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List of conspiracy theories

This is a list of notable conspiracy theories. Many conspiracy theories relate to supposed clandestine government plans and elaborate murder plots. They usually deny consensus opinion and cannot be proven using historical or scientific methods, and are not to be confused with research concerning verified conspiracies, such as Germany's pretense for invading Poland in World War II.

In principle, conspiracy theories might not always be false, and their validity depends on evidence as for any theory. However, they are often implausible prima facie due to their convoluted and all-encompassing nature. Conspiracy theories tend to be internally consistent and correlate with each other; they are generally designed to resist falsification either by evidence against them or a lack of evidence for them.

Psychologists sometimes attribute proclivities toward conspiracy theories to a number of psychopathological conditions such as paranoia, schizotypy, narcissism, and insecure attachment, or to a form of cognitive bias called "illusory pattern perception". However, the current scientific consensus holds that most conspiracy theorists are not pathological, but merely exaggerate certain cognitive tendencies that are universal in the human brain and probably have deep evolutionary origins, such as natural inclinations towards anxiety and agent detection.

Aviation
Numerous conspiracy theories pertain to air travel and aircraft. Incidents such as the 1955 bombing of the Kashmir Princess, the 1985 Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash, the 1986 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash, the 1987 Helderberg Disaster, the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and the 1994 Mull of Kintyre helicopter crash as well as various aircraft technologies and alleged sightings, have all spawned theories of foul play that deviate from official verdicts.

Black helicopters
This conspiracy theory emerged in the US in the 1960s. The John Birch Society originally promoted it, asserting that a United Nations force would soon arrive in black helicopters to bring the US under UN control. A similar theory concerning so-called "phantom helicopters" appeared in the UK in the 1970s. The theory re-emerged in the 1990s during the presidency of Bill Clinton, and was "energetically" promoted by writer Jim Keith in his book Black Helicopters Over America. By the 2000s, the term "black helicopters" became a shorthand for anti-government conspiracy theories that "stretch the bounds of credulity", such as those espoused by militia groups and a number of guests of talk show host Glenn Beck.

Chemtrails

Also known as SLAP (Secret Large-scale Atmospheric Program), this theory alleges that water condensation trails ("contrails") from aircraft consist of chemical or biological agents, or contain a supposedly toxic mix of aluminum, strontium and barium, under secret government policies. An estimated 17% of people globally believe the theory to be true or partly true. In 2016, the Carnegie Institution for Science published the first-ever peer-reviewed study of the chemtrail theory; 76 out of 77 participating atmospheric chemists and geochemists stated that they had seen no evidence to support the chemtrail theory, or stated that chemtrail theorists rely on poor sampling.

Korean Air Lines Flight 007
The destruction of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 by Soviet jets in 1983 has long drawn the interest of conspiracy theorists. The theories range from allegations of a planned espionage mission, to a US government cover-up, to the consumption of the passengers' remains by giant crabs.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in southeast Asia in March 2014 has prompted many theories. One theory suggests that this plane was hidden away and reintroduced as Flight MH17 later the same year in order to be shot down over Ukraine for political purposes. American conspiracy theorist James H. Fetzer has placed responsibility for the disappearance with the then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Historian Norman Davies has promoted the conspiracy theory that hackers remotely took over a Boeing Honeywell Uninterruptible Autopilot, supposedly installed on board, remotely piloting the aircraft to Antarctica.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014. This event has spawned numerous alternative theories. These variously include allegations that it was secretly Flight MH370, that the plane was actually shot down by the Ukrainian Air Force to frame Russia, that it was part of a conspiracy to conceal the "truth" about HIV (seven disease specialists were on board), or that the Illuminati or Israel was responsible.

Deepwater Horizon
Multiple conspiracy theories pertain to a fatal oil-rig industrial accident in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, alleging sabotage by those seeking to promote environmentalism, or a strike by North Korean or Russian submarines. Elements of such theories had been suggested or promoted by US radio host Rush Limbaugh.

New Coke
A theory claims that The Coca-Cola Company intentionally changed to an inferior formula with New Coke, with the intent either of driving up demand for the original product or permitting the reintroduction of the original with a new formula using cheaper ingredients. Coca-Cola president Donald Keough rebutted this charge: "The truth is, we're not that dumb, and we're not that smart."

Death of Nero
In ancient times, widespread conspiracy theories were circulated pertaining to the death of the Roman emperor Nero, who committed suicide in 68 AD. Some of these theories claimed that Nero had actually faked his death and was secretly still alive, but in hiding, plotting to reestablish his reign. In most of these stories, he was said to have fled to the East, where he was still influential. Other theories held that Nero would return from the dead to retake his throne. Many early Christians feared Nero's return to resume his vicious anti-Christian persecutions. The Book of Revelation may allude to these conspiracy theories in its description of the slaughtered head returned to life.

John F. Kennedy assassination
In modern times, multiple conspiracy theories concerning the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 have emerged. Vincent Bugliosi estimated that over 1,000 books had been written about the Kennedy assassination, at least ninety percent of which are works supporting the view that there was a conspiracy. As a result of this, the Kennedy assassination has been described as "the mother of all conspiracies". The countless individuals and organizations that have been accused of involvement in the Kennedy assassination include the CIA, the Mafia, sitting Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro, the KGB, or even some combination thereof. It is also frequently asserted that the United States federal government intentionally covered up crucial information in the aftermath of the assassination to prevent the conspiracy from being discovered.

Disappearance of Harold Holt

At approximately 12:20pm on 17 December 1967, then-Prime Minister of Australia Harold Holt, disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach, near the town of Portsea in Victoria. While it is presumed that Holt drowned, the topic is still described as one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in Australian history and has spawned many conspiracy theories. The conspiracy theories have been widely criticised by the public and by members of Holt's own family.

In 2007, television presenter Ray Martin hosted the television special Who Killed Harold Holt?, which first aired on the Nine Network on 20 November 2007. While the special explored numerous theories about Holt's disappearance, it gave particular credence to the theory that he committed suicide. In the lead-up to the airing of the program, Holt's biographer, Tom Frame, described the allegations made in the special as "unjustified and contrary to all the evidence" in an opinion piece published in The Australian newspaper, while Holt's son, Sam, said he was "amazed that people can still keep bringing up [these] fallacious theories".

Another conspiracy theory is that Holt was actually a spy for the Chinese government (under both the Nationalist and Communist governments) ever since he began studying at the University of Melbourne in 1929 and that he "pretended to drown", instead theorising that once below the surface two Chinese frogmen transported him to China in a submarine. This theory also claims that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) covered up any evidence. This theory was first promoted in British writer Anthony Grey's 1983 novel The Prime Minister Was a Spy, which attracted controversy in Australia. Other conspiracy theories claim that Holt was assassinated. Targets of these claims include North Vietnam and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Death of other prominent figures
The deaths of prominent figures of all types attract conspiracy theorists, sometimes elaborating on historically verified conspiracies such as the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln, as well as the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr., Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Eric V of Denmark, Dmitry Ivanovich, Sheikh Rahman, Yitzhak Rabin, Zachary Taylor, George S. Patton, Diana, Princess of Wales, Dag Hammarskjöld, Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Tupac Shakur, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Notorious B.I.G, Pope John Paul I, Jill Dando, Olof Palme, member of Linkin Park Chester Bennington, Paul Walker, biological warfare authority David Kelly, Haitian president Jovenel Moïse, Indian freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose,   and Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput.

There are also claims that deaths were covered up. Such theories include the "Paul is dead" claim alleging that Paul McCartney died in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike Scottish orphan named William Shears Cambell who also went by Billy Shears, and that The Beatles hinted at this in their songs, most noticeably "Revolution 9", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Glass Onion", and "I Am the Walrus", as well on the covers of Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour. Another is the conspiracy theory, widely circulated in Nigeria, which alleges that Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari died in 2017 and was replaced by a look-alike Sudanese impostor. Many fans of punk-pop star Avril Lavigne claim that she died at the height of her fame and was replaced by a look-alike named Melissa. The Melania Trump replacement theory proposes the same of the former US First Lady.

Inverted theories concerning deaths are also known, prominently claims that Elvis Presley's death was faked and that Adolf Hitler survived the Second World War and fled to the Americas, to Antarctica, or to the Moon. Theories that Hitler had survived are known to have been deliberately promoted by the government of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin as part of a disinformation campaign.

The disappearance, and often presumed death, of an individual may also become a cause for conspiracy theorists. Theories of a cover-up surrounding the 1974 disappearance of Lord Lucan following the murder of his family's nanny include, for example, allegations of a suicide plot whereby his body was fed to tigers at Howletts Zoo. Numerous conspiracy theories have also attended the 2007 disappearance of English girl Madeleine McCann.

The murder of Democratic National Committee employee Seth Rich spawned several right-wing conspiracy theories, including that Rich had been involved with the leaked DNC emails in 2016, which runs contrary to US intelligence's conclusion that the leaked DNC emails were part of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Law enforcement as well as fact-checking websites like PolitiFact.com, Snopes.com, and FactCheck.org stated that these theories were false and unfounded. The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post called the fabrications fake news and falsehoods.

New World Order

The New World Order theory states that a group of international elites control governments, industry, and media organizations, with the goal of establishing global hegemony. They are alleged to be implicated in most of the major wars of the last two centuries, to carry out secretly staged events, and to deliberately manipulate economies.

The New World Order has been connected to a wide range of actors including the Illuminati (see § Illuminati), Jews (§ Antisemitism), colluding world governments or corporations, NGOs such as the World Economic Forum (Great Reset § Conspiracy theories), and secretive organizations such as Bohemian Grove, Le Cercle, and Skull and Bones. Theorists believe that a wide range of musicians, including Beyoncé and Whitney Houston, have been associated with the "group." Prominent theorists include Mark Dice and David Icke.

Predictive programming
Many theorists allege that the contents of fictional media, in a process called "predictive programming," are manipulated to reference planned false flags, technological innovations, social changes, and other future events. These references are understood to be a conditioning and brainwashing tool, such that the public becomes more accepting of these events than they would be otherwise. Predictive programming has been used to explain events such as the September 11 attacks and COVID-19 pandemic, and has been connected with media such as Die Hard, The Simpsons, and Contagion.

