# Social Security Numbers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-numbers/230823>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 24, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-numbers/230823 "2004-02-24T03:46:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@Bret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bret)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-numbers/230823/1 "2004-02-24T03:46:39Z")

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Are social security numbers just random numbers? Are they ever re-used after people die?

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**Author:** ![Squonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squonk)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-numbers/230823/2 "2004-02-24T03:56:48Z")

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Cecil says this about social security numbers

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-numbers/230823/3 "2004-02-24T04:21:15Z")

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And don’t forget this novel approach - why not visit the [Social Security Administration FAQ page](http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html)!

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**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-numbers/230823/4 "2004-02-24T04:22:03Z")

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\<Hijack\>  
Hilda Whitcher was the original owner of the famous “Woolworth” SSAN.

Shortly after social security started, she was working as a secretary for a wallet manufacturer. The company somehow selected her number to show on a sample social security card included in each wallet.

Over the years over 40,000 people claimed the number, and a handful were still claiming it as late as 1977.  
\</hijack\>