COBOL

COBOL processes a staggering 95% of ATM transactions daily, a volume that dwarfs the output of #5 FORTRAN in commercial applications. Designed by Grace Hopper and standardized in 1959, it introduced English-like syntax that revolutionized business data processing. Over 200 billion lines of COBOL code remain in active production across banks and governments worldwide, handling $3 trillion in daily financial flows. COBOL's reliability is unmatched, with an average uptime of 99.997% in core banking systems—20% better than the typical modern replacement. This legacy language still processes 80% of in-person point-of-sale transactions globally, proving its irreplaceable role in critical infrastructure.