Illuminati (Order of the Illuminati)

The Illuminati, originally called the Bavarian Illuminati, was a secret society founded in 1776 in Bavaria with the goal of promoting Enlightenment ideals like reason, secularism, and free thought. It aimed to challenge religious and political authority, but was suppressed and disbanded by the Bavarian government in 1785. Today, the term “Illuminati” is often associated with conspiracy theories suggesting it secretly controls world events, but there is no verified evidence of such influence. Most references to the Illuminati are rooted in historical fact or are part of modern myth and speculation.