U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for October 5

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5: FATHER OF SPACE FLIGHT

Profile America -- Tuesday, October 5th.  The dreams of a boy born on this day in the 19th century led to one of today's most exciting achievements.  Robert Goddard was 17 when he climbed a tree to think about his future and decided to dedicate his life to developing rockets.  The year was 1899, and America moved by horse and buggy and steam engine.  Goddard's work led to the first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926 and later on, to the development of solid propellants.  Space flight has been a part of modern life for almost 60 years, from manned missions and satellites to telescopes and probes into deep space.  In 2008, there were 41 noncommercial launches of spacecraft and 28 commercial launches, led by Russia.  Profile America is in its 14th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 504

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 797

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