U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 30

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

OLD ACQUAINTANCE

Profile America — Tuesday, December 30th. As a year draws to a close, it is common to reflect on the passage of time. How history will judge 2014 is not yet known, but this year's anniversaries are woven into the fabric of today. Two-hundred years ago, we experienced a foreign invasion and occupation, as British troops captured Washington, DC and burned the White House. One-hundred years ago, Henry Ford set an eight-hour workday, while President Woodrow Wilson signed a Mothers Day proclamation. Fifty years ago, we were invaded and occupied by the British again as the Beatles debuted in America. A century ago, the average life expectancy was 57 years for a baby girl and 52 years for a boy. Now, those figures are 81 years for girls and 76 for boys. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.

Sources:
1814 events: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-troops-set-fire-to-the-white-house
1914 events: http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1914
1964 events: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/1964/
1914 life expectancy: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 55
Current life expectancy/ pg 3: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr62/nvsr62_07.pdf

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

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SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

Related Links

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