When life turns on a dime and you find yourself in desperate need of emergency assistance, your first instinct is likely to pick up the closest phone and dial 9-1-1. While this is second nature to us today, there wasn’t always an emergency system such as 9-1-1 in place. In fact, prior to 1973 (origins as early as 1957), there wasn’t a nationwide number giving citizens access to emergency services. Today, the number 9-1-1 is known as the “Universal Emergency Number” and is available to virtually all U.S. citizens. More on the history of 9-1-1 below: