Everything Everywhere Daily · Saturday, September 26, 2026
The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list has its roots in earlier 'identification orders' (IOs) issued by the Bureau of Investigation, the FBI's predecessor, starting in the 1920s. The first IO was for William N. Bishop, a soldier who escaped from a stockade, and its successful use led to the standardization of these wanted posters.
“The first poster issued was for a 23-year-old soldier named William N. Bishop, who escaped from a stockade in Northern Virginia.”
“This document became known as Identification Order number one and helped authorities locate and apprehend Bishop just a few months later in April of 1920.”
“To make the process easier, the orders were standardized into an 8x8 inch format that included fingerprints and background information.”