Western Union has taken of 451st position in the rating Fortune 500 in 2009, having moved from 473rd line in 2008. The Western Union Company - the American company, specialising on granting of services of monetary intermediary. Western Union was founded in 1851. The company is one of leaders in the market of the international remittances. In 1920, Western Union has implemented the world's first transmission of images over the ocean. In 1877, starting from September, New York City residents began to have the opportunity to check the time on clock with the "time ball", located on the roof of constructed in the same year a new corporate headquarters - Western Union Building. In 1914 Western Union engineers invented the first payment card - a prototype of the modern credit card. In 2000 was launched the Web site westernunion.com, with which users from certain countries can independently transfer funds online.