History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories

Was the Great Sphinx built by a lost civilisation?

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the ancient world’s most enigmatic creations. So it’s no surprise that it has long been a magnet for pseudohistory and conspiracy theor

Did an alien spacecraft crash-land in Russia?

In 1908, in the remote forests of Siberia, there was a giant explosion and bright lights were seen in the sky. Was this an asteroid or a comet crashing to earth? Or could

Did 300 years of history never happen at all?

 The period after the fall of the western Roman empire is often known as the ‘Dark Ages’, due to an apparent shortage of historical evidence. Why might this be? Well, acc

Was Paul McCartney replaced by an imposter?

With 24 number one albums in the UK charts, Paul McCartney is the most successful British artist of all time. But what if the man that we know as Paul McCartney is in fac

Do Jesus’s descendants live among us?

In the early 2000s, The Da Vinci Code was everywhere. Dan Brown’s novel – and its subsequent film adaptation – popularised the idea that Jesus Christ fathered children wh

Was Jack the Ripper Queen Victoria’s grandson?

As recent years attest, royal scandals have a habit of coming to light. But what if the mother of all royal scandals is still waiting to be revealed? Could it be that an

Season 3 | Trailer

Was Jack the Ripper a member of the royal family? Did Jesus have secret children? And did a lost civilisation build the Great Sphinx of Giza? In Season 3 of History's G

Did NASA fake the moon landing?

On 20 July 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously took one giant leap for mankind. The moon landing may well be the most iconic moment of the 20th century, but

Legends of the Knights Templar

In the early 14th century, the Knights Templar were suppressed, and the 200-year history of this military religious order came to an abrupt end. Or did it? What if some o

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

First published in Russia in 1903, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion purported to demonstrate evidence of a global Jewish conspiracy. Though it has repeatedly been prov

Was Elizabeth I a man?

In her most famous speech, delivered on 9 August 1588, Queen Elizabeth I declared that she had the "heart and stomach of a king". Was that just rhetoric? Or could England

Was Pearl Harbor an inside job?

On 7 December 1941, Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. It’s one of the most notorious surprise attacks in history, but how much of a surprise actually was

Season 2 | Trailer

Did NASA fake the moon landing? Did the Knights Templar discover America? And was Elizabeth I really a man in disguise? In Season 2 of History's Greatest Conspiracy Theor

The JFK assassination: Oswald’s second murder

In light of the recent announcement that President Trump has ordered the release of classified files surrounding JFK’s assassination, we’re bringing you three episodes de

The JFK assassination: 95% certain?

In light of the recent announcement that President Trump has ordered the release of classified files surrounding JFK’s assassination, we’re bringing you three episodes de

Who killed JFK?

On 22 November 1963, President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the murder, but, over the past 60 years, million

Introducing History's Greatest Scandals | New Podcast

Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister. Listen to HistoryExtra's new podcast History’s Greatest Scandals, delving into the m

Did aliens land at Roswell?

In July 1947, some unusual debris was discovered at Roswell Army Air Field in New Mexico. Was this the remains of a crashed military balloon, or something from much, much

The lost civilisation of Atlantis

In the fifth episode of our series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we investigate the idea that a highly advanced civilisation existed many thousands of

Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays?

Many people don’t believe that William Shakespeare was the real author of the plays attributed to him. But why? And could there be any truth behind the idea? In episode f