U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for April 24

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Apr 24, 2012, 12:01 ET

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, APRIL 24: FIRST LICENSE PLATES

Profile America — Tuesday, April 24th. Many automobile license plates herald the scenic wonders of the various states, others contain words giving a glimpse of the driver's personal preferences. New York was the first state to require license plates on motor vehicles 111 years ago this month. At the time, there were just under 15,000 rudimentary automobiles in the entire country, traveling over muddy roads without a license for the driver or the automobile. Now, there are more than 246 million cars, trucks, and buses zipping along the nation's sophisticated highway system, and nearly 210 million Americans have driver's licenses. Profile America is produced by the U.S. Census Bureau: Measuring America—People, Places, and Our Economy.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 232
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 716
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t.1098

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