History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories

The period after the fall of the western Roman empire is often known as the ‘Dark Ages’, due to an apparent shortage of historical evidence. Why might this be? Well, according to proponents of the Phantom Time Hypothesis, the explanation is simple: these centuries never happened at all.

In this episode of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Dr Philipp Nothaft from the University of Oxford joins Rob Attar to discuss the idea that these centuries were invented by powerful people for their own purposes – and that, ever since, we've all been inadvertently colluding in their fictional calendar.

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.



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With 24 number one albums in the UK charts, Paul McCartney is the most successful British artist of all time. But what if the man that we know as Paul McCartney is in fact somebody else altogether? Could it be that the former Beatle was replaced by an imposter in the 1960s who's been living a lie ever since?

In this episode of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Steven Cockcroft – co-host of the Beatles podcast Nothing Is Real – joins Rob Attar to examine one of the most bizarre conspiracy theories to emerge from the world of pop music.

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/⁠⁠.
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In 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/⁠.
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As 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/.
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Was 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