George Soros
Hungarian-American investor George Soros has been the subject of conspiracy theories since the 1990s. Soros has used his wealth to promote many political, social, educational and scientific causes, disbursing grants totaling an estimated $11 billion up to 2016. However, theories tend to assert that Soros is in control of a large portion of the world's wealth and governments, and that he secretly funds a large range of persons and organizations for nefarious purposes, such as antifa, which some conspiracy theorists claim is a single far-left militant group. Such ideas have been promoted by Viktor Orban, Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Joseph diGenova, Bill O'Reilly, Roy Moore, Alex Jones, Paul Gosar, and Ben Garrison. Soros conspiracy theories are sometimes linked to antisemitic conspiracy theories. Citations:

Freemasonry
Conspiracy theories concerning the Freemasons have proliferated since the 18th century. Theorists have alleged that Freemasons control large parts of the economies or judiciaries of a number of countries, and have alleged Masonic involvement in the British enquiry regarding the sinking of the Titanic and in the crimes of Jack the Ripper. Notable among theorists has been American inventor Samuel Morse, who in 1835 published a book of his own conspiracy theories. Freemason conspiracy theories have also been linked to certain antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Üst akıl
Conspiracy theories in Turkey started to dominate public discourse during the late reign of the Justice and Development Party and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In 2014, Erdoğan coined the term üst akıl ("mastermind") to denote the alleged command and control institution, somewhat ambiguously placed with the government of the United States, in a comprehensive conspiracy to weaken or even dismember Turkey, by orchestrating every political actor and action perceived hostile by Turkey. Erdoğan as well as the Daily Sabah newspaper have on multiple occasions alleged that very different non-state actors—like the Salafi jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the libertarian socialist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and supporters of Fethullah Gülen—were attacking Turkey at the same time in a well-coordinated campaign.

One instance of promoting the "mastermind" conspiracy theory occurred in February 2017, when then-Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek claimed that earthquakes in the western province of Çanakkale could have been organized by dark external powers aiming to destroy Turkey's economy with an "artificial earthquake" near Istanbul. In another example, in November 2017, the Islamist newspaper Yeni Akit claimed that the fashion trend of "ripped denim" jeans was in fact a means of communication, via specific forms of rips and holes, between agents of foreign states and their collaborators in Turkey.

Israel animal spying
There are conspiracy theories alleging that Israel uses animals to conduct espionage or to attack people. These are often associated with conspiracy theories about Zionism. Matters of interest to theorists include a series of shark attacks in Egypt in 2010, Hezbollah's accusations of the use of "spying" eagles, and the 2011 capture of a griffon vulture carrying an Israeli-labeled satellite tracking device.

Harold Wilson
Numerous persons, including former MI5 officer Peter Wright and Soviet defector Anatoliy Golitsyn, have alleged that British Prime Minister Harold Wilson was secretly a KGB spy. Historian Christopher Andrew has lamented that a number of people have been "seduced by Golitsyn's fantasies".

Malala Yousafzai
Conspiracy theories concerning Malala Yousafzai are widespread in Pakistan, elements of which originate from a 2013 satirical piece in Dawn. These theories variously allege that she is a Western spy, or that her attempted murder by the Taliban in 2012 was a secret operation to further discredit the Taliban, and was organized by her father and the CIA and carried out by actor Robert de Niro disguised as an Uzbek homeopath.

Antisemitism

Since at least the Middle Ages, antisemitism has featured elements of conspiracy theory. In medieval Europe it was widely believed that Jews poisoned wells, had been responsible for the death of Jesus, and ritually consumed the blood of Christians. The second half of the 19th century saw the emergence of notions that Jews and/or Freemasons were plotting to establish control over the world. Forged evidence has been presented to spread the notion that Jews were responsible for the propagation of communism, or the hoax The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (1903), which outlines a supposed high council of Jews planning to control the world. Such antisemitic conspiracy theories became central to the worldview of Adolf Hitler. Antisemitic theories persist today concerning banking, Hollywood, the news media and a purported Zionist Occupation Government of the United States. These theories all allege plots to establish a world tyranny.

Holocaust denial is also considered an antisemitic conspiracy theory, claiming that the Nazi extermination of European Jews is a hoax designed to win sympathy for Jews and justify the creation of the State of Israel. Holocaust deniers include Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the chemist with a conviction for inciting racial hatred Germar Rudolf and the discredited author David Irving.

Reptilian conspiracies, prominent in ufology theories, have also been linked to anti-semitism, as "a very old trope with disturbing links to anti-immigrant and antisemitic hostilities dating to the 19th century." Conspiracy author David Icke suggests numerous Jewish political figures are reptilian shapeshifters and "the Jewish Rothschild family is part of a bloodline of reptilian humanoids that secretly control the world". Critics contend these theories to be antisemitic, although he denies animosity towards Jewish people. Other far-right ufologists speculate that the Jewish race originated from genetic engineering by malevolent extraterrestrials engaged in interstellar conflict with Anunnaki or Pleiadians.

Anti-Armenianism
Conspiracy theories that allege that the Armenians wield secret political power are prevalent in Azerbaijan and have been promoted by the government, including President Ilham Aliyev. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has claimed that the Russian media is run by Armenians. American writer and disbarred lawyer Samuel Weems has claimed that the Armenian genocide was a hoax designed to defraud Christian nations of billions of dollars, and that the Armenian Church instigates terrorist attacks. Filmmaker Davud Imanov has accused the Armenians of plotting against Azerbaijan and has claimed that the Karabakh movement was a plot by the CIA to destroy the Soviet Union.

Anti-Baháʼísm
Iran's Baháʼí Faith minority has been the target of conspiracy theories alleging involvement with hostile powers. Iranian government officials and others have claimed that Baháʼís have been variously agents of the Russian, British, American or Israeli governments. An apocryphal and historically inaccurate book published in Iran, entitled The Memoirs of Count Dolgoruki, details a theory that the Bahá'ís intend to destroy Islam. Such anti-Baháʼí accusations have been dismissed as having no factual foundation.

Anti-Catholicism

Since the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, theories about Catholic conspiracies have taken many forms, including the 17th-century Popish Plot allegations, claims by persons such as William Blackstone that Catholics posed a secret threat to Britain, and numerous writings by authors such as Samuel Morse, Rebecca Reed, Avro Manhattan, Jack Chick and Alberto Rivera. Theorists often claim that the Pope is the Antichrist, accuse Catholics of suppressing evidence incompatible with Church teachings, and describe Catholics as being involved with secret evil rituals, crimes, and other plots.

In 1853, the Scottish minister Alexander Hislop published his anti-Catholic pamphlet The Two Babylons, in which he claims that the Catholic Church is secretly a continuation of the pagan religion of ancient Babylon, the product of a millennia-old conspiracy founded by the Biblical king Nimrod and the Assyrian queen Semiramis. It also claims that modern Catholic holidays, including Christmas and Easter, are actually pagan festivals established by Semiramis and that the customs associated with them are pagan rituals. Modern scholars have unanimously rejected the book's arguments as erroneous and based on a flawed understanding of Babylonian religion, but variations of them are still accepted among some groups of evangelical Protestants. The Jehovah's Witnesses periodical The Watchtower frequently published excerpts from it until the 1980s. The book's thesis has also featured prominently in the conspiracy theories of racist groups, such as The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord.

Fears of a Catholic takeover of the US have been especially persistent, prompted by large-scale Catholic immigration in the 19th century and Ku Klux Klan propaganda. Such fears have attached to Catholic political candidates such as Al Smith and John F. Kennedy. Pope John Paul I died in September 1978, only a month after his election to the papacy. The timing of his death and the Vatican's alleged difficulties with ceremonial and legal death procedures has fostered several conspiracy theories. The elderly Pope Benedict XVI's resignation in February 2013, officially due to "lack of strength of mind and body", prompted theories in Italian publications such as La Repubblica and Panorama that he resigned to avoid the exposure of an underground gay Catholic network.

Antichrist
Apocalyptic prophecies, particularly Christian claims about the End Times, have inspired a range of conspiracy theories. Many of these cite the Antichrist, a leader who will supposedly create an oppressive world empire. Countless figures have been called Antichrist, including Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, Russian emperor Peter the Great, Saladin, Pope John XXII, Benito Mussolini, Barack Obama, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and German Führer Adolf Hitler.

Bible and Jesus
Bible conspiracy theories posit that significant parts of the New Testament are false, or have been omitted. Various groups both real (such as the Vatican) and fake (such as the Priory of Sion) are said to suppress relevant information concerning, for example, the dating of the Shroud of Turin. Much of this line of conspiracy theory has been stimulated by a debunked book titled The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (1982), which claimed that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers and that their offspring and descendants were secretly hidden in Europe following the death of Jesus, from whom the then-living French draughtsman Pierre Plantard claimed descent. Interest in this hoax saw a resurgence following the publication of Dan Brown's 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code. The Gospel of Afranius, an atheistic Russian work published in 1995 with an English translation published in 2022, proposes politically motivated gaslighting as the origin of the foundational Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus.

Islamist
"War against Islam" is a conspiracy theory in Islamist discourse that describes a plot to destroy Islamic society. The alleged plotters are non-Muslims and "false Muslims" in collusion with Western powers whose efforts are a continuation of the Medieval Crusades.

Anti-Islamic
Since the September 11 Attacks, many anti-Islamic conspiracy theories have emerged. Love Jihad, also called Romeo Jihad, refers to a conspiracy theory that Muslim men try to convert non-Muslim women to Islam by feigning love. The "Eurabia" theory alleges a Muslim plot to Islamize Europe and the West through mass immigration and high birth rates. US President Barack Obama was accused of being a secret Muslim.

