On December 28, 1967, the world's first automatic teller machine (ATM) was installed in Enfield, London. This innovation revolutionized how people accessed their money, allowing for cash withdrawals to be made without human interaction.

The ATM concept was developed by engineer John Shepherd-Barron. He envisioned a machine that would allow customers to access their bank accounts round the clock, ultimately leading to the installation of the first machine at a Barclays bank.

Public response to the ATM was mixed initially, with some customers being hesitant to trust a machine with their money. As ATMs became more widely available, their popularity soared, leading to a dramatic change in banking habits.

The first ATM dispensed only £10 notes, and customers had to use a specially designed voucher to access their funds, quite different from today’s card-based systems.

Interestingly, the idea for the ATM supposedly came to Shepherd-Barron while he was stuck in a bathtub trying to come up with a solution for 24-hour banking access.

By the end of the 20th century, ATMs had become ubiquitous; some estimates suggest there are over 3 million ATMs worldwide today, illustrating the profound impact of Shepherd-Barron's invention.

The event marked the beginning of a shift toward automated banking, reducing queues and allowing customers to make transactions at their convenience, which is a standard practice today.

Today's ATMs can offer a variety of services, from printing bank statements to allowing deposits, further enhancing their utility beyond just cash withdrawals.

What do you think about modern banking methods, and have you ever had a memorable experience using an ATM?