1752
First American Cooperative
Benjamin Franklin founds the first cooperative on this continent. The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss doesn’t have a catchy name, but it will continue to operate from the 18^th Century into the 21^st.

1756
Dark or milk?
The first chocolate factory is established in Germany. German men become the first to ask, "What’s with women and chocolate, anyway?"

1842
Oompah
The polka, a dance of Czech origin, becomes popular across Europe. No word on where the chicken dance came from.

1843
Whoosh
Skiing as a sport gets its start in Tromso, Norway. Oddly enough, the plaster cast won’t be invented for another seven years.

1846
Cooperative Mill
Crop failure and famine in Germany cause Herman Schulze-Delitzsch to organize a cooperatively owned mill and bakery, which sells bread to members at a substantial savings.

1847
10 hour work days
The British Factory Act limits the working day for women and children between 13 and 18 years old to 10 hours. Sorry, guys: you still have to work long days.

1850
A People's Bank
Schulze-Delitzsch organizes the first financial cooperative, known as a "people’s bank."

1854
Credit Union
Friedrich Raiffeisen forms the Heddesdorf Credit Union to give credit to farmers for livestock, seed, and other farming needs.

1877
I can see clearly... Ow!
The first practical contact lenses are developed by Swiss physician, Dr. A.E. Frick. They’re made from glass, though, and not very popular.

1878
Oh lord, won't you buy me...
Karl Benz develops his first motorized vehicle, a tricycle with a top speed of 7 mph.

1883
Skyscraper
The first skyscraper, 10 stories tall, is built in Chicago.

1900
A credit union in the new world
The first credit union on this side of the Atlantic is established in Levis, Quebec, to give relief to the working class from loan sharks.

1909
First U.S. Credit Union
The first US credit union is formed in Manchester, NH.

1916
They're not chinese?
George Jung makes the first fortune cookies in Los Angeles, CA.

1917
Sure they're stylish, but do they jump higher?
US Rubber introduces Keds, the first popularly marketed sneaker. The soles are black and the canvas is a stylish chestnut brown to match the men’s leather shoes of the day.

1920s
Times are good
People have more money to save and spend, and are able to afford more expensive products like cars and washing machines. Commercial banks are not interested in providing consumers credit for such purposes, so credit unions become increasingly popular.

1922
Meanwhile, back in Quebec
Fifteen-year old Joseph Bombardier builds the first snowmobile.

1927
Hello, Operator?
The first transatlantic phone call lasts three minutes and costs $75.

1934
Federal Credit Union Act
President Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act into law, authorizing the establishment of federally chartered credit unions in all states. The federal law is "to make more available to people of small means credit for provident purposes through a national system of cooperative credit…"

1936
Beetle I
The Volkswagen Beetle is launched. What excuse did kids use for hitting each other in the car before Slug Bug?

1940
Nylons
Nylon stockings are invented. The good news is that the hosiery industry is no longer subject to silk shortages. The bad news is that early claims that the new nylons would "last forever" have proven grossly untrue.

1946
Microwave Popcorn
Dr. Percy Spencer, testing a magnetron tube, places a bag of popcorn kernels next to the tube and, within minutes, kernels are popping all over the floor. Thus, he invents the microwave oven and microwave popcorn all in one day. He’s also the first person to get that popcorn smell all over the building.

1950
Charge it!
Diners Club introduces the first credit card.

1953
TV Guide
TV Guide, the first national television program guide, makes its debut. Who’s on the first cover? Baby Desidero Alberto Arnaz IV, "Little Ricky."

1960
10,000 Credit Unions
Over 6 million people belong to over 10,000 federal credit unions in the United Sates.

1965
Blackout
The biggest power failure in history causes a nine-hour blackout in eastern Canada and US. Nine months later, there’s a surge in both countries’ birthrates.

1970
NCUSIF
The National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) is organized to insure credit union deposits. The NCUSIF is created without tax dollars and capitalized solely by credit unions.

1972
Pong
Atari introduces the first major coin-operated electronic video game. The game, which looks like tennis played by two dashes and a dot, goes on to sweep the nation in a home version that permanently burns a line down the middle of TVs everywhere.

1980
CDs
Philips invents CDs – the music kind.

1983
Cell Phone
Alexander Graham Bell’s grandson answers the first commercial cell phone call.

Today
We're Number 1!

• Since 1984, credit unions have rated first in customer satisfaction among financial institutions in an annual survey by American Banker. 
• An estimated 1 in 3 Canadians belongs to a credit union. In Ireland, 2 of 3 people do. Over 4 million people belong to Michigan’s 450 credit unions.