|
DATE |
EVENT |
|---|---|
|
1912 November 16 |
Herbert O. Yardley hired as Code Clerk, U.S. State Department |
|
1916 |
Colonel Parker Hitt, USA: published Manual for Military Ciphers |
|
1916 July 28 |
U.S. Navy Code and Signal Section established |
|
1917 |
Gilbert Vernam, AT&T, invented one-time tape teleprinter |
|
1917 January 16 |
Zimmermann Telegram sent |
|
1917 March 1 |
Zimmermann Telegram released to the U.S. press |
|
1917 June 10 |
Establishment of U.S. Army Code and Cipher Section, MI-8 |
|
1917 June 29 |
Herbert O. Yardley commissioned First Lieutenant in U.S. Army |
|
1917 July 28 |
Captain Frank Moorman detailed to form U.S. Army Radio Intercept Section, AEF |
|
1917 October 29 |
First U.S. intercept in France in World War I |
|
1917 December 12 |
U.S. Army intercept station opened, Souilly, France |
|
1918 April 15 |
Arthur Scherbius offered prototype ENIGMA machine to German Navy |
|
1918 May |
William Friedman commissioned First Lieutenant, assigned to Radio Intelligence Section, France |
|
1919 May 19 |
Chief of the U.S. Department of State approved creation of Cipher Bureau (AKA Black Chamber) |
|
1919 July |
Agnes Driscoll employed by U.S. Navy |
|
1919 October 1 |
The Cipher Bureau began operations. |
|
1919 November 1 |
Great Britain: Government Code and Cipher School (GC&CS) established |
|
1920 |
William Friedman published The Index of Coincidence at Riverbank Laboratories |
|
1920 December 6 |
William Friedman hired as contract code compiler by U.S. Army |
|
1923 |
Chief of Naval Operations directed U.S. Navy to undertake intercept of foreign communications |
|
1924 |
U.S. established COMINT site in Shanghai |
|
1924 January 1 |
U.S. Navy established Radio Intelligence Office |
|
1924 January 1 |
Laurance Safford became Officer in Charge, Cryptographic Research, U.S. Navy. |
|
1924 September 30 |
Edward Hebern received a patent for a rotor-based electric code machine. |
|
1926 February 9 |
German Navy introduced the ENIGMA machine as "Radio Key C" for communications security |
|
1927 |
U.S. intercept station established, Peking |
|
1927 |
Swedish businessman Boris Hagelin introduced A-22 machine |
|
1928 |
U.S. Navy began Japanese kana intercept course |
|
1928 July 15 |
German Army introduced the ENIGMA machine for communications security |
|
1929 |
U.S. intercept station established, Guam |
|
1929 March |
U.S. intercept station in Shanghai decommissioned |
|
1929 May 10 |
U.S. Army decided to form Signal Intelligence Service; Friedman to be chief |
|
1929 October 31 |
The Cipher Bureau, headed by Herbert Yardley, closed |
|
1930 April 1 |
Frank B. Rowlett hired by William Friedman as cryptologist for U.S. Army Signal Intelligence Service |
|
1930 April 10 |
Abraham Sinkov hired by William Friedman as cryptologist for U.S. Army SIS |
|
1930 April 21 |
Solomon Kullback hired by William Friedman as cryptologist for U.S. Army SIS |
|
1930 May |
U.S. intercept station established, Olongapo, Philippines |
|
1930 May 13 |
John Hurt hired by William Friedman as Japanese linguist, U.S. Army SIS |
|
1931 January |
Intercept site established, Bar Harbor, Maine |
|
1931 June |
Herbert O. Yardley published The American Black Chamber |
|
1932 March |
Intercept site established, Astoria, Oregon |
|
1932 December |
Polish Cipher Bureau began deciphering German ENIGMA-based messages |
|
1935 March 11 |
U.S. Navy intercept reorganized and redesignated as OP-20-G |
|
1935 April |
U.S. Navy high frequency direction finding installed at Mare Island, California |
|
1935 July |
U.S. intercept site moved from Peking to Shanghai |
|
1937 February |
U.S. Army SIS produced first translation of Japanese diplomatic "RED" machine |
|
1937 February |
Great Britain: Air Ministry adopted TYPEX MK 1 cipher machine |
|
1938 |
Solomon Kullback published Statistical Methods in Cryptanalysis |
|
1938 June |
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced "PURPLE" cipher machine |
|
1939 January 1 |
