WASHINGTON, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO )

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27: TWO FAMOUS BRIDGES

Profile America -- Wednesday, May 27th. Two famous landmarks at opposite ends of the country are having anniversaries this week. Both are part of the personality of the cities they serve. And both are bridges and were considered engineering marvels when they were built. San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge opened on this day in 1937, hailed as a technological marvel then as now. And, the Brooklyn Bridge, spanning New York's East River, opened May 24th in 1883 for pedestrians and horse-drawn vehicles, and now daily carries thousands of automobiles, which hadn't even been invented then. While not as famous, nearly 600,000 other bridges form a vital part of the nation's highway system. Of these, a quarter are considered obsolete to cope with the growing volume of traffic. Profile America is beginning its 13th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 282, 287

Statistical Abstract 2009, t. 1050

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

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