2 September 1969: America's first ATM opens on Long Island

Chemical Bank installed what is widely considered the first automatic teller machine in the United States at its branch in Rockville Centre, New York. It could only dispense cash, using a coded card. Within decades ATMs were everywhere, banks were open around the clock in a sense, and customers came to expect instant access to their money. Convenience, once tasted, is very hard to take away.

The lesson: Convenience is a powerful driver of adoption; customers rarely go back once they have it.