U.S. Army Second Signal Service Company (later Battalion) created |
|
1939 June |
Japanese Navy introduced code system known to the U.S. as JN-25 |
|
1939 July 24 |
UK-France-Poland tripartment meeting to discuss decryption of ENIGMA |
|
1939 August |
Astoria, Oregon intercept site relocated to Bainbridge Island, Washington |
|
1939 September |
U.S. Army SIS produced first translation of Japanese "PURPLE" machine |
|
1940 August |
U.S. Army approved exchange of cryptologic information with GC&CS |
|
1940 September 11 |
U.S. Army and Navy sign agreement on joint exploitation of Japanese "PURPLE" machine |
|
1940 October |
Cavite station moved to Corregidor |
|
1940 October |
Shanghai station decommissioned |
|
1941 February |
Sinkov-Currier mission to UK departed (in UK through March) |
|
1941 March |
Monitoring school established at Fort Monmouth |
|
1941 June 11 |
Herbert O. Yardley hired by Canada's National Research Council |
|
1941 August |
Commander Alistaire Denniston of GC&CS visited SIS |
|
1941 September |
DF station commission at Sitka, Alaska |
|
1941 November 22 |
Herbert O. Yardley dismissed by Canada's National Research Council |
|
1941 December 7 |
Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
|
1942 |
U.S. Army Signal Intelligence Service redesignated Signal Security Service |
|
1942 |
U.S.-UK agreement on sharing naval communications intelligence |
|
1942 January |
First U.S.-Canada cryptologic exchange (captured French code) |
|
1942 February |
U.S. Navy Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne (FRUMEL) established |
|
1942 February 1 |
German Navy introduced 4-rotor ENIGMA machine for U-boats |
|
1942 February 5 |
First evacuation of Station CAST (Corregidor) personnel |
|
1942 March 11 |
Second evacuation of Station CAST personnel |
|
1942 March 15 |
U.S. Navy began reading Japanese system JN-25 |
|
1942 April 15 |
Central Bureau established in Australia to support Southwest Pacific operations |
|
1942 May |
DF station established at Kodiak, Alaska |
|
1942 June |
U.S. Army acquired Arlington Hall Station for the Signal Security Service |
|
1942 July |
Central Bureau moved to Brisbane |
|
1942 July |
Abraham Sinkov arrived at Central Bureau, Brisbane as Commander, 837th Detachment |
|
1942 July 8 |
FDR limits COMINT activities to Army, Navy, and FBI |
|
1942 October 5 |
U.S. Army SSA activated Vint Hill Farms |
|
1942 November |
COMINT station established on Guadalcanal |
|
1943 February 7 |
U.S. Navy OP-20-G moved to Nebraska Avenue |
|
1943 March |
German Navy adopted 4-rotor ENIGMA machine |
|
1943 April |
First break into Japanese Water Transport System |
|
1943 May |
GC&CS activated HEATH ROBINSON machine for cryptanalysis of German TUNNY machine |
|
1943 August |
Strategic intercept station at Amchitka, Alaska |
|
1943 September |
Intercept site established at Adak, Alaska |
|
1943 December |
Strategic DF station established at Tarawa |
|
1944 |
U.S. Army Air Corps established independent intercept operations |
|
1944 February |
Intercept and DF stations established at Kwajalein |
|
1944 February |
GC&CS activated COLOSSUS MK I for cryptanalysis of TUNNY; may be first computer |
|
1944 April 18 |
Army-Navy COMINT Coordinating Committee -- precursor of USIB -- first met |
|
1944 November |
DF station Tarawa decommissioned |
|
1944 December |
DF station Guadalcanal decommissioned |
|
1945 February |
DF station Amchitka decommissioned |
|
1945 April |
Intercept and DF stations established at Iwo Jima |
|
1945 July 3 |
Cryptographic Security Board established |
|
1945 August |
Strategic DF station established at Leyte |
|
1945 September 15 |
U.S. Army Signal Security Agency renamed Army Security Agency |
|
1948 June 23 |
Air Force Security Group activated |
|
1948 October 20 |
Air Force Security Group renamed Air Force Security Service |
|
1949 May 20 |
Armed Forces Security Agency established |
|
1952 November 4 |
National Security Agency established |