During World War II, Josephine Baker regularly attended parties at embassies and consulates in occupied France, where she would flirt with high-ranking Nazi officials. Because of her celebrity as a dancer, actor and singer, the German men would swoon over her — and sometimes begin to divulge military secrets after being plied with alcohol.

Baker would later jot down notes and hide them where she hoped no one would find them: in her underwear. In her 1977 autobiography "Josephine," she wrote how those secrets were "snugly in place, secured by a safety pin," so they could be carried past checkpoints and delivered to the French Resistance.

The American-born performer was one of surprisingly large number of celebrities involved in espionage during the 20th century, including escape artist Harry Houdini, baseball catcher Moe Berg, movie actress Marlene Dietrich, spy novelist Ian Fleming, chef Julia Child and Hollywood heartthrob Cary Grant.