U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 30

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30: 2011 ANNIVERSARIES

Profile America — Friday, December 30th.  Before closing the book on this eventful year, it's worth noting some of the anniversaries of 2011.  One hundred years ago, the Transcontinental Telegraph was completed by Western Union, and Harriet Quimby became the first U.S. woman to receive a pilot's license.  In 1936, the last public execution, a hanging, took place in Kentucky, and Life magazine brought a new kind of reporting — photojournalism — to Americans each week.  Fifty years ago, Alan Shephard became the first American and the second man in space.  A century ago, the average life expectancy was 54 years for a baby girl and 51 years for a boy.  Now, those figures are 81 years for girls and 76 for boys.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources: Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 55
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 104

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