Podcast
History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories
Hosted by History Extra · EN
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/.
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Do Jesus’s descendants live among us?
3d ago00:30:43Summary readyIn 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 whose descendants have lived among us for millennia. The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction, but could the theory underpinning it be true? In this episode of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Professor Helen Bond, an expert on early Christianity, joins Rob Attar to investigate the concept of the secret bloodline of Jesus. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind History Extra. 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/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryWas Jack the Ripper Queen Victoria’s grandson?
1w ago00:34:16Summary readyAs 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 heir to the British throne, Prince Albert Victor, lived a double life as a serial killer? In this first episode of a new season of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, crime historian Dr Drew Gray joins Rob Attar to explore the explosive suggestion that a British prince got away with multiple murders in the 19th century. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind History Extra. 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/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummarySeason 3 | Trailer
2w ago00:04:23Summary readyWas 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 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 History Extra. 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/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
Did NASA fake the moon landing?
Jul 28, 202500:28:31Summary readyOn 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 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 episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/ This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
Legends of the Knights Templar
Jul 21, 202500:41:11Summary readyIn 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. 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 episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/ This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Jul 14, 202500:32:07Summary readyFirst 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 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 episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/ This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
Was Elizabeth I a man?
Jul 7, 202500:28:05Summary readyIn 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 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 episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/ This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
Was Pearl Harbor an inside job?
Jun 30, 202500:38:22Summary readyOn 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. 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 episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/ This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummarySeason 2 | Trailer
Jun 23, 202500:01:58Summary readyDid 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 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 episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/ This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe JFK assassination: Oswald’s second murder
Feb 11, 202500:34:00Summary readyIn 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 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 episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://apple.co/4fgRA1d. This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary