United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security with the purpose of conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state or government. The Secret Service was, until 2003, part of the Department of the Treasury, due to their initial mandate of combatting counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The agency has protected U.S. presidents and presidential candidates since 1901.
Some of the key events about United States Secret Service
- 1865Established to combat widespread counterfeiting of U.S. currency
- 1865Failed to prevent the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
- 1901Assumed full-time responsibility for protection of the President
- 1901Failed to prevent the assassination of President William McKinley
- 1917Expanded duties to include investigations of espionage during World War I
- 1950Permanently authorized to protect the President, their family, and other high-ranking officials
- 1963Failed to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
- 1968Began protecting major presidential and vice presidential candidates
- 1970Expanded protective duties to include foreign diplomatic missions in the U.S.
- 1975Faced criticism for inadequate protection during two assassination attempts on President Gerald Ford
- 1981Failed to prevent the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan
- 1984Implemented the "Magaw Plan" to improve presidential security after a breach
- 1994Successfully thwarted an attempt to crash a plane into the White House
- 1995Criticized for security lapses that allowed a shooter to fire multiple shots at the White House
- 2000Established the National Threat Assessment Center to study targeted violence
- 2001Led evacuation efforts at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks
- 2009Faced scrutiny after a couple crashed a White House state dinner, breaching security protocols
- 2012Embroiled in a prostitution scandal involving agents in Cartagena, Colombia
- 2014Criticized for multiple security breaches at the White House, including an intruder entering the building
- 2015Faced allegations of misconduct and mismanagement, leading to the resignation of the agency's director
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.