Paganism
It's speculated that the witch trials of the Early Modern period were an effort to suppress pre-Christian, pagan religions that had endured the Christianization of Europe. Some far right conspiracy theorists suggests that Christianity was created as a Jewish agenda to undermine the Aryan race, which is thought to have initially led to the fall of Rome.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Neo-Pagan Heinrich Himmler organized a branch of the SS to do an extensive survey of witch-hunt trial records across Europe, with the intention to use it as anti-Christian propaganda by claiming the inquisition had been a repression of an indigenous Völkisch Norse-Germanic nature religion, and using it as evidence for reconstructing that religion.

Paul the Apostle
Paul the Apostle makes an appearance in some variants of the medieval Jewish anti-Christian polemic, Toledot Yeshu, as a spy for the rabbis. Muslims have long believed that Paul purposefully corrupted the original revealed teachings of Jesus by introducing elements of paganism, the theology of the cross, and the idea of original sin producing the need for redemption. The Baháʼí Faith also regards Paul as a false or misguided preacher who corrupted Jesus's original message. In this sense, he is seen as the real "Judas" who betrayed Jesus.

Racism
White genocide conspiracy theory is a white nationalist notion that immigration, integration, low fertility rates and abortion are being promoted in predominantly white countries to dispossess or eliminate white people. A 2017 study in France by IFOP, for example, found that 48% of participants believed that political and media elites are conspiring to replace white people with immigrants.

The idea of Black genocide in the United States holds that African Americans are the victims of genocide by white Americans. Arguments for its existence have focused on historical persecution of African Americans through lynchings, racial discrimination, and forced sterilization. Some accusations of genocide have been described as conspiracy theories, in particular the characterization of birth control and medical abortions as part of a deliberate and ongoing genocide of African Americans.

"The Plan" is an alleged plot by white power brokers in Washington, D.C., to take control of the city's local government from African Americans, who were a majority of the city's population from the late 1950s to the early 2010s and remain its largest ethnic group. While most residents, of any race, do not believe in an intentional plan to move or displace black people, many still feel that gentrification, urban renewal projects and the demolition of black neighborhoods have contributed (intentionally or otherwise) to Washington's changing demographics.

Fandom, celebrity relationships, and shipping
Numerous conspiracy theories surround the desire by followers of a fandom for two celebrities to be in a romantic and/or sexual relationship, known as shipping. Many real-person shipping conspiracy theories involve claims that the pregnancies and children of partnered or married celebrity couples are fake. Proponents of celebrity shipping conspiracies that ship two celebrities of the same gender typically argue that they are being pro-LGBT by supporting two people who are forcibly closeted by a homophobic industry. Conspiracy communities about celebrity relationships tend to be created and dominated by women.

Larries
Larries are a group of shipping conspiracy theorist fans, centered around the idea that two members of the boy band One Direction, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, are secretly a couple. These conspiracy theorists falsely claim that Styles and Tomlinson have been closeted by their management since the inception of the band, despite multiple claims otherwise by Styles, Tomlinson, their friends, and their family.

Government, politics, and conflict
In the modern era, political conspiracy theories are often spread using fake news on social media. A 2017 study of fake news, which was published by the Shorenstein Center, found that "misinformation is currently predominantly a pathology of the right". Political conspiracy theories may take generalized and wide-ranging forms concerning wars and international bodies, but may also be seen at a localized level, such as the conspiracy theory pertaining to the 118th Battalion, a British regiment stationed in Kitchener, Ontario, during World War I, which was believed by some in Kitchener to still be present years after the war ended and to be controlling local politics.

Crisis actors
Crisis actors are individuals who portray disaster victims in first responder training exercises. Conspiracy theories allege that mass shooting and similar traumatic events are actually staged, with victims and their families being portrayed by covert crisis actors.

Illuminati in Europe
Conspiracy theories concerning the Illuminati, a short-lived 18th-century Enlightenment-era secret society, appear to have originated in the late 19th century, when some Catholic conservatives in Europe came to believe that the group had been responsible for the French Revolution of 1789–1799. Hoaxes about the Illuminati were later spread in the 1960s by a group of American practical jokers known as the Discordians who wrote a series of fake letters about the Illuminati to Playboy.

False flag operations

False flag operations are covert operations designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities. Some allegations of false flag operations have been verified or are subjects of legitimate historical dispute (such as the 1933 Reichstag arson attack). Unsubstantiated allegations of such operations feature strongly in conspiracy theories.

Such allegations have attached to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2004 Madrid train bombings, the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, and the Euromaidan massacre. The rise of ISIS gave rise to conspiracy theories that it had been created by the US, CIA, Mossad, or Hillary Clinton. The same happened after the rise of Boko Haram.

9/11 2001 attack on United States
The attacks on the US by terrorists using hijacked aircraft on 11 September 2001 have proved attractive to conspiracy theorists. Theories may include reference to missile or hologram technology. The most common theory is that the Twin Towers collapsed in controlled demolitions, a theory rejected by the engineering profession and the 9/11 Commission.

Sandy Hook school shooting in US 2012
A 2012 fatal mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, prompted numerous conspiracy theories, among them the claim that it was a staged to promote gun control. Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke blamed Zionist deception. Theorists such as Alex Jones have suggested that the event was staged with actors. Harassment of the bereaved families by conspiracy theorists has resulted in actions for defamation. Rush Limbaugh stated that the Mayan Calendar phenomenon drove the shooter Adam Lanza.

Clintons
The Clinton body count conspiracy theory, notably advanced by Newsmax publisher Christopher Ruddy, asserts that US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton have assassinated fifty or more of their associates and enemies. Such accusations have been around at least since the 1990s, when a pseudo-documentary film called The Clinton Chronicles, produced by Larry Nichols and promoted by Rev. Jerry Falwell, accused Bill Clinton of multiple crimes including murder.

Jeffrey Epstein death conspiracy theories
The 2019 death of Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier billionaire and convicted sex offender with ties to Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and other members of the elite, has become the subject of conspiracy theories.

2017 Las Vegas shooting conspiracy theories
The 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, has sparked numerous conspiracy theories. Some theorists suggest the use of a machine gun rather than semi-automatic weapons, claiming the rapid fire heard in videos indicates automatic gunfire. Others allege government involvement, speculating that the incident was orchestrated to justify banning bump stocks, devices that enable semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly. Additionally, there are theories about multiple shooters, fueled by eyewitness accounts and video evidence that purportedly show gunfire from different locations. Despite extensive investigations debunking these claims, they continue to circulate in various conspiracy theory communities.

FEMA
The United States' Federal Emergency Management Agency is the subject of many theories, including that the organization has been building concentration camps in the US to prepare for imposing martial law and genocide.

African National Congress
Members of South Africa's African National Congress party have long propagated conspiracy theories, frequently concerning the CIA and alleged white supremacists. In 2014, Deputy Minister of Defence Kebby Maphatsoe joined others in accusing without evidence Public Protector Thuli Madonsela of being a US agent working to create a puppet government in South Africa.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. His presidency was the subject of a 2009 film, The Obama Deception, by Alex Jones, which alleged that Obama's administration was a puppet government for a wealthy elite. The "birther" theory, which came to prominence in 2009, denies the legitimacy of Obama's presidency by claiming that he was not born in the US. This theory has persisted despite his Hawaiian birth certificate and birth announcements in two Hawaiian newspapers in 1961. Notable promoters of the theory are dentist-lawyer Orly Taitz and former President Donald Trump, who has since publicly acknowledged its falsity but is said to continue to advocate for it privately. Other theories claim that Obama, a Protestant Christian, is secretly a Muslim.

A pair of fatal attacks on US government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, by Islamist terrorists in 2012 has spawned numerous conspiracy theories, including allegations that Obama's administration arranged the attack for political reasons, and Senator Rand Paul's claimed that the government's response to the incident was designed to distract from a secret CIA operation.

Cultural Marxism
The intellectual group known as the Frankfurt School, which emerged in the 1930s, has increasingly been accused of promoting communism in capitalist societies. The term "Cultural Marxism" has been notably employed by conservative American movements such as the Tea Party, and by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.

Deep state
While the term is occasionally used as a neutral term to denote a nation's bureaucracy, the conspiratorial notion of a "deep state" originated principally in Middle Eastern and North African politics with some basis in truth, and has been known in the US since the 1960s. It was revived under the Trump presidency. "Deep state" in the latter sense refers to an unidentified insider "power elite" who manipulate a nation's politics and government. Proponents have included Canadian author Peter Dale Scott, who has promoted the idea in the US since the 1990s, as well as Breitbart News, Infowars and Donald Trump. A 2017 poll by ABC News and The Washington Post indicated that 48% of Americans believe in the existence of a conspiratorial "deep state" in the US.

Sutherland Springs
The 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting has also been the subject of multiple conspiracy theories. The shooter has been linked to multiple conspiracies, such as identifying him as a Democrat, Hillary Clinton supporter, Bernie Sanders supporter, "alt-left" supporter, antifa member, or radical Muslim; or claiming that he carried an antifa flag and told churchgoers: "This is a communist revolution". Some reports also falsely claimed that he targeted the church because they were white conservatives.

Trump, Biden, and Ukraine
Beginning in 2017, a sprawling conspiracy theory emerged from 4chan and was spread via right-wing message boards and websites, then via Breitbart and Fox News to then-President Donald Trump and his allies. The conspiracy theory holds both that Ukraine (rather than Russia) had interfered in the 2016 United States elections, and that then-Vice President Joe Biden had intervened to protect a company in which his son Hunter was involved. The New Yorker found that reporting of the conspiracy in the right wing media was initiated by Peter Schweizer, a former Breitbart News contributor and president of The Government Accountability Institute, "a self-styled corruption watchdog group chaired and funded by conservative mega-donor Rebekah Mercer" and founded by Steve Bannon.

Biden-Ukraine conspiracy theory
Refers to a series of allegations that Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden coordinated efforts against anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine into the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, on whose Board Hunter Biden sat. Investigations are currently ongoing.

Michelle Obama
Some conservatives have supported a conspiracy theory falsely claiming that former FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, is secretly transgender, and that her name was originally "Michael". Alex Jones has been a vocal supporter of the theory, initially promoting it in 2014 after Joan Rivers made a joke referring to Obama as transgender.

