ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
Banks wanted to extend service beyond branch hours, and inventor John Shepherd-Barron conceived a machine that could dispense cash using a coded token instead of a teller.
What happened
The first ATM was installed on June 27, 1967, at a Barclays branch in Enfield, London; customers used paper vouchers before magnetic stripe cards became standard.
Why it still matters
Cash machines spread worldwide and redefined banking around twenty-four-hour access and later digital transfers. Memorable detail: Shepherd-Barron said the idea came to him in the bath when he missed his bank's Saturday closing time.
Background
John Shepherd-Barron's idea spread worldwide.