U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for April 25

WASHINGTON, April 25 /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)

SUNDAY, APRIL 25: FIRST LICENSE PLATES

Profile America — Sunday, April 25th.  Automobile license plates herald the scenic wonders of the various states, along with words often giving a glimpse of the driver's personality.  New York was the first state to require license plates on motor vehicles this month in 1901.  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.  Many critics expected that they were only a rich man's fad.  Now, there are more than 247 million cars, trucks, and buses zipping along the nation's sophisticated highway system, and nearly 206 million Americans have driver's licenses.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 241

Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 716

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 1062

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