History

This was a time when America needed a new kind of agency to protect and defend against rampant…

Since its beginning in 1908, the FBI has been led by a single individual. At first called “Chief…

John Dillinger. Al Capone. The KKK. The Unabomber. John Gotti. Bonnie and Clyde. The FBI has investigated them…

Each of the FBI’s 56 field offices has its own story to tell—a piece of the…

The FBI honors special agents killed in the line of duty and agents and professional staff employees who…

Read our full-length history publications and several shorter specialized histories, including the early days of the Bureau.

Explains the heraldry of the FBI and the origins of the FBI motto.

Collection of the regular series of stories, videos, and other multimedia on the Bureau's past and related…

Key dates and milestones in the history of the FBI decade-by-decade from 1908 until the present.