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Citibank

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Citibank is a very large and important bank in the United States. It is the main banking part of a huge company called Citigroup.

Citibank US Branches 2020
Citibank US Branches 2020

This bank helps people and businesses manage their money every day. It is currently the third-largest bank in the U.S. when looking at its assets. Assets are the total amount of money and things a bank owns.

20070509 Citibank
20070509 Citibank

Because it is so big, it has branches in 19 different countries. In the U.S., it has many offices in big cities like New York City and Chicago. It also has offices in places like Wuhan, China.

Wuhan NY City Bank
Wuhan NY City Bank

Banks like Citibank work by helping money move around the world. They can help governments pay for big projects or wars. For example, the bank helped pay for the Panama Canal. It also helped the U.S. government during the Civil War. The bank even helped the U.S. buy the Philippines in 1899.

New York, corner between Wall Street and William Street 1798
New York, corner between Wall Street and William Street 1798

One way it works is through credit cards. Citibank was a very big leader in making these cards. In 1994, it was the biggest card issuer in the whole world. They even made cards that let people do things without using a paper passbook.

This bank has a very long history that started a long time ago. It was founded on June 16, 1812, as the City Bank of New York.

New York, corner between Wall Street and William Street 1798
New York, corner between Wall Street and William Street 1798

Its very first president was a man named Samuel Osgood. After that, many other leaders ran the bank for many years. In 1865, it joined the national banking system and changed its name. It later became the National City Bank of New York. By 1895, it had grown to be the largest bank in the entire U.S.

(King1893NYC) pg719 NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK. 52 WALL STREET, NORTH SIDE, BETWEEN PEARL AND WILLIAM STREETS
(King1893NYC) pg719 NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK. 52 WALL STREET, NORTH SIDE, BETWEEN PEARL AND WILLIAM STREETS

There have been many important moments and big changes for the bank. In 1914, it became the first U.S. national bank to open an office in Argentina.

Wuhan NY City Bank
Wuhan NY City Bank

In 1919, the bank reached a huge goal of having $1 billion in assets. However, there were also hard times in its history. In 1929, the bank was led by Charles E. Mitchell during a stock market crash. This crash led to the Great Depression. Later, in 1976, the bank officially took the name Citibank, N.A.

Citibank old logo
Citibank old logo

You might see the Citibank name in your own life through credit cards. The bank has worked with many famous names over the years. In 1967, they created a card called "The Everything Card." This card eventually became part of MasterCard.

Citibank old logo
Citibank old logo

You might also see their offices in many different types of neighborhoods. For instance, there is a branch in Manhattan's Chinatown.

Citibank Chinatown
Citibank Chinatown

Whether through a card or a local office, the bank is part of how modern money works.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:New York, corner between Wall Street and William Street 1798.png
New York, corner between Wall Street and...
File:Wuhan NY City Bank.jpg
Wuhan NY City Bank.jpg
File:(King1893NYC) pg719 NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK. 52 WALL STREET, NORTH SIDE, BETWEEN PEARL AND WILLIAM STREETS.jpg
(King1893NYC) pg719 NATIONAL CITY BANK OF...
File:Citibank old logo.svg
Citibank old logo.svg
File:Citibank US Branches 2020.svg
Citibank US Branches 2020.svg
File:Citibank Chinatown.jpg
Citibank Chinatown.jpg
File:20070509 Citibank.JPG
20070509 Citibank.JPG
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