Tag Archives: History

On This Day — KRYPTOS Sculpture Dedication Ceremony at the CIA (November 3 1990) [UPDATE : CAN AI SOLVE KRYPTOS K4?]

Posted on November 3, 2026 by L

“Maybe you’re mistaken–maybe this first part of the Kryptos code is really not a polyalphabetic Vigenere Tableau after all — maybe it’s a different type of code entirely. Or maybe it is a Vigenere code, but it’s been double or … Continue reading →

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On This Day — Hemingway Wins Nobel Prize (October 28, 1954) [Was Hemingway pushed to suicide by the FBI?]

Posted on October 28, 2026 by L

“Hemingway may have said ‘yes’ to the Soviet recruitment pitch, but unless there is some additional trove of material in the NKVD archives that argues otherwise, it is clear Hemingway was never a productive Soviet agent.” CIA website Intelligence in … Continue reading →

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CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 28 : David Lee Konzelman (Texas – October 24, 1971)

Posted on October 24, 2026 by L

“I heard one day that one of our local operations had gone awry, that a helicopter had been forced to make an emergency landing, hurting someone in the process. It turned out to be much worse than that. Dave had … Continue reading →

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CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 30 : John Peterson (Laos – October 19, 1972)

Posted on October 19, 2026 by L

“They blinked. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I turned to the stars and whispered, ‘John’s star is here.’ I moved to the wall and gently touched the star I knew was his. They followed me, Lora’s small hand lovingly and … Continue reading →

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On This Day — CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 19 & 20 : Michael M. Deuel & Michael A. Maloney (Laos – October 12, 1965)

Posted on October 12, 2026 by L

“Many could argue – and did – that Mike Deuel and the others who died in Laos died for naught, that their efforts failed to sway events. But tough the mission ultimately failed, their grit is still quietly celebrated at … Continue reading →

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On This Day — Soviet Union Launches SPUTNIK (October 4 1957) [UPDATE — How the West Lost Its Scientific Edge]

Posted on October 4, 2026 by L

“What came to be known as the Space Race between the United States and the USSR began in 1957 when the Soviets launched the first satellite, Sputnik.” President John F. Kennedy Special Message to Congress on Urgent National Needs (May … Continue reading →

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40 Years Ago — Gaddafi Target of U.S. Disinformation (October 2, 1986 — Bob Woodward) [Disinformation Goes Mainstream — and It Still Matters Today]

Posted on October 2, 2026 by L

“There is a wonderful book that you might read… And the title of it is from a quote from Winston Churchill: ‘In time of war, the truth is so precious, it must be attended by a bodyguard of lies.’” George … Continue reading →

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On This Day — Stanislav Petrov Saves the World from Nuclear War (September 26 1983)

Posted on September 26, 2026 by L

“The siren howled. But I just sat there for a few seconds, staring at the big, back-lit, red screen with the word ‘LAUNCH’ on it.” Colonel Stanislav Petrov September 26 2026 — On September 26 1983 — just three weeks … Continue reading →

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NEW BOOK FROM INTEL TODAY — The CIA Memorial Wall Compendium — Volume I: A Brief History of the Wall

Posted on September 23, 2026 by L

“Every star has a story.”Tim JohnstonCIA Memorial Wall stone carver September 23, 2026 — The CIA Memorial Wall is one of the most recognizable and mysterious memorials in Washington. The Wall has grown from 31 stars in 1974 to 141 … Continue reading →

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On This Day — The VELA Incident (September 22 1979) [Update — CIA Assessed Nuclear Test Probability at Over 90%]

Posted on September 22, 2026 by L

“Now, 40 years later, there is a scientific and historical consensus that it was a nuclear test and that it had to be Israeli.” Avner Cohen September 22, 2019 September 22, 2026 — A CIA-sponsored panel of well-respected scientists concluded … Continue reading →

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