Conspiracy theories have often sprung up around the deaths of celebrities -- be it pop legend Michael Jackson, actor Marilyn Monroe, singer Elvis Presley or the former Beatle John Lennon.

In case of Jackson, who died of a cardiac arrest five days back, it took hours for the first conspiracy theories to start circulating. The most popular is that he faked his death to escape the media glare and impending bankruptcy – despite medical reports blaming an overdose of prescription drugs.

Well, Jackson's death was not the only one.

In 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe's death at her home in Los Angeles led to a number of conspiracy theories. An autopsy found a cocktail of drugs in her system and the county coroner recorded the cause of death as acute barbiturate poisoning by accidental overdose.

However, speculation over Monroe's death continues to this day and centres on her relationships with US President John F Kennedy and his brother, Robert Kennedy. Most of the theories allege she was murdered either by the CIA or Mafia as she knew too much about the Kennedy links to organised crime.