The Top Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out To Be True

By Anna Collins 1 year ago

 1. The CIA actually does have discreet killer darts!

Image source: Reddit
It sounded completely far-fetched when people started to suggest the idea that the CIA had made a secret and very discreet dart that they would fire at somebody and cause a heart attack to kill them. It was a way of wiping out enemies without a trace. The thing is, it's all true! They took part in an experiment it revealed the theories were all true.

2. The 'birds aren't real' has SOME truth to it

Image source: Reddit
Have you ever heard of the conspiracy that birds aren't real? That they are all actually spies? Well, it's a pretty wild theory. But when you realize that the CIA embedded cameras in cats to spy on the enemy and started a $20 million project to do so, it puts in proportion that these things aren't as unrealistic as we think.

3. USA CIA put LSD in the water supply

Image source: Reddit
It seems there's a running theme with the CIA using LSD supposedly as a mind control technique. The conspiracy was that this was happening. In truth, it really did, but only in a few remote villages. The old people in these towns had absolutely no idea what was happening to them!

4. The USA government stole body parts of dead babies!

Image source: Reddit
There was a project which was named Project Sunshine, when the USA government launched a project into Hiroshima and Nagasaki to measure nuclear effects on the body and the young. The conspiracy theory was that the government was stealing bodies to research radioactive effects. The truth was VERY close. They were stealing parts....of babies. And they had a whole worldwide network to do this.

5. The Canadian government tried to make a real life gay detector

Image source: Reddit
The Canadian government in the 60s were extremely scared about homosexuality. So much so, that they hired a University professor to detect homosexuals. He actually built a machine. It measured the dilation of men's pupils when they were shown erotic material to try and test if the were homosexual. And, they actually used it to fire people, including around 400 people from the army.

6. The USA government WERE researching UFOS

People who believe in aliens and UFOs and claim that the government are researching secret programs are made out to be crazy. But they're bang on. The Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program WAS researching UFOs, despite never being publicly admitted by the Department of Defense. Some think it continues to operate today!

7. During Prohibition the government DID poison alcohol

Image source: Reddit
conspiracy goes that during prohibition the government poisoned alcohol to prevent bootleggers making moonshine illegally and reselling it. The truth, is this exactly! In fact, the federal government encouraged the government to use a stronger poison to make the deterrent more extreme. 11 people died due to contaminated alcohol in this period!

8. The USA government pretended that Iraq were killing babies for their own benefit

Image source: Reddit
Now there were few people who had come up with a theory similar to what was actually happening. The USA were promoting The gulf war to the public in America using the testimony of a teenage girl Nayirah. She testified that babies in Iraq were being brought out of incubation to be out on the floor to leave to die. This story turned out to be written by a PR company to sell the war. This false testimony was presented to the human rights congress and used and made public by President Bush to support Kuwait. It turns out she was the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the USA!

9. MK Ultra - the government tried, mind control and torture

Image source: Reddit
MK Ultra was completely real, the USA government would collect people through American Universities. They would take them and try plying them with drugs (LSD) and they would then torture them. They even kidnapped some by running illegal brothels and trapping them. All of this was for mind control experiments.

10. President Woodrow Wilson's wife took over while he suffered a stroke

Image source: Reddit
The theory went that President Woodrow Wilson had become too ill to operate, yet the USA government were covering it up. The truth was that President Woodrow Wilson had indeed suffered a stroke and could not work. His wife was taking over and essentially running the country however it was all covered up at the time as they pretended Wilson was still in action.

11. The military was using medication that caused serious behavioural health issues

Image source: Reddit
The military gave their soldiers medication to prevent malaria. Yet there was a conspiracy where some people believed that medication was actually causing serious behavioural; health issues and damage. It was denied, but many years later it was proved true. Mefloquine was the drug being used, and it caused all of the problems claimed.

12. Dalia Lama was a CIA agent

Image source: Reddit
There was a conspiracy theory that Dalia Lama was a CIA agent. In reality, he was paid a six figre salary by the CIA to help with the Tibetan Resistance and intervene and cause disruption amongst China who was being powerful and producing goods and technology at a very fast rate all over the world.

