A piece of modern machinery and technology that has become very near and dear to the hearts of many people around the world is the automatic teller machine, more affectionately known as the ATM. Sure, lots of people out there call them ATM machines, but that is just ridiculous. Would you ever call it an automatic teller machine machine? I thought not. Anyways, according to various news sources that I saw today as I was reading through the news, today is the fortieth birthday of the ATM. Surprising as it may seem, these machines have been helping individuals all across the glove get the cash they need on hand since the sixties. I was surprised to find that, although the majority of the ATMs that we now have in the world are in the United States, this was not always the case. Back when ATMs were first popularized, England actually boasted the most machines for quite a number of years. It has even been said that a British man invented the ATM, one that required customers to have a prepaid card that they could insert into the machine after entering their six digit pin identification number. Things have obviously progressed by leaps and bounds as hundreds of thousands of individuals in numerous countries and territories around the world hit up the ATM machine every day for various reasons, like getting some pocket cash, checking their checking or savings account balances, or depositing their paychecks after normal banking hours. As a fun fact, the article states that the most remote ATM known to be in existence is actually at a research station on the continent of Antarctica. I just can't imagine what they would possibly need cash for down in those parts, but either way, an ATM is available to these researchers should they need to check their bank account balances.
After a little bit more research, I discovered that most of the information that I found in these articles on the news networks was pretty accurate, but they tend to skew the origins of the automatic teller machine by a little bit. It seems that an American man first invented the ATM in New York City in nineteen thirty-nine, but after an unsuccessful run, the machine was removed from the location where it had been installed. Then came the twenty-five year gap until the ATM re-emerged in England where it caught on with society and gained popularity. Additional information that I found pretty fascinating was that the vast majority of ATMs in the world are in the United States, Canada, and over in Europe. ATMs have also gained popularity in Eastern Asia, Australia, and even on Pacific Islands. They are least prominent in Africa and the Middle and Near East...go figure. It's hard to believe that, with ATMs on navy vessels and in Antarctica, that they are not found in wealthy places like the Middle East. Again...go figure.
No matter where they are, it is no secret that ATMs continue to be one of the most important modern inventions for financial minded people nearly the whole world around. Not everyone has the ability to be able to make it to their bank between the banking hours of nine AM to five PM, Monday through Friday, and not on holidays in order to get their banking done. The ATM provides people with the added convenience of being able to conduct their financial transactions safely, securely, and accurately. Just like online banking and payment, as I talked about a few days ago, the ATM is yet another way that modern technology provides a great convenience to the lives of many individuals and businesses. Sure, it stinks when you have a problem with your ATM card, or when you forget your pin number, or even lose your card, but the majority of the time, they sure are awfully helpful when you're in a bind and need some cash or need to know your account balance before you go buy yourself something nice.