U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for January 25

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 25: FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL JET FLIGHT

Profile America -- Tuesday, January 25th.  The age of accessible, affordable jet passenger travel began on this date in 1959, when American Airlines made the first scheduled, nonstop flight from California to New York.  The aircraft that made the service possible was the Boeing 707, based on previous bomber and aerial tanker designs by the company.  The new plane made coast-to-coast flights about three hours faster than previous piston-engined airliners.  A round-trip ticket cost $231 -- about 25 percent cheaper than previous flights.  In 1959, 55 million passengers flew on the nation's airlines.  Now, that figure is 741 million annually.  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. 99

Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 769

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 1037

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