These Are the Most Famous and Infamous Exposed Government Secrets

Hidden and secretive government agencies have long captured the public's imagination. The TV series "The X-Files" imagines FBI agents whose job is to understand paranormal phenomena, though they uncover a government conspiracy to keep extraterrestrial life a secret in the process. In "Men In Black," agents work alongside aliens to protect the Earth from otherworldly threats. Closer to home, conspiracy theories about hidden life on Earth persist. As recently as June 2019, the FBI released a trove of files related to Bigfoot, further stoking speculation on whether the mystical Sasquatch could be successfully hiding from humanity.

There's a common idea that unites ghost-hunters and Bigfoot-truthers alike: The government must be hiding something. Somewhere in its vast archives, they reason, there must be evidence of events beyond explanation, or at least an honest historical record of some of the most shadowy points in America's history. Many would jump at the chance to review the unredacted files on the J.F.K. assassination, learn about the inner negotiations of the Cuban Missile Crisis, or find out if aliens really do exist.

Sometimes, the U.S. government declassifies files that it decides are safe to be released to the public. While this seems like a transparent act, oftentimes it does little more than tease conspiracy theorists who may never live to see the entire truth unearthed. However, there's some fascinating information in the files that have been released: Did you know the U.S. government once considered building a moon base? And contemplated training cats to be soldiers?