{"id":52951,"date":"2019-09-27T11:04:25","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T15:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=52951"},"modified":"2019-09-30T13:25:42","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T17:25:42","slug":"fun-with-historical-social-security-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/fun-with-historical-social-security-numbers.html","title":{"rendered":"Fun with Historical Social Security Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Introduction<\/em><\/strong><em>: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to find fun facts about Social Security Numbers. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Admit it.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you have not reached the age to collect a Social Security check, you pay attention to comments, posts and tweets about Social Security. You may even be prone to sharing a few, even if they have not been fact-checked.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52955\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52955\" style=\"width: 418px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/illustration-0927-2019-social-security-number-poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52955\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/illustration-0927-2019-social-security-number-poster.png\" alt=\"Photo: a poster from the Social Security Board, 1935\" width=\"418\" height=\"632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/illustration-0927-2019-social-security-number-poster.png 418w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/illustration-0927-2019-social-security-number-poster-198x300.png 198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 418px) 100vw, 418px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52955\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: a poster from the Social Security Board, 1935. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Misconceptions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A lot of misconceptions about Social Security have to do with promises of the early system.<\/p>\n<p>So many false statements are passed around that the official Social Security Administration website even has two pages addressing misconceptions. I\u2019m not going to repeat them, but I do encourage you to read the articles:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/history\/InternetMyths.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Myths and Misinformation about Social Security (Part 1)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/history\/InternetMyths2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Myths and Misinformation about Social Security (Part 2)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can also uncover fun facts about Social Security using old newspaper articles, such as those in GenealogyBank\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/explore\/newspapers\/all?utm_source=social&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=SM_Blog_txtlnk_2014_00&amp;s_referrer=social&amp;s_siteloc=blog&amp;s_trackval=SM_Blog_txtlnk_2014_00&amp;kbid=69919&amp;pq=1&amp;prebuy=no&amp;intver=&amp;CCPRODCODE=\">Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>. Here are some I would like to share.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Superstitions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Since numbers were to be assigned, there was concern about unlucky numbers such as #131313. Some of this concern was alleviated due to the numbering format system set in an XXX-XX-XXXX format.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52961\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52961\" style=\"width: 303px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A1425EEF26DF1B8D5%40GB3NEWS-145D657CB70E3677%402428152-145B1E9D25B5F878%4021-145B1E9D25B5F878\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52961\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/evansville-journal-newspaper-1215-1935-social-security-numbers.png\" alt=\"An article about Social Security Numbers, Evansville Journal newspaper article 15 December 1935\" width=\"303\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/evansville-journal-newspaper-1215-1935-social-security-numbers.png 303w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/evansville-journal-newspaper-1215-1935-social-security-numbers-186x300.png 186w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 303px) 100vw, 303px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52961\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evansville Journal (Evansville, Indiana), 15 December 1935, page 22<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Tattoos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:<\/strong> Is it true that people actually tattooed their Social Security Number (SSN) on their bodies?<\/p>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> That is true, as evidenced by this advice printed in early 1937. If your ancestor was contemplating doing this, it was advised to place the number where it wouldn\u2019t show.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52965\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52965\" style=\"width: 588px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A1126152C152E4978%40GB3NEWS-15F3B54544E7E23A%402428538-15F0181AEC9AE7DE%4017-15F0181AEC9AE7DE\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52965\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kansas-city-star-newspaper-0104-1937-social-security-numbers.png\" alt=\"An article about Social Security Numbers, Kansas City Star newspaper article 4 January 1937\" width=\"588\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kansas-city-star-newspaper-0104-1937-social-security-numbers.png 588w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kansas-city-star-newspaper-0104-1937-social-security-numbers-300x121.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 588px) 100vw, 588px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52965\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri), 4 January 1937, page 18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Embroidery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve never seen an embroidery of an SSN, but it was a fad \u2013 at least in Oklahoma. If one of our readers has an example in their collection, please share it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52969\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52969\" style=\"width: 536px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A142DA1546BD03B99%40GB3NEWS-15E250DC22BBB761%402428559-15F7FE6E371C57CB%403-15F7FE6E371C57CB\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52969\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/huntsville-times-newspaper-0125-1937-social-security-numbers.png\" alt=\"An article about Social Security Numbers, Huntsville Times newspaper article 25 January 1937\" width=\"536\" height=\"229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/huntsville-times-newspaper-0125-1937-social-security-numbers.png 536w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/huntsville-times-newspaper-0125-1937-social-security-numbers-300x128.