Ottoman and Turkish reforms, secularism, and statesmen

The belief that the modernist and secularist movements and reforms in the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic were Judeo-Masonic conspiracies is dominant among Islamists. Because of their adherence to traditionalist elements and their creation of cults of personality for the Ottoman sultans, Islamists portray anything contrary to Islamic tradition as evil. According to them, the constitutionalist movement ended absolute monarchy, the end of traditional religious institutions, and the introduction of a secular state were the work of Jews, Freemasons, or Dönmes. For example, according to their conspiracy theory, Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was a Dönme.

Various conspiracy theories against Atatürk have been put forward by Islamist circles who did not support his secularist reforms. Kadir Mısıroğlu, known for his hatred of Atatürk, is behind many conspiracy theories about Atatürk. One of these conspiracy theories is that Anatolia was invaded by the Greeks as a result of Atatürk's agreement with the United Kingdom to overthrow the caliphate. Another conspiracy theory about Atatürk is that he was poisoned to death by the Freemasons due to the closure of Masonic lodges in Turkey in 1935. In 2015, Yeni Şafak claimed that İsmet İnönü was in charge of planning the murder.

In 2007, the bestselling book in Turkey was Musa'nın Çocukları: Tayyip ve Emine (The Children of Moses: Tayyip and Emine) by Ergün Poyraz. Poyraz claims that there is an international Jewish conspiracy pulling the strings behind the world, including installing Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as prime minister of Turkey.

Golden billion threatens Russia
The golden billion is an idea there is an anti-Russian Western population of approximately one billion seeking to appropriate Russia's natural resources. It is a justification for Russian leader Vladimir Putin's imperial aggression, claiming to be a defense against a far-reaching covert attack. The theory was first advanced under the name A. Kuzmich.

Voting pencils
The voting pencil conspiracy theory concerns pencils at polling places enabling electoral fraud through erasing legitimate votes. It has been nicknamed "Pencilgate" and promoted on Twitter as "#Pencilgate" and "#UsePens". The conspiracy theory originated in the United Kingdom and was originally promoted by "Yes" voters in the unsuccessful 2014 Scottish independence referendum, with supporters of Scottish independence (who usually lean to the left of the political spectrum) claiming that electoral fraud was the reason the referendum failed. However, the theory was later adopted by supporters of the "Leave" vote in the successful 2016 Brexit referendum (who usually lean to the right of the political spectrum). The conspiracy theory has since spread to Australia, with right-wing politician Pauline Hanson, a Queensland Senator who is the founder and leader of the One Nation party, promoted the conspiracy theory in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian federal election.

While pencils are provided at polling places in the United Kingdom and Australia, in neither country is it required that they be used. On their website, the Australian Electoral Commission states: ""While the provision of pencils used to be a legal requirement, since 2020 under Section 206 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the AEC is required to provide an "implement or method for voters to mark their ballot papers".

The AEC has found from experience that pencils are the most reliable implements for marking ballot papers. Pencils are practical because they don't run out and the polling staff check and sharpen pencils as necessary throughout election day. Pencils can be stored between elections and they work better in tropical areas.

There is, however, nothing to prevent an elector from marking their ballot paper with a pen if they so wish.""

While the AEC only conducts federal elections, voters can use either pencil or pen in state, territory and local elections. Pencils are supplied at polling places for federal elections and for state elections in Tasmania and Victoria, while pens are supplied at polling places for state elections in New South Wales and Western Australia. In 2015, the New South Wales Electoral Commission made the decision to replace pencils with pens at polling places due to controversies regarding their usage and at the 2015 state election, pens began being supplied at polling places across the state. Similarly, the Western Australian Electoral Commission has provided pens instead of pencils at polling places since the 2017.

QAnon
QAnon is a far-right American political conspiracy theory and political movement that originated in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". Those claims have been relayed and developed by online communities and influencers. Their core belief is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic child molesters are operating a global child sex trafficking ring that conspired against Donald Trump. QAnon has direct roots in Pizzagate, an Internet conspiracy theory that appeared one year earlier, but also incorporates elements of many other theories. QAnon has been described as a cult. Description of QAnon as a cult:

State-sponsored kidnappings of Muslims in Sweden
Since December 2021, disinformation has been spread concerning Swedish social services taking Muslim children into care without a legal basis. As a result of the conspiracy theory, two Swedish people were killed in Brussels in 2023.

Sustainable development
Various theories have emerged in response to concepts or international agreements relating to sustainable development. These include theories that Agenda 21, a non-binding action plan of the United Nations, is a plot, disguised as an environmental movement, to end individual freedom and establish a one-world government to cut the world population by 85%, and/or to introduce surveillance by the 5G network.

Similarly, the Great Reset Initiative is an economic recovery plan drawn up by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that prioritizes sustainable development. It has been the basis for theories that the COVID-19 pandemic will be used, or was even created by a secret group in order to seize control of the global economy.

The urban planning concept of 15-minute cities envisages that all of life's necessities (e.g. work, shops, schools, medical centres) should be within a short walk or bike ride from people's homes. This would thereby encourage people to use their cars less and reduce emissions and pollution in neighbourhoods. However, it has been interpreted as a plan to restrict freedom of movement outside of the 15-minute neighbourhood. These theories occasionally overlap with anti-vaccine misinformation, and fears of a world government.

Alternative therapy suppression
A 2013 study approved by the University of Chicago suggested that almost half of Americans believe at least one medical conspiracy theory, with 37% believing that the Food and Drug Administration deliberately suppresses 'natural' cures due to influence from the pharmaceutical industry. A prominent proponent of comparable conspiracy theories has been convicted fraudster Kevin Trudeau.

Artificial diseases
Scientists have found evidence that HIV was transferred from monkeys to humans in the 1930s. Evidence exists, however, that the KGB deliberately disseminated a notion in the 1980s that it was invented by the CIA. This idea, and similar ideas concerning Ebola, have since been promoted by persons such as actor Steven Seagal, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki. Similar conspiracy theories allege that pharmaceutical companies assist in the creation of conditions and diseases including ADHD, HSV and HPV.

COVID-19 pandemic
A number of conspiracy theories have been promoted about the origin and purported motive behind the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its spread. Some claimed that the virus was engineered, that it may have been a Chinese or United States bioweapon,  a Jewish plot, part of which is to force mass vaccinations or sterilizations,  spread as part of a Muslim conspiracy, a population control scheme,  or related to 5G mobile phone networks.

Fluoridation

Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay. Although many dental-health organizations support it, some conspiracy theorists claim that it was a way to dispose of industrial waste, or that it exists to obscure a failure to provide dental care to the poor. A further theory promoted by the John Birch Society in the 1960s described fluoridation as a communist plot to weaken the American population.

Vaccination
It is claimed that the pharmaceutical industry has mounted a cover-up of a causal link between vaccines and autism. The conspiracy theory developed after the publication in Britain in 1998 of a fraudulent paper by discredited former doctor Andrew Wakefield. The resulting anti-vaccine movement has been promoted by a number of prominent persons including Rob Schneider, Jim Carrey and former US President Donald Trump, and has led to increased rates of infection and death from diseases such as measles and COVID-19 in many countries, including the US, Italy, Germany, Romania and the UK. Vaccine conspiracy theories have been widespread in Nigeria since at least 2003, as well as in Pakistan. Such theories may feature claims that vaccines are part of a secret anti-Islam plot, and have been linked to fatal mass shootings and bombings at vaccine clinics in both countries.

Outer space
Scientific space programs are of particular interest to conspiracy theorists. The most prolific theories allege that the US moon landings were staged by NASA in a film studio, with some alleging the involvement of director Stanley Kubrick. The Soviet space program has also attracted theories that the government concealed evidence of failed flights. A more recent theory, emergent following the activities of hacker Gary McKinnon, suggests that a secret program of crewed space fleets exists, supposedly acting under the United Nations.

Conspiracy theorists have long posited a plot by organizations such as NASA to conceal the existence of a large planet in the Solar System known as Nibiru or Planet X, which is alleged to pass close enough to the Earth to destroy it. Predictions for the date of destruction have included 2003, 2012 and 2017. The theory began to develop following the publication of The 12th Planet (1976), by Russian-American author Zecharia Sitchin, was given its full form by Nancy Lieder, and has since been promoted by American conspiracy theorist and End Times theorist David Meade. The notion received renewed attention during the period prior to the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. Other conspiracy theorists in 2017 also predicted Nibiru would appear, including Terral Croft and YouTube pastor Paul Begley.

Extraterrestrials and UFOs
Among the foremost concerns of conspiracy theorists are questions of alien life; for example, allegations of government cover-ups of the supposed Roswell UFO incident or activity at Area 51. Multiple reports of dead cattle found with absent body parts and seemingly drained of blood have emerged worldwide since at least the 1960s. This phenomenon has spawned theories variously concerning aliens and secret government or military experiments. Prominent among such theorists is Linda Moulton Howe, author of Alien Harvest (1989).

Many conspiracy theories have drawn inspiration from the writings of ancient astronaut proponent Zecharia Sitchin, who declared that the Anunnaki from Sumerian mythology were actually a race of extraterrestrial beings who came to Earth around 500,000 years ago in order to mine gold. In his 1994 book Humanity's Extraterrestrial Origins: ET Influences on Humankind's Biological and Cultural Evolution, Arthur Horn proposed that the Anunnaki were a race of blood-drinking, shape-shifting alien reptiles. This theory was adapted and elaborated on by British conspiracy theorist David Icke, who maintains that the Bush family, Margaret Thatcher, Bob Hope, and the British Royal Family, among others, are or were such creatures, or have been under their control. Icke's critics have suggested that 'reptilians' may be seen as an antisemitic code word, a charge he has denied.

Climate change
A climate change conspiracy theory typically alleges that the science behind climate change has been invented or distorted for ideological or financial reasons—higher taxation, controls on lifestyle, and more authoritarian government. Former US President Donald Trump, US Senator James Inhofe, British journalist Christopher Booker, and Viscount Christopher Monckton have promoted such theories. Popular author Michael Crichton wrote a novel based on this premise.