13. The FBI really were watching John Lennon

Image source: Reddit
Remember the conspiracy that John Lennon was being followed by the FBI? Well he really was. Due to his songs being fairly politician and controversial, the government worried that Lennon was anti-Nixon administration. So, they had him followed to be able to keep an eye on him. They even tried to deport him!

14. The US government tried to bring down Franklin D. Roosevelt

Image source: Reddit
The US had a plan called The Business Plot Coo, where they tried to bring down Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. It was all thought to be a crazy conspiracy until it was later revealed. Smedley Butler revealed at the end of his career that he had been asked to bring the plan to fruition. Worst of all - George W Bush' father has been linked to the plot!

15. Tobacco companies hid the fact that smoking caused cancer for around 40 years

Image source: Reddit
Tobacco companies made their money of course, through selling cigarettes. They did not want people to know that it caused cancer, despite the fact that research during the 1950s proved it so they actually were well aware of the health implications. It was only in the late 1990s that Phil Morris, the largest cigarette producer, finally admitted it!

16. The beginning of the Vietnam war was provoked by America

Image source: Reddit
People had claimed that the beginning of the Vietnam war was all fake. This wasn't true but there was some foundation to it. The beginning of the Vietnam war was provoked by an attack on the Maddox ship. To the public it appeared as though it was the fault of North Vietnam and caused major outrage. The truth is they did attack the Maddock, but it was as a response to the attack on them

17. The Illuminati rules the world

Image source: Reddit
So we've all heard about the Illuminati, conspiracists thought and think that the Illuminati rule the world. It turns out there is a real link to the US national security agency NSA and the Illuminati. In fact, type in Illuminati backwards into your search browser and it just so happens that it will take you to the NSA website where group of elites, actors etc are involved.

18. ET is buried in the New Mexico dessert

Image source: Reddit
Okay, this one is a little bit of a lead. But it is kind of true in a way! E.T was such a blockbuster flop that all of the extra loads of film cartridges were dumped and buried in a desert landfill in New Mexico. So technically, E.T lies here, just not the actual alien.

19. Colombia killed innocent people to gain public support

Image source: Reddit
The Colombia government and high ranking military personnel killed people to pretend they had killed Gorilla warfare members and gain support to claim they were making huge progress. They actually killed random people and dressed them up as Gorilla warfare members it was much later discovered.

20. Ernest Hemmingway was followed by the FBI

Image source: Reddit
Ernest Hemmingway (author of catch 22) was seen as a sympathiser with the communist regime due to his writing. He himself claimed that he was being followed. Those who actually believed him were called conspiracists and Hemmingway was passed off as paranoid and confused. But it was discovered that their really were following him. It actually contributed to his suicide.

21. The USA tried to make opposing troops too attracted to one another to fight

Image source: Reddit
The US military and government in the 1950s had thought up a plan to drop a pheromone bomb on opposing troops. The intention was that the troops would be so attracted to one another that they would be too distracted to fight effectively. It never happened, but it was a serious consideration. Theorist who had caught wind of the plans were laughed at.

22. The government is spying on us through our camera

Image source: Reddit
We've all heard that the government are watching us through our cameras and technology. And while it may sound like paranoia by some conspiracists... it's true! The government sent so many requests to internet giants such as Facebook and Google requesting people's information to spy on them.

23. The US healthcare system purposefully left black males untreated

Image source: Reddit
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was created by the US government and the USA public health service knew to research the effects of untreated syphilis. They offered what was supposedly free healthcare to black men, when actually they were studying the effects of untreated syphilis. So they didn't make them aware that they had it, and did not try and help them. It lasted from 1932-1972 and ad studied almost 400 African American men.

24. The FBI spied on social activists

Image source: Reddit
Social activists and theorists had concluded that the FBI were spying and following special activists and protestors. People did not believe them. But it's true. The FBI were illegally infiltrating people who were activists to try and sabotage their protests.

25. Your phone IS listening to you!

Image source: Reddit
People will tell you that your phone is listening to you and you may well have well thought that this was pure scare mongering. But it does listen to everything. Even when you think it isn't. Have you ever noticed that your adverts and suggestions seem to be scarily accurate - even when you've only mentioned it in person and never searched it. Go figure.

