Mental Floss

7 Intriguing Conspiracy Theories About Historical Figures and Events

By Ellen Gutoskey

John Wilkes Booth may have pulled the trigger, but was someone else pulling the strings?
John Wilkes Booth may have pulled the trigger, but was someone else pulling the strings? / Heritage Images/Getty Images
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For every conspiracy theory that turns out to be true, there are scores of others that’ll likely never be proven—many of which are best evaluated with a heaping dose of skepticism. But just because a theory is surely erroneous doesn’t make it any less fun to learn about, especially when it involves a historical heavy-hitter like Queen Elizabeth I or Abraham Lincoln.

On this episode of The List Show, Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy is covering seven intriguing conspiracy theories centered on historical figures and events you’re probably familiar with.

Elizabeth I’s lifelong refusal to marry didn’t just earn her the nickname “The Virgin Queen”—it also fed into speculation that the real Elizabeth had died in youth and a boy had taken her place. And while Lincoln’s assassination is widely blamed on John Wilkes Booth, some people think a puppet master was pulling strings behind the curtain (figuratively).

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Press play below to hear the “evidence” for those and other far-out historical conspiracy theories.

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