('''5/3 Bank''') is a
U.S. regional
Bank ing
Corporation , headquartered in
Cincinnati, Ohio . The banking arm of Fifth Third Bancorp, a
Financial Services company, Fifth Third Bank has branches across much of the eastern U.S., in
Florida ,
Illinois ,
Indiana ,
Kentucky ,
Michigan ,
Ohio ,
Pennsylvania ,
West Virginia , and
Tennessee .
Fifth Third Bank's history can be traced back to
June 17 ,
1858 , when the Bank of the Ohio Valley opened in Cincinnati. The Third National Bank organized five years later, on
June 23 ,
1863 , and on
April 29 ,
1871 , the younger bank acquired the older one, beginning a 130-year history of banking acquisitions and mergers, with numerous smaller banks being absorbed and renamed.
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Fifth Third's unusual name is the result of the
June 1 ,
1908 ,
Merger of two banks, The Fifth National Bank and The Third National Bank, to become The Fifth Third National Bank of Cincinnati. Because the merger took place during a period when prohibitionist ideas were gaining popularity, it was believed that "Fifth Third" was better than "Third Fifth," which could be construed as a reference to "three-fifths" of alcohol. The name went through several changes over the years, until on
March 24 ,
1969 , the name was changed to Fifth Third Bank.
