U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 24

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24: DUKE KAHANAMOKU

Profile America — Wednesday, August 24th.  Today marks the birthday of one of the most famous Hawaiians — Duke Kahanamoku and there will probably be some extra flower leis put on his statue at Waikiki Beach.  A powerful swimmer, he won five medals at four different Olympics, retiring from competition at the age of 42.  He's credited with inventing the flutter kick but is best remembered for his efforts to popularize surfing.  Preferring old Hawaiian style boards, he often used a surfboard 16 feet long and weighing 114 pounds.  When Duke Kahanamoku began his Olympic swimming in 1912, Hawaii was home to some 200,000 people.  Today, just over 1.3 million call the island state home.  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 2011, p. 425

Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 9

U.S. Census Bureau, State and County Quickfacts

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