Social Security was signed into law on August 14, 1935 by President Roosevelt.
Social Security was to "frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age"
President Roosevelt, 1935Some interesting information on Social Security, the Act, and the numbers;
The lowest number given was to Grace D. Owen (PDF).
How about misused SSN's? The most interesting story I've ever heard is about the number issued by
Woolworth's (PDF).
The Social Security Numbering Scheme.
The first recorded applicant for a lump sum payment was Ernest Ackerman, who retired only one day after the Social Security program began.
For his nickel put into Social Security, he received a lump sum payment of seventeen cents. The lowest payment made was only five cents!
Payment of monthly benefits began in January 1940. The first monthly retirement check was issued to
Ida May Fuller (PDF).
Did you know that a program, similar to Social Security, was first thought of by a revolutionary war soldier in 1795? Read the first quote at
Additional Quotations (PDF).
Picture Slider puzzles
of figures from Social Security History.