26. The worldwide News does spread fake news for views

Image source: Reddit
Anyone remember the Caitlyn Heller video where she was twerking against a candle and fell through a door? Well although it wasn't a huge global conspiracy, people did claim it was fake. This was being shared as a major news story, and it turns out that it was really faked - it was a stuntwoman!

27. Your phone is breaking on purpose

Image source: Reddit
When it's time to change your contract or you've looked after your phone for around 3 years and are still using it it suddenly happens to start slowing down or malfunctioning in some way, for example calls will hang up half way. This was a theory put out by some people. But it was proven to be absolutely true. tech companies were scheduling the breakdown of our phones so that we'd head out and buy new ones!

28. The USA purposefully created dictatorships and deaths

Image source: Reddit
Operation Condor was all real. The USA provided weapons and military equipment south America to oppress the rise of communism. They even went as far as to establish dictatorships to prevent it, which sometimes ended up lasting for decades (such as Pinochet in Chile). Thousands and thousands of people disappeared who were thought to be supporters.

29. Apple really did make a secret iPod

Image source: Reddit
Secret technology being produced for secret reasons...they're not wrong. Apple released an iPod which could be used for detecting radioactive airwaves. You could be listening to music whilst recording evidence in secret...tracking anybody making illegal substances for example.

30. They do try and hide alien activity from us

Image source: Reddit
The U.S Navy documented UFO activity and even took videos capturing evidence of UFO activity. These were leaked, and they even admitted that nobody was actually ever supposed to see them, they would have been buried away. Next time we shoot down the idea of secret alien intelligence...we'll think again.

31. Nazi Officers Did Try To Kill Hitler

Image source: wikipedia.com
The theory that members of the Nazi party actually tried to kill Adolf Hitler is true - German officers planted a briefcase bomb in his office, at his headquarters in East Prussia. The blast did go off, but unfortunately Hitler survived, and the people responsible were put on trial, convicted and executed.

32. Operation Menu: The Secret Bombing

Image source: historicawiki.com
The theory around secret bomb strikes taking place by American troops against Vietnamese troops turned out to be true. The campaign, known as Operation MENU, lasted for around 14 mothers, seeing bombs dropped as a way to hopefully reduce North Vietnamese troops as well as supplies in South Vietnam.

33. The US Worked With Former Nazi Scientists

Image source: history.com
Known as Operation Paperclip, over 1,500 German scientists, as well as technicians and engineers, from Nazi Germany were offered employment in the USA. The then-president agreed to this, and one rule was that the Nazis employed should have been found to have not been active supporters of "Nazi militarism".

34. The Business Plot

Image source: explorethearchive.com
The business plot involved an attempt to make a military coup against President Franklin D. Roosevelt, made by Prescott Bush (the grandfather of George W. Bush) with the intention of making a fascist dictatorship. This plot was supported by wealthy businessmen from companies like Chase Bank and Goodyear.

35. The Truth About Bohemian Grove

Image source: whorulesamerica.com
The mystery around Bohemian Grove has been known for a while, but it turns out it's actually a real place where very wealthy and important men go to party. There have been many theories about what actually happens at Bohemian Grove, including pagan rituals and a massive stone owl - which apparently is all true.

36. The White Sox Actually Did Throw The World Series

Image source: history.com
Known as the Black Sox Scandal, a shocking time in Major League Baseball, it turned out that 8 players of the Chicago White Sox were responsible for throwing the game in the 1919 Word Series in exchange for payment from a gambling syndicate. All 8 of them were banned permanently from playing baseball again.

37. The Roswell Cover Up

Image source: history.com
The Roswell Incident took place in 1947, where conspiracy theories claimed that debris found in New Mexico was actually from a UFO, and not a military balloon, as the army claimed. The Roswell Army Air Field released a press release stating a 'flying disc' had been recovered, before the statement was retracted.

38. Scientologists Infiltrated The US Government

Image source: thewashingtonpost.com
Also known as 'Operation Snow White', 5,000 people from the Church of Scientology planned to infiltrate the American government. It managed to get inside 136 organizations, with the intention of avoiding the church paying millions in tax dollars. The US government later retaliated by raiding various Scientology locations.

