WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13: ROLLER COASTERS
Profile America — Wednesday, June 13th. With summer almost here, children will be urging their parents to take them to the nearest amusement park. The highlight of these parks are ever more thrilling roller coasters, which trace their roots back to 15th century ice slides in Russia. In the U.S., the first modern roller coaster opened 125 years ago this week at Coney Island, New York. It was built by Lamarcus Thompson, and was called "the gravity pleasure switchback railway." The ride lasted a minute and cost a nickel. Now, there are 524 theme and amusement parks across the nation, and along with arcades, they sell $13.5 billion worth of tickets annually. Profile America is produced by the U.S. Census Bureau: Measuring America—People, Places, and Our Economy.
Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 311
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1231, 1229
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
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