Illuminati

thumb|The Eye of Providence, as seen on the US $1 bill, has been perceived by some to be evidence of a conspiracy linking the [[Founding Fathers of the United States to the Illuminati.]] The Illuminati (; plural of Latin , 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 May 1776 in the Electorate of Bavaria. The society's stated goals were to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life, and abuses of state power by monar

German writer (1733-1811)

The '''' (, illuminated), also called the '''', were the practitioners of a mystical form of Christianity in the Crown of Castile during the 15th–16th centuries. Some were only mildly heterodox, but others held views that were clearly heretical, according to the contemporary rulers. Consequently, they were firmly repressed and became some of the early victims of the Spanish Inquisition.

American physician (1804–1867)

name given to several groups both real and fake, generally affecting superior enlightenment on religious and social matters and marked by hostility towards religion

The Illuminati have been referred to in popular culture, in books and comics