Everybody enjoys a good conspiracy theory, but most are easily dismissed as utter nonsense. Yet, the very existence of these theories hinges on the reality that conspiracies do happen. Sometimes, what starts as a “crazy” idea turns out to be true, proving those who believed it right all along.
While events like MKUltra, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and government poisoning of alcohol are well-known, many other conspiracies have been proven true. Here are some of the more insidious ones you might not realize were actually real.
The FBI Spied On John Lennon
The 1960s and ’70s were turbulent for America. As the country fought a distant war, protests and a counterculture movement emerged. Iconic visionaries led this movement, many of whom were artists deemed ‘dangerous’ by the government.
John Lennon, the former Beatle, was one such figure. His songs promoting peace and a world without conflict, resonated with fans but worried President Nixon. This led to the conspiracy theory that the government was spying on him.
In 1971, the government began spying on Lennon when he arrived in New York and associated with radical anti-war activists. The Immigration and Naturalization Service even tried to deport him.
The truth was revealed in Jon Wiener’s 2000 book, Gimme Some Truth. Lennon wasn’t alone; the FBI spied on many public figures who spoke out against the war.
Tobacco Companies Buried Evidence Of The Real Dangers Of Smoking
Today, the health risks of smoking are common knowledge. However, for over a century, it was advertised as harmless. Doctors even promoted it as beneficial, and cigarettes were everywhere, from cartoons to movies.
In the 1950s, research began to link smoking to cancer, raising public doubts about the advertising claims. Yet, tobacco companies denied any harmful effects.
This sparked a conspiracy theory: tobacco companies knew about the link between cigarettes and cancer but suppressed the information. ‘Big Tobacco’ continued to deny the evidence from their own research for decades.
Finally, in the 1990s, Philip Morris admitted the truth. This admission changed society’s view on smoking, leading to a decline in many Western countries. Had this data been revealed earlier, millions might have avoided tobacco-related diseases and deaths.
The U.S. Government Collected Dead Children To Test The Effects Of Nuclear Radiation
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed the world, making nuclear warfare a reality. However, the full impact of nuclear radiation on the human body was unclear.
To study this, the U.S. government launched Project Sunshine, aiming to research how nuclear fallout affects human tissue. This required both radiation and human tissue.
A conspiracy theory claimed that the government was stealing dead bodies, especially babies, for this research. This macabre theory turned out to be true.
The government used cadaver parts to test radiation effects, preferring babies from the U.S. and U.K. They took tissue samples and limbs from about 1,500 families without permission or notification.
The U.S. Military Planned To Kill Americans And Blame It On Cuba
The Bay of Pigs invasion marked a significant failure in U.S. policy toward Castro’s Cuba, leading to numerous conspiracy theories.
One theory suggested that the U.S. military planned false flag operations and blame Cuba. This conspiracy proved true, though Operation Northwoods never went beyond the planning stages.
These plans, revealed in Joint Chiefs of Staff documents, were kept secret due to their embarrassing nature. They included ideas like launching mortars into Guantanamo Naval Base or destroying aircraft and ammo depots.
Other proposals involved a Communist Cuba terror campaign in Miami, sinking boats of Cubans en route to Florida, and exploding bombs in strategic locations to implicate the Cuban government.
The Existence Of The Mafia Was Once A Conspiracy Theory
Today, the Mafia’s existence is widely acknowledged, but for nearly a century, it was just a theory.
The idea of a large criminal group with a hierarchical structure monopolizing crime seemed unbelievable, more like a conspiracy theory than reality.
The theory emerged around 1890-91 and resurfaced in 1946, when the Mafia began to gain traction. However, it remained a conspiracy theory until 1962.
The existence of the Mafia was confirmed when Mob informant Joe Valachi testified before a U.S. Senate committee in 1962, finally proving the theory true.
The Oil & Gas Industries Hid The Truth Of Leaded Gasoline
You’ve likely filled up with unleaded gasoline many times without thinking about it. Using unleaded gas protects you from lead in the gasoline, but its existence is due to a widespread conspiracy led by the oil and gas industries.
Lead was added to gasoline to reduce engine knock, but lead is a neurotoxin. The conspiracy theory claimed that oil and gas companies knew the dangers and hid them from the public.
This turned out to be true, even worse than imagined. Companies knew of the dangers as early as the 1900s but suppressed the information. A 1920s study confirmed this, but the results were buried. Despite this, they continued to promote leaded gasoline.
Leaded gasoline was phased out in the U.S. in the 1970s, but Ethyl and Octel continued to sell it in Eastern Europe and developing nations for 14 years, causing widespread damage.
Americans Recruited Nazi Scientists To Develop The Atomic Bomb
Near the end of WWII, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. raced to gather Nazi scientists to help develop their rocketry programs. The U.S. did this under Operation Paperclip, turning Nazi scientists into American citizens soon after Germany’s defeat.
The operation was secret, but when it became known that figures like Wernher von Braun were behind the American space program, a conspiracy theory arose. Many believed the government covered up these scientists’ pasts, downplaying their involvement in Nazi atrocities.
President Truman insisted that no one with direct ties could be brought in under the operation. However, the conspiracy proved true: the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency recruited Nazi scientists involved in various atrocities.
The government covered up their involvement to exploit their genius, which worked. Georg Rickhey, Walter Schreiber, and Arthur Rudolph left the United States in disgrace when the coverup came to light, though none were convicted of any crimes.
The Truth Of What Crashed In Roswell, New Mexico In 1947
The conspiracy theory about a crashed UFO in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947, persists. The Department of Defense denies anything extraterrestrial happened, but claims of a government coverup continue.
While the DoD claimed it was a weather balloon, something else did crash in Roswell. It involved a coverup to hide the truth, although about something other than aliens.
The coverup was to keep Project Mogul secret. During the Cold War, the U.S. government kept its various plots secret from the public and the Soviet Union.
Project Mogul was a Cold War attempt to monitor Soviet nuclear weapons development using balloons to lift acoustic detection equipment. The truth came out in 1994, confirming the crash involved Project Mogul. While the alien claim persists, the coverup part proved true.
Canada Was So Worried About Homosexuality, It Developed “Gaydar”
While the gay community is now more widely accepted, it’s hard to imagine how challenging it was in the past. In many Western nations, homosexuality was illegal, forcing people to live in secret.
Governments often misunderstood gay issues and took bizarre actions. One of the strangest conspiracy theories suggests Canada created a “Gaydar.” The weirdest part is that it’s true.
Canada hired a university professor to create a machine that could detect homosexuality in federal employees. It measured pupil dilation to same-sex-erotic imagery. The “fruit machine” was used to fire or exclude over 400 men from civil service, the Mounties, and the military.
The U.S. Government Actively Investigated Aliens & UFOs
Alien conspiracy theories are common, fueled by government secrecy. One theory claims the U.S. government actively investigated UFOs and aliens.
Of course, investigating UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) falls under the military’s purview. However, the military treats unidentified objects as potential threats that require investigation and verification instead of assuming their alien origins.
The alien aspect might seem far-fetched, but it’s true. The U.S. government searched the skies for aliens, spending significant funds on this. The Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program had a $600 million budget to analyze anomalous aerospace threats—from advanced aircraft and commercial drones to possible aliens.
The program became known in the early 2000s, but most people noticed the 2017 release of declassified videos that remain unexplained.
What do you think about these revelations? Leave your comment below!
