History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories
Was the moon landing faked? Did Shakespeare actually pen his works? And were the pyramids really built by aliens? In History's Greatest Conspiracies, Rob Attar takes a deep dive into the theories in the company of expert historians to uncover if there's any truth behind the murky myths. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. There you can find other feeds including History’s Greatest Cities and HistoryExtra LongReads. Find out more at historyextra.com/podcast. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this podcast and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/.
Subscribe to this podcast
Episodes
-
Did NASA fake the moon landing?
Tuesday, 29 July 2025
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 did it even happen at all? Might NASA and the US government have been so desperate to overtake the Soviets in the space race that they faked the entire thing? In the final episode of season 2 of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Rob Attar is joined by spaceflight expert Francis French to consider why millions of people think the moon landing took place in a studio, rather than in space. History’s Greatest Consp...
-
Legends of the Knights Templar
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
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 of the Templars escaped persecution, and continued to operate secretly until the present, holding on to precious religious relics and maybe even discovering America? In this episode of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Rob Attar is joined by medieval historian Steve Tibble to explore why myths have surrounded the Templars since the Middle Ages – and explain how Rosslyn Chapel and the Holy Grail fit into the story. ...
-
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Tuesday, 15 July 2025
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 proven to be a forgery, the text has helped fuel antisemitism across the world, from Henry Ford in America, to Nazi Germany and anti-Jewish hatred today. In this episode of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Rob Attar speaks to Professor Pamela S Nadell about why the infamous tract has proven so popular and how it connects to other antisemitic ideas. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind...
-
Was Elizabeth I a man?
Tuesday, 8 July 2025
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’s iconic Tudor queen actually have been a man masquerading as a woman? In this episode of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Tudor historian Tracy Borman speaks to Rob Attar about the bizarre 'Bisley Boy' conspiracy theory that was popularised by none other than Dracula author Bram Stoker. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories fr...
-
Was Pearl Harbor an inside job?
Tuesday, 1 July 2025
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 it? Did President Franklin Roosevelt know that the attack was coming and even encourage it as a means of propelling the US into World War Two? In the first episode of season 2 of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Twomey joins Rob Attar to tackle the "back door to war" conspiracy theory, explaining why many Americans have been willing to believe in a president's treachery...
-
Season 2 | Trailer
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
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 Theories, Rob Attar is joined by expert historians to explore how these theories came about and whether any of them might actually be true. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. There you can find other feeds including History’s Greatest Cities and HistoryExtra Long...
-
The JFK assassination: Oswald’s second murder
Tuesday, 11 February 2025
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 delving into the case. In this third episode, recorded in April 2024, Rob Attar puts more listeners’ questions about the assassination to author and journalist Gerald Posner. Who did Lyndon Johnson think was behind the murder? Why do so many people believe in a conspiracy theory? And why is Lee Harvey Oswald’s other killing rarely discussed? History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Ma...
-
The JFK assassination: 95% certain?
Tuesday, 4 February 2025
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 delving into the case. In this second episode, recorded in April 2024, Rob Attar rejoins the investigative journalist Gerald Posner to tackle your questions about the assassination and the web of intrigue that surrounds it. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. The...
-
Who killed JFK?
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
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, millions of people have come to believe that Oswald was just a small cog in a wider plot to murder the president. In light of the recent announcement that President Trump has ordered the release of classified files surrounding JFK’s assassination, we’re re-releasing three episodes delving into the case. In this first episode, recorded in January 2024, Rob Attar speaks to the journalist Gerald Posner, whose landmark 1993 book Case...
-
Introducing History's Greatest Scandals | New Podcast
Tuesday, 7 January 2025
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 murky underworld of The Victorians. Ellie Cawthorne and historian Professor Rosalind Crone take a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain to explore the darker side of Victorian life. Sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses and paying a visit to an unscrupulous confectioner, uncovering some of the biggest scandals of the day – and explore what they can reve...
-
Did aliens land at Roswell?
Tuesday, 3 December 2024
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 further away? Has the US government spent the past 75 years hiding proof of alien life from us all? In our series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, Dr David Clarke gives Rob Attar the lowdown about the Roswell Incident and considers how it relates to the long history of UFO sightings. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories fr...
-
The lost civilisation of Atlantis
Tuesday, 26 November 2024
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 years ago, before being wiped out by a calamitous event. Rob Attar speaks to archaeologist Flint Dibble about the ancient Greek origins of the Atlantis legend and how it has been reimagined in more recent times, including in the Netflix series ‘Ancient Apocalypse’. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, t...
-
Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays?
Tuesday, 19 November 2024
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 four of our new series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, Shakespeare expert Dr Paul Edmondson speaks to Rob Attar about the alternative candidates that have been put forward and considers whether this is a legitimate debate to be having. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘Hi...
-
Did Anastasia escape her family’s murder?
Tuesday, 12 November 2024
In the third episode of our series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we examine the suggestion that one of Tsar Nicholas II’s daughters – Anastasia – survived the family’s murder by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Speaking with Rob Attar, historian Helen Rappaport explains why people believe that Anastasia escaped and what recent scientific and archaeological research has revealed about this tragic episode. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of...
-
Did aliens build the pyramids?
Tuesday, 5 November 2024
Could Ancient Egypt’s most iconic monuments have been built with extraterrestrial assistance? In the second episode of our series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we delve into the idea that aliens helped built the pyramids. In conversation with Rob Attar, Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley explores the origins of the theory and explains what we know about how the pyramids really were constructed. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘Histo...
-
Hitler’s escape to South America
Tuesday, 29 October 2024
Did Adolf Hitler really make it out of the bunker alive at the end of the Second World War? In the first episode of our series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we explore the idea that Hitler outlasted the downfall of the Third Reich in 1945 and began a new life overseas in South America. In conversation with Rob Attar, historian Professor Richard J Evans explains the origins of this theory and reveals why it continues to have adherents today. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories fr...
-
Introducing History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories
Thursday, 17 October 2024
Was the moon landing faked? Did Shakespeare actually pen his works? And were the pyramids really built by aliens? In History's Greatest Conspiracies, Rob Attar takes a deep dive into the theories in the company of expert historians to uncover if there's any truth behind the murky myths. Series 1 begins Tuesday 29th October 2024 with new episodes weekly. Subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free and access the next episode early. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, ...
Latest Podcast Episodes!
-
The Top 40 with Rhys Jones
Top 40 show with Rhys Jones 2025-09-28 16:25
Join Rhys Jones as he unveils this weeks top 40 charts of the UK. What you've been listening to on streaming platforms and on the radio all effects the top 40 chart!
-
The DailySunday Special: The Fashion Episode
This month kicked off the big four fashion weeks: New York, London, Milan and Paris. Each year, designers, brands, influencers and celebrities flock to these events to see and be seen.On today’s episode, Gilbert sits down with Stella Bugbee and Jacob Gallagher, two of The Times’s foremost style experts and veterans of the fashion week circuit, to discuss clothes. They talk about what fashion week means in the frenetic fashion ecosystem of 2025, and they answer some listener questions about how to cultivate a personal style. On Today’s Episode:Stella Bugbee, the Styles editor for The New Yor...
-
CLUBLIFEEpisode 964
CLUBLIFE by Tiësto Episode 964 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Listen Live
-
Rainbow Radio Wales
Rainbow Radio Wales is a radio station based in Aberystwyth, Broadcasting across the UK. We play a wide range of music 365 days a year!
Rainbow Radio Through The Night playing My Head Is A Jungle by Wankelmut,Emma Louise