The Web site WikiLeaks begins posting classified U.S. government documents on February 18, 2010 with the release of a single diplomatic cable known as "Reykjavik13". The documents were provided by army intelligence analyst Bradley (later Chelsea) Manning.
The total release of information released over a few months is believed to be the largest unauthorized release of state secrets in U.S. history. Manning was arrested in May 2010, and sentenced in 2013, to 35 years in military prison for violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses. Julian Assange and WikiLeaks facilitated the publication of this data, leading to intense debate over national security, state secrecy, and the role of modern media.
