Welcome to the History Tricks where any resemblance to a boring old history lesson is purely coincidental.

And here's your 30-second summary.

Her story starts with deciphering Sir Francis Bacon and ends with her saving all of our bacon,

featuring the likes of smoking monkeys, bootleggers, moving targets, and a machine called the Enigma.

The End.

Let's talk about Elizabeth Friedman, but first let's drop her into history.

In 1917, Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia,

abdicated and was placed under house arrest with his family.

Georgia O'Keefe had her first solo show in New York City.

The British Royal family renounced its German name of Saks-Koburgota and settled on the very English house of Windsor.

The 18th Amendment, which prohibited alcohol in the United States, was sent to the States for ratification.

And Congresswoman Jeanette Rankin of Montana became the first woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives.

People born this year include President John F. Kennedy, Elefits Gerald, Desi Arnez, and the famous racehorse, Manoor.

Deaths this year include Buffalo Bill Cody, Queen Millio Colony of Hawaii, and convicted German spy, Mata Hari.

And in April of that year, Elizabeth and William Friedman began their careers as two of the best codebreakers in the world.

Hello and welcome to the show. Susan is on vacation.

So it is just you and I today, and we are going to get right into our story.

Clara Elizabeth Smith was born on August 26, 1892 in Union Township, Indiana, the 9th of the 10 children of John Marion Smith and sofa's Strock Smith.

Although as the 10th daughter died in infancy, Elizabeth was raised as the youngest in a very large family.

Papas ancestors came to the shores of North America in the 1680s, along with another famous quaker named William Penn, Selvenia.

At the time of Elizabeth's birth, Huntington was a quarry town. It's still called Lime Town.

But Papa had land. He farmed outside of town. He was a dairy man, which means he could never take a day off.

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