WASHINGTON, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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Profile America -- Friday, April 1st. When we get into our cars, we are used to their engines starting easily and running smoothly as we go to work, shopping or on vacation. It's the same with buses, trucks, lawnmowers and generators. Internal combustion engines and the fuel they need are major parts of our economy. The first internal combustion engine was patented by Captain Samuel Morey, of Oxford, New Hampshire on this date in 1826, burning spirits of turpentine. The first gasoline-powered engine came along in 1844 and the first diesel engine in 1898. Now, motor vehicles in the U.S. consume nearly 171 billion gallons of fuel each year, and average just over 17 miles per gallon. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.
Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 5477
U.S. Census Bureau, Through the Decades
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, t. 1101
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 for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
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