those popular conspiracy theories that is older than time itself and came back with a vengeance in the past couple of years. Don’t you like some of your politicians? They are Freemasons, so it is clear they don’t have your wellbeing in mind. Does your bread taste a bit awkward? It is the Illuminati who put G.M.O.s in your food. Are you scared of the deadly viruses rampaging around the world? The Global Occult wants to decimate the population, as we are many.
The Secret Few that rule the world do a pretty poor job at hiding in the shadows because all conspiracy theorists know they exist and can even name a couple of these “Dark Rulers.” On the other hand, the global population is joyfully rising by the minute, so the plagues unleashed upon the world are not that effective, now, are they?
Anyway, the Elite Lizards that control the world should be something to take with a grain of salt, as it is one of the most science-fiction, far-fetched, and crazy popular conspiracy theories out there. Unless you are one of the 12 million Americans who believe ancient giant shape-shifting lizards are ruling the world, in which case… the truth is out there, isn’t it?
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8. AIDS: Was it the C.I.A or the Big Pharma?
One of the many and most popular conspiracy theories that came back from the dead these days is the AIDS origin one. Since the first reports on the H.I.V. epidemic in 1981, people jumped the conspiracy bandwagon, and some are still there as we speak. It may have been the C.I.A. that created the virus to get rid of gay men and African Americans altogether.
It may have been President Nixon, who kind of messed up with the biological warfare research. It may have been Big Pharma to sell a vaccine right when people need it the most.
In the case of AIDS, Big Pharma proves to be the most incompetent secret society in history. If it created the vaccine, it lost it somewhere, as humanity has been searching for it for decades, and we are still in the H.I.V. vaccine clinical trials phase. The Lizard Elite should ban Big Pharma from their secret meetings.
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9. The Loch Ness Monster Moved to Montana to Enjoy Retirement
On a happier note, one of the most popular conspiracy theories that people still enjoy promoting is the Loch Ness monster story. Of course, as science proved, no Nessie is hiding deep in those waters. It is monstrous electric eels that you should fear if you ever visit the area.
Anyway, the conspiracy theory in question regards the Flathead Lake in Montana, where people have been reporting sights of a Loch Ness-like monster since 2018. When science finally proves that the Loch Ness does not contain an ancient beast, a similar creature shows itself in another country. Is the Loch Ness/Montana Monster one of those Elite Lizards that could not shapeshift into a human, and now is frightening tourists for a job?
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10. The Hadron Collider Will Eventually Disrupt the Space-Time Continuum. And Open the Gates of Hell
Last but certainly not least, on our top best popular conspiracy theories that are still alive and kicking today is the one about Hadron Collider. What about it? We haven’t heard the news from CERN for years. See? Exactly. They are up to something!
Joke aside, thanks to the Hadron Collider, we now have the Higgs Boson and are a small step closer to understanding quantum physics. However, since 2008, conspiracy theorists are warning that the Collider’s work will open wormholes to parallel universes, unleash Hell, or wipe out reality, as we know it. Some believe that CERN is a cover-up for one of those secret societies that want to summon Shiva the Destroyer to bring about Armageddon.
On the other hand, some people at NASA (who most definitely have to belong in one secret society or another) are trying to prevent Armageddon, so is there a lack of communication among these factions? One does not even know whom to believe anymore…
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Popular Conspiracy Theories: Bottom Line
From the one with “Jesus married Magdalen” to “5G is killing us all,” conspiracy theories are here to stay because they serve a purpose to those who create them, believe in them, and promote them. As a warning, experts suggest we should not treat conspiracy theories the same, no matter if we tend to dismiss them altogether or try to find the logic in some of them.
Before we leave you to think about what you believe in and why you have such beliefs, we have to ask: which of these popular conspiracy theories appeals to your sense of humor the most? Which is your favorite conspiracy theory? Leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section below!