Greetings ,
It's Sunday! We are all ready for tomorrow's quiz, but as usual, we'd like to share some of the interesting facts that didn't make the cut. This week, we've got some not-so-secret Secret Service trivia.
Bogus bills and bullets
On April 14th, 1865, Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating the secret service. That evening, he was assassinated. Originally, the Secret Service was created to track down counterfeiters after the Civil War--not to protect presidents. They had their hands full. Historians estimate that one-third to one-half of American currency at the time was counterfeit. After the assassination of William McKinley in 1901, the secret service was assigned to protect presidents and their families.
Rawhide & Cowpuncher
Presidents, candidates, their families, a few select staff members and VIPs have codenames. These names are short, easy to understand, and positive. (Happy Rockefeller was briefly codenamed "Shooting Star" before the service thought twice about using the word "shooting.") Presidential and vice presidential candidates choose among a short list of options generated by the service. Joe Biden will continue to use Celtic, the same name he used as VP. Kamala Harris has chosen the apt, "Pioneer." Check out some others below or see the full list here.
Ronald Reagan: Rawhide
Donald Trump: Mogul
Barack Obama: Renegade
George W. Bush: Tumbler, (later) Trailblazer
Queen Elizabeth II: Redfern, Kittyhawk
Prince Charles: Unicorn, Principal
Pope John Paul II: Halo
The White House: Castle
Air Force One: Angel or Cowpuncher
Toddler Terror
"I knew it would happen. I told those playboys that someone was going to get the president killed if they kept acting like they did. Now it’s happened.” --Agent Abraham Bolden following the Kennedy assassination
While they have thwarted some serious attempts on presidents' lives, the secret service has also been involved in countless scandals. General George Patton referred to agents as, "a bunch of cheap detectives always smelling of drink." Recently, there have been multiple incidents involving loose children breaching security.
Remember to join us tomorrow for a brand new quiz featuring sports, food, books and more.
Have a wonderful week!
MJ and Jessica
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