10 facts about the FBI

Founded in 1908, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has stood the test of time in dealing with all kinds of criminals. It has flickered in popular culture for a long time, where most people see an edited version of what is really going on. We have collected some interesting facts and stories about the FBI that may seem surprising.

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1. Their modern laboratory started in one room.

The FBI's Quantico Lab is currently one of the largest and most complex crime labs in the world. Forensic examination of any kind is carried out outside its walls. But it started with one person in one room, consisting of a microscope, a set of wiretapping, and other tools.

2. They were watching Borat.

Actor Sacha Baron Cohen had a team of FBI agents following his movements after many complaints while filming Borat in the United States. People complained about the "strange mustachioed man traveling in an ice cream van" and even called him a terrorist.

3. Many other celebrities were interested in the FBI.

Under their supervision were famous people accused of being communists, such as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and Lucille Ball.

4. Hollywood versus real life.

FBI agents are often portrayed in movies and TV shows as people with exciting, dangerous and unpredictable lives. While this may be true at times, the reality is not as glamorous as Hollywood would like us to believe. The work is extremely difficult. The FBI recognizes the importance of work-life balance and even encourages part-time work to give agents a break.

5. They have a bitcoin wallet.

With the advent of cryptocurrency and its anonymity used by criminals, the FBI has a bitcoin wallet that contains intercepted bitcoins. When Silk Road went offline in 2013, it took 144,000 bitcoins but subsequently sold them at an auction. Now they are probably beating themselves up.

6. They take animal cruelty very seriously.

The FBI collects data on animal cruelty and categorizes it according to the same criteria as murder, arson, and assault. The reason for this is that criminal psychologists have found a connection between animal cruelty and violence against people, including serial killers. John Wayne Gacy, pictured above, started out torturing animals before becoming a serial killer.

7. They experimented with extrasensory perception.

The FBI has been investigating the potential of extrasensory perception (ESP), believing it could help in their counterterrorism efforts. They abandoned the program 3 years after there was no evidence to support this belief.

8. Nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Bureau.

In 1908, Charles Joseph Bonaparte founded what was then called the Bureau of Investigation, which was renamed the FBI in 1935. He was Secretary of the US Navy and later US Attorney General. Interestingly, he was the nephew of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

9. They bugged bootleggers during the prohibition era.

During the Prohibition era of the 1920s, the FBI began its first wiretapping to catch people smuggling alcohol.

10. For 50 years, only 3 women worked there.

In 1922, Alaska Davidson (pictured) became the first female special agent in the FBI. Only two other women became agents in the 1920s, and under pressure from J. Edgar Hoover, they all resigned. The FBI did not have female agents until the end of Hoover's leadership in 1972.