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52969\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Huntsville Times (Huntsville, Alabama), 25 January 1937, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Contests<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Administrators with the task of assigning Social Security Numbers in their area soon noticed odd and humorous names, and created contests. This newspaper article gave \u201cstrange name honors\u201d to a miner named \u201cGeorge Washington Lied.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52975\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52975\" style=\"width: 404px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A13651645D687D212%40GB3NEWS-13A02312857F4D79%402428562-139F2CFA3A2F63C6%400-139F2CFA3A2F63C6\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52975\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/riverside-daily-press-newspaper-0128-1937-strange-name.png\" alt=\"An article about a strange name contest, Riverside Daily Press newspaper article 28 January 1937\" width=\"404\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/riverside-daily-press-newspaper-0128-1937-strange-name.png 404w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/riverside-daily-press-newspaper-0128-1937-strange-name-267x300.png 267w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52975\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Riverside Daily Press (Riverside, California), 28 January 1937, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>(By the way, if you enjoy funny names you may wish to read my GenealogyBank article <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/parent-pranksters-funny-names-recorded-on-the-u-s-federal-census.html\">Parent Pranksters: Funny Names Recorded on the U.S. Federal Census<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Geographical Locations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:<\/strong> Is there any identifying information that identifies genealogical information?<\/p>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> Yes. Prior to 25 June 2011, the first three numbers of one\u2019s SSN identified the location where someone applied for a number, which in most cases coincides with a residence. For instance, New Hampshire was assigned 001-003 and Alaska 574 as the initial digits.<\/p>\n<p>This can be useful when an ancestor shares a name with someone else. Compare the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Social_Security_number\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">chart at Wikipedia<\/a> with the assigned number to see if the geographical location makes sense. Keep in mind that after 25 June 2011, the SSN assignment was changed to a randomization process.<\/p>\n<p>An eagle-eyed reader might be able to figure out who the man in this 1939 photograph is \u2013 or at least where he applied for his Social Security Number \u2013 by the SSN tattooed on his arm.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52979\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52979\" style=\"width: 604px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-0927-2019-unemployed-lumber-worker.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52979\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-0927-2019-unemployed-lumber-worker.png\" alt=\"Photo: \u201cUnemployed lumber worker goes with his wife to the bean harvest,\u201d Oregon, August 1939\" width=\"604\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-0927-2019-unemployed-lumber-worker.png 604w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-0927-2019-unemployed-lumber-worker-300x223.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: \u201cUnemployed lumber worker goes with his wife to the bean harvest,\u201d Oregon, August 1939. Note Social Security Number tattooed on his arm. Credit: Dorothea Lange; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>First Assignees <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>People who were the first to be assigned numbers were often spotlighted in newspaper articles \u2013 so if one of these was your ancestor, please let me know in the comments section below.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52983\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52983\" style=\"width: 515px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A1379ABB5EAD0D0AA%40GB3NEWS-16999334562EA215%402428500-16998EBDDD937EED%4012-16998EBDDD937EED\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52983\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/beaumont-journal-newspaper-1127-1936-social-security-number.png\" alt=\"An article about Social Security Numbers, Beaumont Journal newspaper article 27 November 1936\" width=\"515\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/beaumont-journal-newspaper-1127-1936-social-security-number.png 515w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/beaumont-journal-newspaper-1127-1936-social-security-number-300x245.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52983\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beaumont Journal (Beaumont, Texas), 27 November 1936, page 13<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>First Beneficiary<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a bit of trivia: the first person to receive benefits was centenarian Ida May Fuller (6 Sept. 1874 &#8211; 27 Jan. 1975), who retired in 1939. She has early American roots including at least one ancestor who was a Revolutionary War patriot. Perhaps some of our GenealogyBank Blog followers are cousins.<\/p>\n<p>As of the writing of this blog article, there were few flowers on her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/140529189\/ida-may-fuller\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Findagrave memorial<\/a>; please consider adding some.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Request<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Please leave comments about how your family may have preserved their Social Security Numbers in fun and unusual ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to find fun facts about Social Security Numbers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":52991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12641],"tags":[5322,4727],"class_list":["post-52951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humor-sayings","tag-humor","tag-social-security-numbers"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/illustration-0927-2019-featured-graphic-u.s.-social-security-administration.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}