Luther George Simjian, the inventor of ATM, was born on 28 January 1905 (Gaziantep) to poor Armenian parents, in the territory of the Ottoman Empire. At the age of 14, Simjian said farewell to his parents and through Beirut he fled to Western Europe, which he left in 1920 for the United States, where he emigrated and settled.

He held 219 patents (including the teleprompter, ultrasound devices for medical purposes, flight simulator, etc.), but above all the cash dispenser was to have the greatest impact. The Bankmatic Automated Teller Machine was introduced in 1939 by the City Bank of New York, but the new machine was withdrawn after six months due to a complete lack of demand on part of the population. Simjian complained that it was only gamblers and prostitutes who seemed to use it.

The inventor eventually gained professional recognition and financial well-being with his flight simulator that was used for practice by thousands of American pilots in World War Two. Over 2 thousand units were sold.

Simjian died on 23 October 1997.