Credit: Screenshot via @CIA / Twitter

Today marks the 1-year anniversary of the CIA joining Twitter and what a year it’s been. While a good portion of the Agency’s Tweets are devoted to serious topics like the CIA’s history and profiles of fallen agents, the CIA has also displayed a witty sense of humor and ability to laugh at itself.

A series of comical one-line jokes combined with sketches of sweet gadgets from the Agency’s past make the CIA a surprisingly amusing follow … though perhaps not quite as surprising considering that the CIA certainly knows its audience.

Here’s some highlights from the CIA’s first year on Twitter:

1. First Tweet

The CIA started its Twitter career with a bang, cleverly alluding to the Agency’s usual reticence with the media.

2. CIA Gadgets of Old

As a part its “Artifact of the Week” series, the CIA posts regular tweets that give an overview of some of the cool technology used by agents in the past. And if weekly updates aren’t enough, the page also includes snippets of some of the more bizarre tools formerly employed by the Agency, often accompanied by snarky commentary. For any fan of old 007 movies, these tweets are a must-see.

3. 1-Month Anniversary

The CIA really stepped up its game of its 1 month “twitterversary,” answering the top 5 questions users had asked. Responses included a Tupac reference, some self-deprecating humor and a shout-out to Ellen Degeneres. Tupac declined to comment on the matter.

4. Argo Tweets

Ben Affleck’s movie Argo, which documented a CIA mission to return American hostages from Iran during the crisis of 1981, raised a lot of questions from viewers wondering what was true and what the movie’s creators had fabricated. Last year, on the 35th anniversary of the beginning of the crisis, the CIA took to Twitter in order provide some clarity on the movie’s authenticity. The Agency went through many of the movie’s major plot points, telling viewers what was “real,” or historically accurate, vs. “reel,” a Hollywood fabrication.

5. 1-Year Anniversary Tweets

Today’s 1-year “twitterversary” tweets were nothing short of awesome. The CIA posted a list of “5 reasons you should follow @CIA” which included a cat picture, a redaction joke and shot at the CIA’s more paranoid followers. We’re hoping for more of the same during the CIA’s second year on Twitter.

Credit: Screenshot via @CIA / Twitter
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