#50: The Lincoln Connection

Another lesser-known fact about the U.S. Secret Service is that it was almost disbanded the same day President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. On April 14, 1865, the very day Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, the legislation to create the Secret Service was sitting on Lincoln’s desk, awaiting his signature.

Although it was primarily designed to combat counterfeiting at that time, it’s ironic that the president’s assassination occurred just hours before the agency that would later protect future presidents was established.