Weather and earthquake control projects
Numerous theories pertain to real or alleged weather-controlling projects. Theories include the debunked assertion that HAARP, a radio-technology research program funded by the US government, is a secret weather-controlling system. Some theorists have blamed 2005's Hurricane Katrina on HAARP. HAARP has also been suggested to have somehow caused earthquakes, such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami or the 2013 Saravan earthquake. Some HAARP-related claims refer to mind-control technology. Also, of interest to conspiracy theorists are cloud-seeding technologies. These include a debunked allegation that the British military's Project Cumulus caused the fatal 1952 Lynmouth Flood in Devon, England, and claims concerning a secret project said to have caused the 2010 Pakistan floods.

MKUltra
Genuine American research in the 1950s and 1960s into chemical interrogation and mind-control techniques were followed by many conspiracy theories (like Project Monarch), especially following CIA Director Richard Helm's 1973 order to destroy all files related to the project. These theories include the allegation that the mass fatality at Jonestown in 1978 was connected to an MKUltra experiment.

Flat Earth

Flat Earth theory first emerged in 19th-century England, despite the Earth's spherical nature having been known since at least the time of Pythagoras. It has in recent years been promoted by American software consultant Mark Sargent through the use of YouTube videos. Flat-earther conspiracy theorists hold that planet Earth is not a sphere, and that evidence has been faked or suppressed to hide the fact that it is instead a disc, or a single infinite plane. The conspiracy often implicates NASA. Other claims include that GPS devices are rigged to make aircraft pilots wrongly believe they are flying around a globe.

RFID chips
Radio frequency identification chips (RFID), such as those implanted into pets as a means of tracking, have drawn the interest of conspiracy theorists who posit that this technology is secretly widely implanted in humans. Former Whitby, England town councilor Simon Parkes has promoted this theory, which may be related to conspiracy theories concerning vaccination, electronic banking and the Antichrist.

Technology suppression
Numerous theories pertain to the alleged suppression of certain technologies and energies. Such theories may focus on the Vril Society Conspiracy, allegations of the suppression of the electric car by fossil-fuel companies (as detailed in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?), and the Phoebus cartel, set up in 1924, which has been accused of suppressing longer-lasting light bulbs. Other long-standing allegations include the suppression of perpetual motion and cold fusion technology by government agencies, special interest groups, or fraudulent inventors. Promoters of alternative energy theories have included Thomas Henry Moray, Eugene Mallove, and convicted American fraudster Stanley Meyer.

Weaponry
Conspiracy theorists often attend to new military technologies, both real and imagined. Subjects of theories include: the alleged Philadelphia Experiment, a supposed attempt to turn a US Navy warship invisible; the alleged Montauk Project, a supposed government program to learn about mind control and time travel; and the so-called "tsunami bomb", which is alleged to have caused the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Other theories include Peter Vogel's debunked claim that an accidental explosion of conventional munitions at Port Chicago was in fact a nuclear detonation, and a theory promoted by the Venezuelan state-run TV station ViVe that the 2010 Haiti earthquake was caused by a secret US "earthquake weapon".

Targeted Individuals
Conspiracy theorists claim that government agents are utilizing directed-energy weapons and electronic surveillance to harass members of the population. Theorists often cite research into psychotronic weapons, the Cuban Health Attacks, and the Microwave Auditory Effect as proof of their theory. There are over 10,000 people who identify as Targeted Individuals. The "Targeted Individual" phenomenon has been featured on episodes of Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura and History Channel's In Search of....

False history

Some theories claim that the dates of historical events have been deliberately distorted. These include the phantom time hypothesis of German conspiracy theorist Heribert Illig, who in 1991 published an allegation that 297 years had been added to the calendar by establishment figures such as Pope Sylvester II in order to position themselves at the millennium.

A comparable theory, new chronology, is associated with Russian theorist Anatoly Fomenko, who holds that history is many centuries shorter than widely believed, numerous historical documents have been fabricated, and legitimate documents destroyed, all for political ends. Adherents of have included chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov.

Another claim is that world governments have hidden evidence for an advanced worldwide civilization with access to free energy and partially populated by giants called Tartaria, which was destroyed in the 1800s by a great "mud flood" cataclysm, causing its remains to be buried.

Dead Internet theory
The Dead Internet theory is the belief that the modern Internet is almost entirely populated by bots and procedurally generated content.

Boxing
Boxing has featured in conspiracy theories, such as the claims that the second Ali-Liston fight and the first Bradley-Pacquiao fight were fixed.

Shergar
The theft and disappearance of the Irish-bred racehorse Shergar in 1983 has prompted many conspiracy theorists to speculate about involvement by the Mafia, the IRA and Colonel Gaddafi.

Rigged selection processes
The "frozen envelope theory" suggests that the National Basketball Association rigged its 1985 draft lottery so that Patrick Ewing would join the New York Knicks. Theorists claim that a lottery envelope was chilled so that it could be identified by touch. A similar "hot balls theory", promoted by Scottish football manager David Moyes, suggests that certain balls used in draws for UEFA and AFC competitions have been warmed to achieve specific outcomes.

1984 Firecracker 400
The 1984 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida, was the first NASCAR race to be attended by a sitting US president, Ronald Reagan, and was driver Richard Petty's 200th and final career victory. Rival driver Cale Yarborough's premature retirement to the pit road has prompted conspiracy theorists to allege that organizers fixed the race in order to receive good publicity for the event.

Ronaldo and the 1998 World Cup Final
On the day of the 1998 World Cup Final, Brazilian striker Ronaldo suffered a convulsive fit. Ronaldo was initially removed from the starting lineup 72 minutes before the match, with the teamsheet released to a stunned world media, before he was reinstated by the Brazil coach shortly before kick off. Ronaldo "sleepwalked" through the final, with France winning the game. The nature of the incident set off a trail of questions and allegations that persisted for years, with Alex Bellos writing in The Guardian, "When Ronaldo's health scare was revealed after the match, the situation's unique circumstances lent itself to fabulous conspiracy theories. Here was the world's most famous sportsman, about to take part in the most important match of his career, when he suddenly, inexplicably, fell ill. Was it stress, epilepsy, or had he been drugged?" Questions also circulated into who made Ronaldo play the game. The Brazil coach insisted he had the final say, but much speculation focused on sportswear company Nike, Brazil's multimillion-dollar sponsor—whom many Brazilians thought had too much control—putting pressure on the striker to play against medical advice.

New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have also been involved in numerous conspiracy theories. During their AFC Championship 24–20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, several conspiracy theories spread stating that the referees helped the Patriots advance to Super Bowl LII. However, sports analyst Stephen A. Smith stated the Jaguars were not robbed, but that they had no one to blame but themselves for the loss. There were also conspiracy theories regarding the Super Bowl LI matchup between the Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons stating that the game was rigged while others said the Falcons made questionable play-calls at the end of the game that resulted in them blowing a 28–3 lead.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: List of conspiracy theories


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Committee on the Present Danger

The Committee on the Present Danger (CPD) is the name used by a succession of American anti-communist foreign policy interest groups. Throughout its four iterations—in the 1950s, the 1970s, the 2000s, and 2019—it has influenced foreign policy since the administration of Harry S. Truman. Its first iteration disbanded as its leading members joined the Dwight Eisenhower administration, leading for it to be reformed in 1976 to counter the Soviet Union during the cold war. This iteration achieved notable success during the Reagan administration. The third iteration was formed by veterans of the Cold War in 2004 in support of the war on terror. The fourth iteration, the Committee on the Present Danger: China (CPDC) returned the group to its anti-communist roots with a focus on the threat posed to the United States by the China Communist Party.

Overview
The committee first met in 1950, founded by Tracy Voorhees, to promote the plans proposed in NSC 68 by Paul Nitze and Dean Acheson. It lobbied the government directly and sought to influence public opinion through a publicity campaign, notably a weekly radio broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System throughout 1951. This iteration was effectively disbanded after 1952, following the appointment of Voorhees and others to senior positions in the administration.

It was privately revived in March 1976 to try to influence the presidential candidates and their advisors. After Jimmy Carter won the election, CPD went public again and spent the next four years lobbying, particularly against détente and the SALT II agreement. Its hawkish conclusions influenced the CIA's future reporting on the Soviet threat. This iteration of the CPD provided 33 officials to the Ronald Reagan administration, plus Reagan himself.

First CPD (1950s)
On December 12, 1950, James Conant, Tracy Voorhees and Vannevar Bush announced the creation of the committee on the Present Danger. The group was formed in order to support the Truman Administration's remilitarization plans contained within NSC 68. The 'present danger' to which the group's title referred was "the aggressive designs of the Soviet Union", the CPD announced.

Members of the First CPD

 * James B. Conant (Chairman)
 * Tracy S. Voorhees (Vice Chairman)

 * Julius Ochs Adler
 * Raymond B. Allen
 * Frank Altschul
 * Dillon Anderson
 * William Douglas Arant
 * James Phinney Baxter, III
 * Laird Bell
 * Barry Bingham
 * Harry A. Bullis
 * Vannevar Bush
 * William L. Clayton
 * Robert Cutler
 * R. Ammi Cutter
 * Mrs. Dwight Davis
 * E.L. DeGolyer
 * Harold Willis Dodds
 * Charles Dollard
 * William J. Donovan
 * Goldthwaite H. Dorr
 * David Dubinsky
 * Leonard K. Firestone
 * Truman K. Gibson Jr.
 * Miss Meta Glass
 * Arthur J. Goldberg
 * Samuel Goldwyn
 * W. W. Grant
 * Edward S. Greenbaum
 * Paul G. Hoffman
 * Monte H. Lemann
 * William L. Marbury
 * Stanley Marcus
 * Dr. William C. Menninger
 * Frederick A. Middlebush
 * James L. Morrill
 * Edward R. Murrow
 * John Lord O'Brian
 * Floyd B. Odlum
 * J. Robert Oppenheimer
 * Robert P. Patterson
 * Howard C. Petersen
 * Daniel A. Poling
 * Stanley Resor
 * Samuel Rosenman
 * Theodore W. Schultz
 * Robert E. Sherwood
 * Edgar W. Smith
 * Robert G. Sproul
 * Robert L. Stearns
 * Edmund A. Walsh, S.J.
 * W. W. Waymack
 * Henry M. Wriston
 * J. D. Zellerbach

Second CPD (1970s)
On November 11, 1976, the second iteration was announced. The name of this version of the committee was "borrow[ed]" from the 1950s version, and was not a direct successor.

