Marci
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to AlasBabylon's Trivia
440.2 Read to Me
440.2.1 Which mystery author brings us Diana Speed,a
publishing company chief financial office in
New York?
440.2.2 Which mystery author brings us Calista Jacobs,
and illustrator of children’s books in Cambridge,
Massachusetts?
440.2.3 Which mystery author brings us Marjorie Randolph,
owner of a retail bookstore called Cavalier Books,
in Washington D. C.?
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===== FACTOIDS =====
factoid: a briefly stated and usually trivial fact
According to the BBC, the modern ATM was invented in the ’60s by a
Briton named John Shepherd-Barron. The machine predated plastic cards,
so in order to withdraw cash, customers had to use checks “that were
impregnated with carbon 14.” The maximum withdrawal was a modest £10,
and the first ATMs had their share of problems, nevertheless banks
took to them right away. Eventually so did their customers.
The first ATM was also responsible for another invention that we all
use about 100 times every day: the four digit PIN. Mr. Shepherd-
Barron’s wife convinced him that most people could only remember a
four digit number, so that became the industry standard (he originally
wanted a six-digit PIN).
Today, there are about 1.6 million ATMs worldwide.
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