On this day in ...... 1969 (40 years ago today), the ATM machine made its American début, "dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York." (photo credit) As a wee child this IntLawGrrl marveled while a relative who worked for a Chicago ad agency tried to describe to very dubious family members his newest account: a machine that made money. At least that's how it sounded to us at the time. Today, of course, the invention is the key to global, 24/7 personal banking; it's liberated workers from bankers' hours and tourists from travelers' cheques. Unlike a certain music festival, no T-shirts have been made to celebrate this 40th birthday. Yet it seems likely that the latter's done more than the former to rock our world.
