The first Social Security number (SSN) was issued to John David Sweeney, Jr., in mid-November 1936, though the actual lowest number, 001-01-0001, went to Grace Dorothy Owen of New Hampshire, as the process wasn't perfectly sequential, with Sweeney's record established first, but Owen's being the lowest assigned number, according to the Social Security Administration.
This particular record, (055-09-0001) belonged to John D. Sweeney, Jr., age 23, of New Rochelle, New York. The next day, newspapers around the country announced that Sweeney had been issued the first SSN.
January 31, 1940 Ida M. Fuller became the first person to receive an old-age monthly benefit check under the new Social Security law. She paid in $24.75 between 1937 and 1939 on an income of $2,484. Her first check, dated January 31, was for $22.54.
SSA will not issue SSNs beginning with the number “666” in positions 1 – 3. SSA will not issue SSNs beginning with the number “000” in positions 1 – 3. SSA will not issue SSNs with the number “00” in positions 4 – 5. SSA will not issue SSNs with the number “0000” in positions 6 – 9.
Roosevelt signed the Social Security Bill into law on August 14, 1935, only 14 months after sending a special message to Congress on June 8, 1934, that promised a plan for social insurance as a safeguard "against the hazards and vicissitudes of life." The 32-page Act was the culmination of work begun by the Committee ...
The First Social Security Beneficiary
Ida May Fuller was the first beneficiary of recurring monthly Social Security payments.
No valid SSN has 9 identical digits or has the 9 digits running consecutively from 1-9. For example, all of the following SSNs are invalid: 111-11-1111. 999-99-9999.
Just as Social Security Numbers (SSNs) are used in the United States to identify residents for various governmental purposes (e.g., tax or benefits), all Korean residents get a national identification number called the “Resident Registration Number” (RRN).
Area Numbers — The first set of three digits, or “area numbers,” indicates the state or territory where the SSN was issued. Each state and territory was assigned unique numbers, with the exception of the area numbers 000, 666 and 900–999, which were never used.
The most misused SSN of all time was (078-05-1120). In 1938, wallet manufacturer the E. H. Ferree company in Lockport, New York decided to promote its product by showing how a Social Security card would fit into its wallets.
However, since the Social Security numbers were not assigned in chronological order, Sweeney did not receive the lowest Social Security number, 001-01-0001. That distinction belongs to Grace D. Owen of Concord, New Hampshire.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
Bush financed income tax cuts and the Iraq war by plundering money from Social Security.
The Social Security and Tax Number (Individual Number) is a unique 12-digit number assigned to every resident of Japan.
Calling into Korea: +82 XX XXXX YYYY. The leading "0" is dropped when dialling into South Korea from abroad.
SSN is given a serial number from the series 2001-2999 and 7001-7999. The last three serial numbers issued are 9998, 9999, and 7999. Serial number 0000 is never used. Each State goes through all of its area numbers with group number 01 and serial numbers 0001-9999 and 7999 before using group number 03.
Will the SSA ever run out of SSNs? The nine-digit SSN will eventually be exhausted. The previous SSN assignment process limited the number of SSNs that were available for assignment to individuals in each state.
Across those years, $2 million could equate to approximately $57,143 annually or $4,762 monthly. This should be more than enough, although healthcare expenses and other expenditures could deplete it more quickly than you expect, and it may not be sufficient for a lavish retirement if that is what you have in mind.
Roughly 7% to 9% of American households have $500,000 or more in retirement savings, though figures vary slightly by source, with data from late 2025 suggesting around 7.2% and older 2022 data indicating about 9%, showing it's a significant milestone achieved by less than one in ten families, despite higher averages driven by wealthy individuals.
This is how much millionaire workers get from Social Security. An income of $1 million a year amounts to a monthly payment of about $83,333.33. Retirement benefits are generally designed to replace about 40% of pre-retirement income.