“Paul is dead” is a rumor/conspiracy theory that alleges Paul McCartney of the Beatles died on November 9, 1966, and was secretly replaced by a look-alike. The rumor gained broad popularity in the Fall of 1969 following news articles on some U.S. college campuses.

According to the rumor/conspiracy theory, McCartney died in a car crash. To spare the public from grief, the surviving Beatles (John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr) replaced him with a McCartney look-alike, subsequently communicating this secret through subtle details of their albums. Proponents perceived clues among elements of Beatles songs, photos, and cover artwork. Clue hunting proved infectious, and by the Fall of 1969 had become an international phenomenon.

The “Paul is dead” rumor/conspiracy declined somewhat after Life magazine published ...