Some of its members lobbied for, and were members of, the 1976 Team B, providing an opposing view to the CIA's Team A.

Thirty-three officials of the Reagan administration were CPD members, including Director of Central Intelligence William Casey, National Security Advisor Richard V. Allen, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick, Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, Secretary of State George Shultz, and Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle. Reagan himself was a member in 1979.

Founding members of the second CPD

 * Achilles, Theodore C.
 * Allen, Richard V.
 * Allison, John M.
 * Anderson, Eugenie
 * Beam, Jacob D.
 * Bellow, Saul
 * Bendetsen, Karl R.
 * Burgess, W. Randolph
 * Cabot, John M.
 * Casey, William J,
 * Chaikin, Sol C.
 * Cline, Ray S.
 * Colby, William E.
 * Connally, John B.
 * Connor, John T.
 * Darden, Colgate W. Jr.
 * Dean, Arthur H.
 * Dillon, C. Douglas
 * Dogole, S. Harrison
 * Dominick, Peter H.
 * Dowling, Walter
 * DuBrow, Evelyn
 * Farrell, James T.
 * Fellman, David
 * Fowler, Henry H.
 * Frelinghuysen, Peter H. B.
 * Glazer, Nathan
 * Goodpaster, Andrew J.
 * Grace, J. Peter
 * Gray, Gordon
 * Handlin, Oscar
 * Hauser, Rita E.
 * Hurewitz, J. C.
 * Johnson, Chalmers
 * Jordan, David C.
 * Kampelman, Max M.
 * Kemp, Geoffrey
 * Keyserling, Leon H.
 * Kirkland, Lane
 * Kirkpatrick, Jeanne J.
 * Kohler Foy D.
 * Krogh, Peter
 * Lefever, Ernest W.
 * Lemnitzer, Lyman L.
 * Libby, W. F.
 * Lipset, Seymour Martin
 * Lovestone, Jay
 * Luce, Clare Boothe
 * Martin, William McChesney Jr.
 * McCabe, Edward A.
 * McGhee, George C.
 * McNair, Robert E.
 * Morse, Joshua M.
 * Muller, Steven
 * Mulliken, Robert S.
 * Myerson, Bess
 * Nitze, Paul H.
 * Olmsted, George
 * Packard, David
 * Podhoretz, Midge Dector
 * Podhoretz, Norman
 * Ramey, Estelle R.
 * Ramsey, Paul
 * Ridgway, Matthew B.
 * Rostow, Eugene V.
 * Rusk, Dean
 * Rustin, Bayard
 * Saltzman, Charles E.
 * Scaife, Richard M.
 * Schifter, Richard
 * Seabury, Paul
 * Shanker, Albert
 * Tanham, George K.
 * Taylor, Maxwell D.
 * Teller, Edward
 * Tyroler, Charles, II.
 * Van Cleave, William R.
 * Walker, Charls E.
 * Wigner, Eugene P.
 * Wilcox, Francis O.
 * Wolfe, Bertram D.
 * Zumwalt, Elmo R.

Third CPD (2004)
In June 2004, The Hill reported that a third incarnation of CPD was being planned, to address the War on Terrorism. This incarnation of the committee was still active as of 2008. The head of the 2004 CPD, PR pro and former Reagan adviser Peter D. Hannaford, explained, "we saw a parallel" between the Soviet threat and the threat from terrorism. The message that CPD will convey through lobbying, media work and conferences is that the war on terror needs to be won, he said.

Members of the 2004 CPD included Vice President for Policy Larry Haas, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, former CIA director R. James Woolsey Jr., former National Security Advisor to President Reagan, Robert C. McFarlane, and Reagan administration official and 1976 Committee founder Max Kampelman. At the July 20, 2004, launching of the 2004 CPD, Lieberman and Senator Jon Kyl were identified as the honorary co-chairs.

Fourth CPD (2019)
The fourth CPD was established on March 25, 2019 as the Committee on the Present Danger: China (CPDC). It is focused on education and advocacy on the existential and ideological threat to the United States posed by Communist China. It has been described as hawkish.

In a statement on the launch of the committee, the Population Research Institute stated: "'The United States is in a new cold war. The Chinese Communist Party poses the greatest threat to both the United States and the world since the fall of the Soviet Union. Then, as now, the threat of a totalitarian regime with an evil ideology – one that is willing to kill 400 million of its own unborn children – must be stopped.'"

Members of the Fourth CPD
Source:

 * Brian Kennedy, Chairman
 * Frank Gaffney, Vice Chairman
 * Greg Autry
 * Steve Bannon
 * J. Kyle Bass
 * William Bennett
 * William G. Boykin
 * José Cardenas
 * Robert Charles
 * Gordon G. Chang
 * Henry Cooper
 * Kenneth DeGraffenreid
 * Paula DeSutter
 * Nicholas Eftimiades
 * Sam Faddis
 * James Fanell
 * Kevin Freeman
 * Bob Fu
 * Richard Fisher
 * Mark Helprin
 * Rosemary Gibson
 * Sasha Gong
 * Chadwick R. Gore
 * Lianchao Han
 * Peter Huessy
 * Bradley Johnson
 * Phillip Karber
 * Steven L. Kwast
 * Ratko Knezevic
 * Xiaoxu Sean Lin
 * Tidal McCoy
 * Bob McEwen
 * Robert Maness
 * Richard Manning
 * Rod Martin
 * Tidal McCoy
 * Faith McDonnell
 * Robert McEwen
 * Thomas McInerney
 * John Mills
 * Steven W. Mosher
 * Reggie Littlejohn
 * Jay Lucas
 * Scott Perry
 * Benedict Peters
 * Miles Prentice
 * Suzanne Scholte
 * Arthur Waldron
 * Frank Wolf
 * R. James Woolsey Jr.
 * Yang Jianli

Criticisms
The CPDC has been criticized as promoting a revival of Red Scare politics in the United States, and for the involvement of Frank Gaffney and activist Steve Bannon. David Skidmore, writing for The Diplomat, described it as the latest instance of "what was once referred to as the 'military-industrial complex'” influencing policy.

title: Committee on the Present Danger


text:
Maximal torus

In the mathematical theory of compact Lie groups a special role is played by torus subgroups, in particular by the maximal torus subgroups.

A torus in a compact Lie group G is a compact, connected, abelian Lie subgroup of G (and therefore isomorphic to the standard torus Tn). A maximal torus is one which is maximal among such subgroups. That is, T is a maximal torus if for any torus T′ containing T we have T = T′. Every torus is contained in a maximal torus simply by dimensional considerations. A noncompact Lie group need not have any nontrivial tori (e.g. Rn).

The dimension of a maximal torus in G is called the rank of G. The rank is well-defined since all maximal tori turn out to be conjugate. For semisimple groups the rank is equal to the number of nodes in the associated Dynkin diagram.

Examples
The unitary group U(n) has as a maximal torus the subgroup of all diagonal matrices. That is,
 * $$T = \left\{\operatorname{diag}\left(e^{i\theta_1},e^{i\theta_2},\dots,e^{i\theta_n}\right) : \forall j, \theta_j \in \mathbb{R}\right\}.$$

T is clearly isomorphic to the product of n circles, so the unitary group U(n) has rank n. A maximal torus in the special unitary group SU(n) ⊂ U(n) is just the intersection of T and SU(n) which is a torus of dimension n − 1.

A maximal torus in the special orthogonal group SO(2n) is given by the set of all simultaneous rotations in any fixed choice of n pairwise orthogonal planes (i.e., two dimensional vector spaces). Concretely, one maximal torus consists of all block-diagonal matrices with $$2\times 2$$ diagonal blocks, where each diagonal block is a rotation matrix. This is also a maximal torus in the group SO(2n+1) where the action fixes the remaining direction. Thus both SO(2n) and SO(2n+1) have rank n. For example, in the rotation group SO(3) the maximal tori are given by rotations about a fixed axis.

The symplectic group Sp(n) has rank n. A maximal torus is given by the set of all diagonal matrices whose entries all lie in a fixed complex subalgebra of H.

Properties
Let G be a compact, connected Lie group and let $$\mathfrak g$$ be the Lie algebra of G. The first main result is the torus theorem, which may be formulated as follows:
 * Torus theorem: If T is one fixed maximal torus in G, then every element of G is conjugate to an element of T.

This theorem has the following consequences:
 * All maximal tori in G are conjugate.
 * All maximal tori have the same dimension, known as the rank of G.
 * A maximal torus in G is a maximal abelian subgroup, but the converse need not hold.
 * The maximal tori in G are exactly the Lie subgroups corresponding to the maximal abelian subalgebras of $$\mathfrak g$$ (cf. Cartan subalgebra)
 * Every element of G lies in some maximal torus; thus, the exponential map for G is surjective.
 * If G has dimension n and rank r then n − r is even.

Root system
If T is a maximal torus in a compact Lie group G, one can define a root system as follows. The roots are the weights for the adjoint action of T on the complexified Lie algebra of G. To be more explicit, let $$\mathfrak t$$ denote the Lie algebra of T, let $$\mathfrak g$$ denote the Lie algebra of $$G$$, and let $$\mathfrak g_{\mathbb C}:=\mathfrak g\oplus i\mathfrak g$$ denote the complexification of $$\mathfrak g$$. Then we say that an element $$\alpha\in\mathfrak t$$ is a root for G relative to T if $$\alpha\neq 0$$ and there exists a nonzero $$X\in\mathfrak g_{\mathbb C}$$ such that
 * $$\mathrm{Ad}_{e^H}(X)=e^{i\langle\alpha,H\rangle}X$$

for all $$H\in\mathfrak t$$. Here $$\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle$$ is a fixed inner product on $$\mathfrak g$$ that is invariant under the adjoint action of connected compact Lie groups.

