On September 2, 1969, America’s first automatic teller machine
(ATM) made its public debut, dispensing cash to customers at
Chemical Bank in Rockville Centre, New York. ATMs went on
to revolutionize the banking industry, eliminating the need to
visit a bank to conduct basic financial transactions.

By the 1980s, these money machines had become widely
popular and handled many of the functions previously
performed by human tellers, such as check deposits and
money transfers between accounts. Today, ATMs are as
indispensable to most people as cell phones and e-mail.

Sir Thomas Bland (center) unveiled the first ATM by
drawing back a curtain, and actor Reg Varney (center) 
made the first cash withdrawal.

On September 2, 1969, America’s first automatic teller
machine (ATM) makes its public debut, dispensing
cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville
Centre, New York. ATMs went on to revolutionize the
banking industry, eliminating the need to visit a bank
to conduct basic financial transactions.  

By the 1980s, these money machines had become
widely popular and handled many of the functions
previously performed by human tellers, such as
check deposits and  money transfers between
accounts. 

Today, ATMs are as indispensable to most people
as cell phones and e-mail.

Donald C. Wetzel (93) is an American businessman known
for holding the USA patent to the automatic teller machine.

America’s first automatic teller machine (ATM) made
made its public debut, dispensing cash at Chemical
Bank in Rockville Centre, New York. ATMs went on
to revolutionize the banking industry.

Donald Wetzel (center) demonstrates America’s first ATM in 1969 at
the former Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, LI.