26 Crazy Conspiracy Theories That Were Proven True

You might be surprised at some of the crazy conspiracy theories that were proven true. Some might make you question what you’ve always believed about a time in history.

People, especially Americans, love to take news stories and run with them. Have you ever played the game of telephone where you sit in a line, and the first person whispers something to the second person, and so on, then you try to see how wild the story will get by the end of the line? That’s exactly how the craziest conspiracy theories get started. But that’s not always a bad thing. We can’t go blaming everyone who becomes curious about something they hear. Some of these theorists have even saved lives as a result of their curiosity.

No one should believe everything they’re told. There comes a time in everyone’s life when we want to question and find out the truth, about every ounce of information we receive. This questioning has resulted in many proven theories. Theories people once thought were extremely improbable. Even some modern conspiracy theories have been proven true. While other conspiracy theories have been proven false. Even the most believed conspiracy theories. (Sorry, Santa Claus isn’t really real like you once thought.)

But it can be very difficult to find out the truth about something that happened a long time ago. Yes, we can scour any evidence and try to find out the facts based on what we know, but how are we to know what actually happened if we weren’t there? There are so many mysteries in life and in history, that in many cases, all we can do is suspect what most likely happened. There are facts (that were once only theories) that we do know without a shadow of a doubt to be true, and some of those are included in our crazy conspiracy theories list, but other things we just can’t be 100% sure of, because no matter how unbiased you are, or how hard you might think about it, there’s just no way to find out the whole truth on some issues. It’s part of the wonder of being human. (Too bad we can’t see life from the perspective of a narrator who sees all sides like in our favorite books, huh?)

We said all that to say this. Most of the conspiracy theories that are “proven” in our list are still just likely stories. We searched the Internet to get some ideas, and websites such as Collective-Evolution, Good, Criminal Justice Degree Hub and Infowars were a great help. Time and statistics could confirm theories from our list of crazy conspiracy theories that were proven true, in the future, or we could be proven wrong. But we’re all just doing our best here, and telling you about the facts to the best of our knowledge. But reputable sources have stated everything below to be true, so if that’s proof enough for you, here you go. Along with each theory below, we included a backlink to source we used, so you can get more information on the subject. But as always, be sure to look at these situations from as many sides as possible, researching for yourself before actually taking statements as a bible. The world would be better off if everyone did this.

And if you love reading about conspiracy theories, check out our lists of conspiracy theories that turned out to be true and biggest US government cover-ups of all time. Government conspiracies proven true are some of the most interesting and controversial.

Prepare to be amazed. Here’s our list of 26 crazy conspiracy theories that turned out to be true.

26. More than one man conspired to kill President Lincoln

Find out more about this here, but it wasn’t only the notorious actor who plotted against the man who freed the slaves.

25. The US Navy fired at Vietnamese boats that weren’t there

This is supposedly the event that spurred the Vietnam war.

24. The Mafia was real

Yes, at one time everyone thought this organized crime group was all a hoax. However, it turns out it’s a real thing.

23. The Watergate scandal was tied directly with President Nixon

This is what theorists believed, but then it was revealed to be true in 1974 and Nixon was forced to resign soon after.

22. The US secretly traded weapons with the Israeli government in 1985 and 1986

This scandal is known as the Iran Contra Affair, and these dealings were uncovered in 1987.

21. There was a large unsuccessful conspiracy to kill Hitler at the close of World War II

Hitler survived the assassination attempt with only minor injuries. Bummer.

20. The New World Order is for real

Everyone has their opinions about this, but in 2009, radio host Alex Jones and others were committed to exposing and opposing this perceived New World Order. For more theories, click here.

19. The 1919 World Series was rigged

This scandal, involving the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, was uncovered in 1920 and eight White Sox players were banned from playing for life.

18. The Federal Reserve is for real

Woodrow Wilson established it just in time for World War I, giving power to national banks. Read more about it here.

17. Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan may have survived their crash

This recently found photo discloses new information about what really might’ve happened to this famous flight crew of two. Find out more here.

16. The government was spying on John Lennon

Supposedly Freedom of Information confirmed this, decades after.

15. Smoking is bad for you

Yes, this sounds oxymoron today. But years ago, everyone smoked, and the fact that it was bad for you was just a theory.

14. The government tracks our phone and internet usage

Or, at least we know that they can track it. So yeah, it isn’t just you that knows you’re looking up porn. Watch out.

13. The US hired Nazis after World War II

In what was called Operation Paperclip, Truman deliberately didn’t include devoted and active Nazis, and he background checked thoroughly, but it’s still a super interesting fact of trivia on our list of 26 crazy conspiracy theories that were proven true.

12. Hitler didn’t die in World War II

Speaking of Nazis, many believe Hitler committed suicide in Berlin in 1945, but the FBI actually has confirmed documents that say he fled to Argentina and lived the rest of his life there.

11. The US government developed a secret weapon that causes heart attacks

This dart-like weapon, developed in the 60’s and 70’s, is said to feel like a mosquito bite, and it disintegrates quickly, so autopsies reveal nothing.

10. Alcohol was poisoned during prohibition

During prohibition, the government was frustrated that citizens continued to steal and consume alcohol, so they came up with a new harmful formula for it. That’ll fix ’em.

9. Polio vaccines were contaminated in the 50’s and 60’s

Millions of those who received it may have been affected. Eventually, the contamination was discovered. But it was a little late.

8. The moon landing actually happened

That footage wasn’t made up, and this article states that theories would have unraveled by now.

7. The US Government is sketchy when it comes to Lyme disease

Some say this condition was brought over from a remote island by birds, but no matter what the truth is, it’s safe to say that doctors are scared to diagnose and treat Lyme, and the government is keeping quiet on the subject.

6. Oswald didn’t kill President Kennedy alone

Here’s a big list of people who might have helped him.

5. Bob didn’t kill Beth

If you’ve listened to the first season of the crime podcast Accused, you know that, when a young college girl was murdered in 1978, her boyfriend was severely tried as the only suspect. He was pronounced innocent, but people are still suspicious of him to this day. If you haven’t listened, make a point to. It’s a gripping story. And it’ll help get you into the Halloween spirit. Now, let’s see the top four entries on our list of crazy conspiracy theories that were proven true.

4. Radon tests aren’t a hoax

Especially if you live in Minnesota, be sure to get your house tested for Radon. Based on statistics, it just makes sense. Besides, this article states that “Even if radon was only a perceived health problem, it would still be a liability.”

3. Growing food on Mars is possible

Like Mark Whitney did in The Martian, a botanist states that it’s possible to grow crops on Martian soil and not just potatoes.

2. The Egyptians really did drown in the Red Sea as Exodus depicts

Hundreds of skeletons and armor were recently found by archaeologists at the bottom of the Red Sea, leaving them no other choice but to take this biblical account as truth.

1. There is something written on the back of the Declaration of Independence

Could the movie National Treasure be real? Actually, the writing isn’t a secret map or code. It’s simply a handwritten label that reads “Original Declaration of Independence/ dated 4th July 1776”. That’s all for our list of 26 crazy conspiracy theories that were proven true. Hope you didn’t get too freaked out!