The root system, as a subset of the Lie algebra $$\mathfrak t$$ of T, has all the usual properties of a root system, except that the roots may not span $$\mathfrak t$$. The root system is a key tool in understanding the classification and representation theory of G.

Weyl group
Given a torus T (not necessarily maximal), the Weyl group of G with respect to T can be defined as the normalizer of T modulo the centralizer of T. That is,
 * $$W(T,G) := N_G(T)/C_G(T).$$

Fix a maximal torus $$T = T_0$$ in G; then the corresponding Weyl group is called the Weyl group of G (it depends up to isomorphism on the choice of T).

The first two major results about the Weyl group are as follows.
 * The centralizer of T in G is equal to T, so the Weyl group is equal to N(T)/T.
 * The Weyl group is generated by reflections about the roots of the associated Lie algebra. Thus, the Weyl group of T is isomorphic to the Weyl group of the root system of the Lie algebra of G.

We now list some consequences of these main results. The representation theory of G is essentially determined by T and W.
 * Two elements in T are conjugate if and only if they are conjugate by an element of W. That is, each conjugacy class of G intersects T in exactly one Weyl orbit. In fact, the space of conjugacy classes in G is homeomorphic to the orbit space T/W.
 * The Weyl group acts by (outer) automorphisms on T (and its Lie algebra).
 * The identity component of the normalizer of T is also equal to T. The Weyl group is therefore equal to the component group of N(T).
 * The Weyl group is finite.

As an example, consider the case $$G=SU(n)$$ with $$T$$ being the diagonal subgroup of $$G$$. Then $$x\in G$$ belongs to $$N(T)$$ if and only if $$x$$ maps each standard basis element $$e_i$$ to a multiple of some other standard basis element $$e_j$$, that is, if and only if $$x$$ permutes the standard basis elements, up to multiplication by some constants. The Weyl group in this case is then the permutation group on $$n$$ elements.

Weyl integral formula
Suppose f is a continuous function on G. Then the integral over G of f with respect to the normalized Haar measure dg may be computed as follows:
 * $$\displaystyle{\int_G f(g)\, dg = |W|^{-1} \int_T |\Delta(t)|^2\int_{G/T}f\left(yty^{-1}\right)\,d[y]\, dt,}$$

where $$d[y]$$ is the normalized volume measure on the quotient manifold $$G/T$$ and $$dt$$ is the normalized Haar measure on T. Here Δ is given by the Weyl denominator formula and $$|W|$$ is the order of the Weyl group. An important special case of this result occurs when f is a class function, that is, a function invariant under conjugation. In that case, we have
 * $$\displaystyle{\int_G f(g)\, dg = |W|^{-1} \int_T f(t) |\Delta(t)|^2\, dt.}$$

Consider as an example the case $$G=SU(2)$$, with $$T$$ being the diagonal subgroup. Then the Weyl integral formula for class functions takes the following explicit form:

 * $$\displaystyle{\int_{SU(2)} f(g)\, dg = \frac{1}{2} \int_0^{2\pi} f\left(\mathrm{diag}\left(e^{i\theta}, e^{-i\theta}\right)\right)\, 4\,\mathrm{sin}^2(\theta) \, \frac{d\theta}{2\pi}.}$$

Here $$|W|=2$$, the normalized Haar measure on $$T$$ is $$\frac{d\theta}{2\pi}$$, and $$\mathrm{diag}\left(e^{i\theta}, e^{-i\theta}\right)$$ denotes the diagonal matrix with diagonal entries $$e^{i\theta}$$ and $$e^{-i\theta}$$.

title: Maximal torus


text:
Kings County

Kings County or King's County may refer to:

Canada

 * Kings County, New Brunswick
 * Kings County, Nova Scotia
 * Kings County, Prince Edward Island
 * King's County (electoral district), abolished in 1892

Ireland

 * County Offaly, formerly called King's County
 * King's County (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
 * King's County (UK Parliament constituency)

United States

 * Kings County, California
 * Kings County, New York, coextensive with Brooklyn
 * Washington County, Rhode Island, called King's County until 1781

Ships

 * Kings County (barque), a large sailing vessel named after Kings County, Nova Scotia

title: Kings County


text:
24 Hour Party People

24 Hour Party People is a 2002 British biographical comedy drama film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Winterbottom. The film was entered into the 2002 Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews.

It begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s and moves through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture and the "Madchester" scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The main character is Tony Wilson (played by Steve Coogan), a news reporter for Granada Television and the head of Factory Records. The narrative largely follows his career, while also covering the careers of the major Factory artists, especially Joy Division and New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column and Happy Mondays.

The film is a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, urban legends and the imaginings of the scriptwriter, as the film makes clear. In one scene, one-time Buzzcocks member Howard Devoto (played by Martin Hancock) is shown having sex with Wilson's first wife in the toilets of a club; the real Devoto, an extra in the scene, turns to the camera and says, "I definitely don't remember this happening". The fourth wall is frequently broken, with Wilson (who also acts as the narrator) frequently commenting on events directly to camera as they occur, at one point declaring that he is "being postmodern, before it's fashionable". The actors are often intercut with real contemporary concert footage, including the Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall.

Plot
In 1976 television presenter Tony Wilson sees the Sex Pistols perform at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall for the first time. Inspired, Wilson starts a weekly series of punk rock shows at a Manchester club, where the newly formed Joy Division perform, led by the erratic, brooding Ian Curtis.

Wilson founds a record label, Factory Records, and signs Joy Division as the first band; the contract is written in Wilson's blood and gives the Factory artists full control over their music. He hires irascible producer Martin Hannett to record Joy Division, and soon the band and label have a hit record. In 1980, just before Joy Division is to tour the United States, Curtis hangs himself. Joy Division rename themselves New Order and record a hit single, "Blue Monday".

Wilson opens a nightclub, the Haçienda; business is slow at first, but eventually the club is packed each night. Wilson signs another hit band, Happy Mondays, led by Shaun Ryder, and the ecstasy-fuelled rave culture is born.

Despite the apparent success, Factory Records is losing money. Every copy of "Blue Monday" sold loses five pence, as the intricate packaging by Peter Saville costs more than the single's sale price. Wilson pays for New Order to record a new album in Ibiza, but after two years, they still have not delivered a record. He pays for the Happy Mondays to record their fourth studio album in Barbados, but Ryder spends all the money on drugs. When Wilson finally receives the album, he finds that Ryder has refused to record vocals, and all the tracks are instrumentals. At the Haçienda, ecstasy use is curbing alcohol sales and attracting gang violence.

The Factory partners try to save the business by selling the label to London Records. However, Wilson reveals that the Factory does not hold contracts with any of its artists and, therefore, doesn't own a catalogue of recordings. This renders the company ultimately worthless and the deal falls through. While smoking marijuana on the roof of Haçienda after its closing night, Wilson has a vision of God, who assures Wilson he has earned a place in history.

Cast

 * Steve Coogan as Tony Wilson
 * John Thomson as Charles (Granada TV producer)
 * Shirley Henderson as Lindsay Wilson (Tony's first wife)
 * Paddy Considine as Rob Gretton (Joy Division/New Order manager)
 * Lennie James as Alan Erasmus (co-founder of Factory)
 * Andy Serkis as Martin Hannett (producer)
 * Sean Harris as Ian Curtis (Joy Division singer)
 * Mark Windows as Johnny Rotten
 * John Simm as Bernard Sumner (Joy Division/New Order guitarist)
 * Ralf Little as Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order bassist)
 * Tim Horrocks as Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order drummer)
 * Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays singer)
 * Chris Coghill as Bez (Happy Mondays dancer and percussionist)
 * Paul Popplewell as Paul Ryder (Happy Mondays bassist, brother of Shaun)
 * Ron Cook as Derek Ryder (the Ryder brothers' father)
 * Kieran O'Brien as Nathan (Happy Mondays manager)
 * Raymond Waring as Vini Reilly (singer-guitarist of The Durutti Column)
 * Dave Gorman as Jon the Postman (postman/punk singer)
 * Peter Kay as Don Tonay
 * Enzo Cilenti as Peter Saville (Factory graphic designer)
 * Rob Brydon as Ryan Letts (journalist)
 * Simon Pegg as Mick Middles (author, then-Sounds magazine writer)
 * Christopher Eccleston as Boethius (in disguise as a beggar)
 * John Stammers as Marc Riley (scene deleted)
 * Sam Riley as Mark E. Smith (scene deleted)

 * Helen Schlesinger as Hilary
 * Kate Magowan as Yvette
 * Keith Allen as Roger Ames

Cameos
 * Tony Wilson as Wheel of Fortune director
 * Nigel Pivaro as actor at Granada
 * Kenny Baker as zookeeper
 * Howard Devoto as cleaner/himself
 * Rowetta as herself, reprising her time with Happy Mondays
 * Terri Seymour as herself, reprising her co-host gig on Wheel of Fortune
 * Paul Ryder as drug dealer and head Hacienda doorman Pel
 * Clint Boon as Ernie, a train conductor
 * Elizabeth Kelly as Ian's nan
 * Martin Coogan, Steve's older brother
 * Alex Leam as himself, reprising his time as former DJ at The Haçienda
 * Jon DaSilva as himself, reprising his time as resident DJ at The Haçienda
 * Mark E. Smith (The Fall) as himself
 * Mike Pickering (former DJ at The Haçienda, Factory Records unofficial A&R)
 * Dave Haslam (former DJ at The Haçienda)
 * Vini Reilly (first artist of Factory Records) scene deleted, clip only
 * Gary Mounfield (The Stone Roses)
 * Fiona Allen who worked on the door at the Hacienda, playing herself.

Production
Director Michael Winterbottom held talks with the BBC about financing the film, but the studio "weren’t convinced anyone was interested in Tony." Once production got underway, Winterbottom emulated a documentary style of shooting and cinéma vérité, as cast members were encouraged to improvise and  blocking was loose or non-existent. The character of Tony Wilson is an unreliable narrator who regularly breaks the fourth wall, referencing Wilson's job as a TV presenter. Real documentary footage of the period was also spliced into the film.

