Secret Service agents and former president Barack Obama

How many U.S. presidents were assassinated before an act of Congress decreed that they would have Secret Service protection?

If you said three – you would be correct! Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield and William McKinley were all assassinated before the Secret Service became “officially” tasked with protecting the U.S. president full time. This means Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to “officially” receive Secret service protection.

The Secret Service didn’t originate as a service to protect presidents, but to protect money. Its first “job” in 1865 was to tackle the widespread problem of counterfeit currency. The Secret Service remained a part of the Department of the Treasury until 2003.