During the planning of the D-Day landings in 1944, personnel authorized to learn the exact time and place of the
invasion were known as “bigots” and their names were included in a “bigot list.” Because of the dangers inherent in such a major amphibious operation— the largest of its kind ever attempted— security was tight and measures were taken to ensure no news of it leaked to the enemy. Since the end of World War II, the term has been applied to individuals cleared for specific classifications of secret material.