Steve Coogan and Wilson were acquainted before filming, having first met in 1975. When Coogan later worked on a Granada Television late night show, the two men occasionally socialized. Winterbottom recalled that Wilson helped the production team make connections with "everyone involved in the scene."

Production designer Mark Tildesley rebuilt the Haçienda nightclub interior to its exact proportions in a Manchester warehouse. The original building had been demolished and replaced with luxury flats in 2002. Coogan, who performed at the club in 1986, "got goosebumps when [he] walked into the re-created Haçienda." To achieve the needed atmosphere, the production ran it as a real nightclub for a couple of nights, and New Order worked the DJ booth.

Reception and awards
The film holds a Metacritic score of 85/100. Roger Ebert gave it four out of four.

The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, competing against other films the same year, including About Schmidt, and The Pianist.

In 2019, The Guardian ranked the film 49th in its 100 best films of the 21st century list.

Empire gave it four out of five, highlighting the film's director.

As usual with anything related to Factory Records, the film received its own FAC catalogue number – posthumously, in a sense, as Factory had already been bankrupt for nearly a decade. 24 Hour Party People is known as FAC 401, being first on the hundred that features other video & multimedia releases.

24 Hour Party People holds a rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 99 reviews. The site's consensus states: "The colorful, chaotic 24 Hour Party People nimbly captures the spirit of the Manchester music scene."

Soundtrack
The soundtrack to 24 Hour Party People features songs by artists closely associated with Factory Records who were depicted in the film. These include Happy Mondays, Joy Division (later to become New Order) and The Durutti Column. Manchester band the Buzzcocks are featured, as are The Clash. The album begins with "Anarchy in the U.K." by the Sex Pistols, the band credited in the film with inspiring Factory Records co-founder Tony Wilson to devote himself to promoting music.

New tracks recorded for the album include Joy Division's "New Dawn Fades", from a concert performance by New Order with Moby and Billy Corgan.

Track list

 * 1) "Anarchy in the U.K." (Sex Pistols) – 3:33
 * 2) "24 Hour Party People (Jon Carter Mix)" (Happy Mondays) – 4:30
 * 3) "Transmission" (Joy Division) – 3:36
 * 4) "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" (Buzzcocks) – 2:42
 * 5) "Janie Jones" (The Clash) – 2:06
 * 6) "New Dawn Fades" (New Order featuring Moby) – 4:52
 * 7) "Atmosphere" (Joy Division) – 4:09
 * 8) "Otis" (The Durutti Column) – 4:16
 * 9) "Voodoo Ray" (A Guy Called Gerald) – 2:43
 * 10) "Temptation" (New Order) – 5:44
 * 11) "Loose Fit" (Happy Mondays) – 4:17
 * 12) "Pacific State" (808 State) – 3:53
 * 13) "Blue Monday" (New Order) – 7:30
 * 14) "Move Your Body" (Marshall Jefferson) – 5:15
 * 15) "She's Lost Control" (Joy Division) – 4:44
 * 16) "Hallelujah (Club Mix)" (Happy Mondays) – 5:40
 * 17) "Here To Stay" (New Order) – 4:58
 * 18) "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Joy Division) – 3:24

Other songs in the film
Several songs appear in the film but are not on the soundtrack album, including:
 * "No Fun", performed by the Sex Pistols (archival video footage)
 * "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)", performed by Simply Red (archival video footage)
 * "Make Up to Break Up", performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees (archival video footage)
 * "The Passenger", performed by Iggy Pop (archival video footage)
 * "In The City", performed by The Jam (archival video footage)
 * "No More Heroes", performed by The Stranglers (archival video footage)
 * "Wimoweh", performed by Karl Denver (archival video footage)
 * "Lazyitis", performed by Happy Mondays (archival video footage)
 * "Old Lost John", performed by Sonny Terry (from the film Stroszek, during Ian Curtis suicide scene)
 * "World in Motion", performed by New Order
 * "Jacqueline", performed by The Durutti Column
 * "Digital", performed by Joy Division
 * "Flight", performed by A Certain Ratio
 * "Skipscada", performed by A Certain Ratio
 * "Tart Tart", performed by Happy Mondays
 * "Freaky Dancin'", performed by Happy Mondays
 * "Wrote for Luck", performed by Happy Mondays
 * "Kinky Afro", performed by Happy Mondays
 * "Sunshine and Love", performed by Happy Mondays
 * "Satan", performed by Orbital
 * "Go", performed by Moby
 * "Louie Louie" (partial), performed by John The Postman
 * "Louie Louie", performed by Factory All-Stars
 * "King of the Beats", performed by Mantronix
 * "Solid Air", performed by John Martyn

Networks
As of November 2023, the film was available for free on Roku, Pluto and Tubi streaming networks.

title: 24 Hour Party People


text:
Talk:Axayacatl

Untitled
I think Moctezuma succeeded him, not preceded.

 * No, you're mixing up the two Moctezumas. See the list of rulers of Tenochtitlan on Aztec. Hjr 16:20, 8 Nov 2003 (UTC)

He was Moctezuma's II and Cuitláhuac's father.

title: Talk:Axayacatl


text:
Leconte de Lisle

Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle (22 October 1818 – 17 July 1894) was a French poet of the Parnassian movement. He is traditionally known by his surname only, Leconte de Lisle.

Biography
Leconte de Lisle was born on the French overseas island of La Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. He spent his childhood there and later in Brittany. Among his friends in those years was the musician Charles Bénézit. His father, an army surgeon who brought Leconte up with great severity, sent him to travel in the East Indies intending to prepare him for a business career. However, after returning from this journey, the young man preferred to complete his education in Rennes, Brittany, specializing in Greek, Italian and history. In 1845 he settled definitively in Paris.

He was involved in the French Revolution of 1848 which ended with the overthrow of the Orleans King Louis Philippe of France, but took no further part in politics after the Second Republic was declared.

His first volume, La Vénus de Milo, attracted to him a number of friends many of whom were passionately devoted to classical literature. However, as a writer he is most famous for his three collections of poetry: Poèmes antiques (1852), Poèmes barbares (1862), Poèmes tragiques (1884). He is also known for his translations of Ancient Greek tragedians and poets, such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Horace.

Leconte de Lisle played a leading role in the Parnassian poetic movement (1866) and shared many of the values of other poets of this generation, bridging the Romantic and Symbolist periods.

Although Leconte de Lisle was a fervent Republican, during the reign of Napoleon III he accepted the pensions and decorations offered to him by the Emperor. This was held against him after the fall of the Second Empire and its replacement by the Third Republic, in 1871.

However, Leconte de Lisle redeemed himself with the new government by writing two democratically-oriented books entitled A People's History of the French Revolution and A People's History of Christianity, respectively. These works earned him a post as Assistant Librarian at the Luxembourg Palace in 1873; in 1886 he was elected to the French Academy, in succession to Victor Hugo.

Personal life
Leconte de Lisle married Anna Adélaïde Perray (March 29, 1833 - September 8, 1916), daughter of Jacques Perray and Amélie Leconte, in Paris on September 10, 1857; they had no children.

Leconte de Lisle died on 17 July 1894 at Voisins in the township of Louveciennes, to the west of Paris.

Works
As well as poetry, Leconte de Lisle produced a number of theatrical plays, lyrical works, translations, and historical works. His works are shown below, in chronological order.

title: Leconte de Lisle


text:
St Michael's Isle

St Michael's Isle (Ellan Noo Mael or Ynnys Vaayl), more commonly referred to as Fort Island, is an island in Malew parish in the Isle of Man, noted for its attractive ruins. It covers an area of 5.14 ha, is about 400 m long from west to east, and is connected to the Langness Peninsula, near Derbyhaven, by a narrow causeway. The island itself is made of rocky slate and the soil is very acidic. Nevertheless, it has important communities of maritime plants.

History
There is evidence for human activity on the island from the Mesolithic period onwards and there are two ancient buildings on the island. Both are in a state of ruin and closed to the public, though there are a number of walks which allow visitors to explore the surroundings.

The island commands the entrance to what was the vital strategic port of Derbyhaven. This was something which necessitated the construction of a fort in order to safeguard the entrance to the bay and which gave rise to the name of Fort Island. Work was initially carried out by Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby on the order of King Henry VIII with subsequent upgrading taking place in 1645 on the instructions of the 7th Earl.

The original name of St Michael's Isle is recorded as early as 1250 when John McDougal, Lord of the Isles, whom the King of Norway had appointed regent of Man while succession to the throne was being decided, landed at Ronaldsway with his son-in-law, the future King Magnus. The reception to the landing was hostile and resulted in McDougal leading his men onto St Michael's Isle where he marshalled his men into troops as they prepared to engage in battle. The Manx in turn also drew up for battle facing their adversaries, whom they were unable to reach because the high tide had cut St Michael's Isle off from them and so the prospect of battle dissipated.

In 1275 after Alexander III, King of Scotland, had obtained possession of the Isle of Man, rebellion broke out on behalf of Godred, son of King Magnus, whom Alexander had defeated in battle and who had subsequently ceded the Isle of Man. John de Vesci, a Galloway nobleman, and other officers of the Scottish King landed on St Michael's Isle and again peace was offered and refused. The following morning, prior to sunrise, battle was joined and the Manx were defeated.

Kirk Michael (not to be confused with the Manx village of the same name) is mentioned in a description of the boundaries of Rushen Abbey, which appears to have been compiled in or around the year 1376. "Kirk" is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church", and in this context, is a reference to Michael's Church, now known as St Michael's Chapel in modern English. St Michael's Chapel, a 12th-century chapel, is on the south side of the island. This Celtic-Norse chapel was built on the site of an older Celtic keeill.

The island is the site of two great battles for the control of the Isle of Man in 1250 and 1275, when England, Scotland and the Manx were fighting for control of the island. The Manx won the first battle, but as described above, 25 years later they lost control to Scotland.

Derby Fort
Derby Fort, a 17th-century fort, is at the eastern end of the island. It was built by James Stanley, the 7th Earl of Derby and Lord of Mann in 1645, during the English Civil War, to protect the then busy port of Derbyhaven.

The island is a bird sanctuary.

title: St Michael's Isle