Who uses secret messages?
Spies and the military use secret messages everyday to protect their messages from others.
The science of scrambling and unscrambling secret messages is called "cryptology."
Can you guess what a scientist who does scrambling and unscrambling is called?
A "cryptologist!"
When were secret messages first used?
The ancient Spartans were the first to use secret messages over 2000 years ago.
The Spartans lived in Greece and were famous for their discipline and courage.
How have secret messages been used?
In ancient Rome, over 2000 years ago, the leader Julius Caesar used secret messages to write his friends.
During World War Two (1939-1945), Navajo-Americans in the U.S. Marines sent radio messages using a special Navajo slang that was impossible for the enemy to understand!
What about secret messages today?
Today, spies and the military are not the only ones to use scrambled messages.
When someone uses a credit card, the information is sent to the bank as a scrambled message.
Just recently, a kid in Ireland won tons of awards for inventing a new faster way to send secret e-mail. CooL!
Where can I get more info?
Check out these books at your library. All these books are fun, really interesting, and no batteries required!
"The Secret Code Book" by Helen Huckle.
"The Cat's Elbow" by Alvin Schwartz.
"Pass It On!" by Sharon Bailly.
"Navajo Code Talkers" by Nathan Aaseng.
