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. Western Union offers one of the easiest ways for families and friends to send money and stay connected almost anywhere in the world. In 1995, First Financial Management was acquired by First Data Corp. (the deal amounted to $ 7 billion), and Western Union Financial Services became a subsidiary of First Data. Money transfer is a matter of minutes, at any distance. In 1933, by the Western Union Company were invented "singing telegrams". Thanks to cooperation with Western Union the Associated Press at the end of the XIX century took almost monopolistic position in the U.S. market news. Western Union for more than 130 years provides money transfer services to its customers.