39. The Watergate Scandal

Image source: wikipedia.com
This scandal involved, and led to the resignation of, President Nixon, where illegal activities had been carried out during his administration. The Democratic Party's headquarters had been broken into and tapped, and Nixon denied any involvement, but was later found to have been involved in the cover up of the recorded tapes.

40. The Gulf Of Tonkin Incident

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It turns out the theory that the Vietnamese attack on the US Naval ship Maddox was faked, was actually true - and done in order to provoke America to support war against Vietnam. While the battle of the Maddox attack and attacks on a nearby Vietnamese island were faked, the resulting Vietnam War was very much real.

41. The Government Beaming Messages Into Your Brain (Maybe)

Image source: wikipedia.com
One of the biggest theories is that the government is trying to control your thoughts, and control messages beamed into your brain. And it's sort of right. A man named Donald Friedman thought so, when he believed the government had tried something against him, in regard to 'microwave hearing'. This is the sensation of buzzing, ticking or similar sounds coming from behind the head. One way to fight against it? Actually to wear a tin foil hat...

42. CIA Assassinations

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It was discovered, after the Watergate scandal, that the CIA had apparently started a 'hit man' operation. This included the assassinations of Mossadegh from Iran, Allende from Chile and other revolutionary leaders. It wasn't uncommon for the CIA to make the deaths look like 'natural accidents', either.

43. Operation Mockingbird

Image source: mentalfloss.com
In 1948, CIA officer Frank Wisner was told to make a group to produce propaganda and to engage in the war against Soviet Communism. This office was taken control of by the CIA a few years later, and apparently went on to have a secret campaign over 25 years that would 'influence' media across the world.

44. Operation Northwoods

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Operation Northwoods was one of the craziest conspiracy theories involving the US government that turned out to be true. It was planned that the CIA would stage terrorist attacks and blame it on Cuba, in a bid for America to start a war with the country. The idea was actually rejected by President John F. Kennedy!

45. What Are The Most Popular Conspiracy Theories Still Believed In Today? The CIA Were Involved In JFK's Assassination

Image source: thewashingtonpost.com
Though it's believed Lee Harvey Oswald was the men responsible for JFK's assassination, many people still believe the conspiracy theory that the CIA were involved somehow. The fact that nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald after his arrest only fanned the flames of a 'cover up'.

46. That The Moon Landing Was Faked

Image source: historychannel.com
While we know that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did land on the money, as many as 30% of Americans back then believed the moon landing had been fake - and many people these days still believe it's a possibility, too. The main thing which started the conspiracy was the idea that the 'first steps' video was actually filmed at Area 51.

47. Princess Diana's Death Wasn't An Accident

Image source: skynews.com
Many people still believe this to be true today: that Diana's death wasn't a tragic car accident, but in fact arranged by the monarchy in response to her not only divorcing Charles, but planning to marry Dodi Fayed, an Egyptian and Muslim man. The theory was strengthened by the fact that Dodi died in the car with her.

48. 9/11 Was Actually An Inside Job

Image source: bbc.com
After the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks, many people believed lots of different conspiracy theories relating to the attacks. One of these was that President George W. Bush and his administration were responsible for the attacks - or, at least, let them happen because they wanted to go to war with Iraq. The theory was also built on the belief that the way the towers fell could only have happened due to controlled destruction (later proven to be false).

49. The Earth Is Flat

Image source: bostonuniversity.com
We all know about flat-earthers, but this theory is still heavily believed by many people. There's even an official international conference for the Flat Earth idea. It's thought that younger people are more likely to believe in the theory that the earth isn't round, but flat - specifically, a flat disc with an ice wall around it.

50. COVID-19 Is Actually Population Control

Image source: reddit.com
There have been many, many theories about COVID-19 and its vaccines - and much controversy over vaccines and anti-vaxxers. One of the conspiracies surrounding the outbreak is that not only is the virus a tool for population control, but that billionaire Bill Gates is actually the one behind it. Yep.

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