# Was there actually an Illuminati? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2001, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-actually-an-illuminati/48898 "2001-01-07T21:15:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3bc359/32.png) [@lenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lenin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-actually-an-illuminati/48898/1 "2001-01-07T21:15:35Z")
For a while, I’ve been told that the Illuminati is just bogus conspiracy theory and such. But recently I read that there was actually a group called the Illuminati, who were a group of Freemasons from Bavaria. They apparently controlled several freemason groups before dissappearing. Did this actually happen, or is this just more conspiracy thoughts? Also, if it did happen, could this be a possible explanation for the eyeball on the dollar bill? As Cecil himself pointed out, there was a possibility that the people assigned to make the bill were masons. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-actually-an-illuminati/48898/2 "2001-01-07T21:45:43Z")
From [the Master](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_043.html). [sub](Of course, if we told you the _truth_, we’d have to kill you.)[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-actually-an-illuminati/48898/3 "2001-01-07T23:47:25Z")
“Was”? What do you mean, “was”? Oh! I mean… yeah, they were disbanded in 1785. Really. Nothing to see here. Please go about your business. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-actually-an-illuminati/48898/4 "2001-01-08T00:37:59Z")
_fnord_