September 2 - Beginnings and Endings and Beginnings

Posted on September 2, 2021

Key Points

This is an update of my post published on September 2, 2010:

On this day in 1969, the first Automated Teller Machine (that’s ATM to you and me) in the U.S. was installed in Rockville Center, New York.

The first ATMs were installed inside or outside banks, making it possible for people with bank accounts to access their money without waiting in long lines for a teller, including (for outer ATMs) when the bank was closed.

Later ATMs cropped up at convenient places such as shopping centers, grocery stores, malls, amusement parks, airports, and basically everywhere!

People can do more than take money out of their bank accounts with an ATM. These days (depending on the ATM) they can also make deposits (some banks spit back receipts with photos of the deposited checks), buy stamps and lottery tickets and even train tickets, pay routine bills, donate to charities, and of course check on their bank balance or recent transactions.

Some other names for ATMs include hole-in-the-wall, cashpoint (in Britain), Bankomat (in various European countries), and All Time Money (in India).

By the way, I once went to a town in Belgium – my first day in the nation, and I didn’t yet have local money – and ALL of the ATMs were inaccessible, along with all credit card transactions. The whole financial infrastructure that depended on the internet was interrupted – for hours and hours and hours. Luckily, I had followed the advice of a travel-savvy friend, and I had some American money with me, so I could do the whole exchange thing and buy some food and drink and enjoy the day!

Another time, my daughter was traveling in Europe with a friend, and an ATM “ate” her card! And it was on the weekend, when the banks would be closed for several days! She ended up having to have her friend front all the money she would need for a big chunk of the trip – and then she paid her back.

Both those stories have a moral: The “cashless society” thing can be a bit fragile – so try to always have some cash somewhere, just in case!

You could keep a bill or two in your phone case…
just in case.

Also on this day in 1969 (the same day as the beginning of ATMs), the original Star Trek ran its last episode. It had been cancelled.

The show debuted in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It wasn’t a “hit” — it never got over 52nd in the ratings — but it did have a very loyal fan base that ran a successful letter-writing campaign that led to the third season, and an unsuccessful letter-writing campaign that wasn’t able to save the show for a fourth.

So it seemed like the end for Star Trek…

…But as you surely know, it was just the beginning!

The ending of The Original Series (now the show’s name, in caps!) was just the beginning of a mighty entertainment empire! The original series was shown in re-runs and syndication for years and years, and it developed more than a loyal following – it was more like a cult following.

There have been seven more TV series, plus two animated series, plus 13 movies! And counting! – A fourteenth movie is set for release in 2023!

The Star Trek franchise also includes hundreds of books, comics, computer and video games, attractions at places such as Universal Studios and Las Vegas, toys, and more.

And don’t forget the conventions!
There are lots and lots of Star Trek conventions!

Some fans identify themselves as “Trekkies,” and others as “Trekkers.” Many fans attend science fiction conventions devoted particularly to Star Trek, some wearing costumes that sometimes include pointy Spock ears. A few fans have learned some of the Klingon language, which is ranked as a full-fledged artificial language.

The Klingons of Star Trek have an entire language that has been
created and learned and used by some fans!

Like all science fiction, Star Trek has inspired some people to learn science and become scientists. It has even inspired some inventions: The first inventor of a cell phone that opens up (a “flip phone”) admits he was inspired by Captain James T. Kirk’s flip-open communicator.