U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for February 6

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6: G.I. JOE

Profile America — Monday, February 6th.  It may seem hard to believe, but it was 48 years ago this month that G.I. Joe action figures first went on sale.  G.I. Joe was the first mass market doll intended for boys, and at $2.49, it was a huge success.  The figure's name came from the movie, "The Story of G.I. Joe," starring Robert Mitchum and Burgess Meredith.  For several decades, families all over America found parts to G.I. Joes hidden under couch cushions, behind refrigerators, and stuck in vacuum cleaner hoses.  Today, in a market dominated by imports, making dolls and stuffed animals is a $167 million a year business in the U.S., employing just under 1,000 people.  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 2012, p. 109
2007 Economic Census, NAICS 339931

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