h0w's 7 - eleven g0t its name...

The c0mpany has its 0rigins in 1927 in dallas, texas, usa when an empl0yee 0f S0uthland Ice C0mpany, J0e C. Th0mps0n started selling milk, eggs and bread fr0m an ice d0ck. The 0riginal l0cati0n was an impr0vised st0refr0nt at S0uthland Ice C0mpany, an ice-manufacturing plant 0wned by J0hn Jeffers0n Green. Alth0ugh small gr0cery st0res and general merchandisers were present in the immediate area, the manager 0f the ice plant, J0e C. Th0mps0n disc0vered that selling "c0nvenience items" such as bread and milk was p0pular due t0 the ice's natural ability t0 preserve the items. This significantly cut back 0n pe0ple's need t0 travel l0ng distances t0 the gr0cery st0res f0r basic items. J0e C. Th0mps0n eventually b0ught the S0uthland Ice C0mpany and turned it int0 the S0uthland C0rp0rati0n which 0versaw several l0cati0ns which 0pened up in the Dallas area. Initially, these st0res were 0pen fr0m 7 a.m. t0 11 p.m., h0urs unprecedented in their length, hence the name. The c0mpany began t0 use the 7-Eleven name in 1946. By 1952, 7-Eleven 0pened its 100th st0re. It was inc0rp0rated as the s0uthland c0rp0rati0n in 1961. In 1962, 7-Eleven first experimented with a 24-h0ur schedule in austin, texas. In 1963, 24-h0ur st0res were established in las legas, f0rt w0rth and dallas.

taken fr0m, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_eleven