8 Oct 2001: Office of Homeland Security formed

On this day in 2001, the Office of Homeland Security (now a cabinet-level Department) was established by President George W. Bush.

Some facts about the OHS/DHS:

• former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge was its first head, with the title “Assistant to the President for Homeland Security”
• became Department of Homeland Security in November 2002 from the Homeland Security Act
• because it was the most recent cabinet department created, it is last in line for succession to the presidency (just behind Veterans Affairs)

In the 2002 realignment, the new Department of Homeland Security took many domestic law-enforcement and assistance agencies – such as FBI, TSA, Customs & Immigration, and FEMA – under its umbrella.

Perhaps the most noteworthy change was the Secret Service, which until then had been under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department. (Before taking on protection of high-ranking officials, the agency main charge was rooting out counterfeit currency.)

Here is the list of full Secretaries of the agency:

• R – Tom Ridge (confirmed 2003, resigned 2005)
• R – Michael Chertoff (2005-2009)
• D – Janet Napolitano (2009-2013)
• D – Jeh Johnson (2013-present)

Image: official Department of Homeland Security seal