WASHINGTON, June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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TUESDAY, JUNE 22: BAR CODES
Profile America — Tuesday, June 22nd. A simple pack of chewing gum made history this week in 1974. It was the first item purchased by scanning a bar code direct into a cash register — at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio. Whoever made the purchase is not known — but realizing the significance of the event, the buyer returned the item — a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit, which is now on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The sound of the old cash register is now relegated to history, along with the mournful whistle of a steam locomotive. Today, the bar code is part of everyday life for all of those who shop and work in America's more than 1.1 million retail stores. 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 2010, p. 340
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 740
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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