U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for October 5

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5: DICK TRACY AT 80

Profile America — Wednesday, October 5th.  One of America's longest-running comic strips — and one of its best-known detectives — is 80 years old this week.  Dick Tracy first appeared in 1931 and soon attracted a huge following. Tracy was a dedicated, smart detective, who used the latest technology to help defeat a galaxy of bizarre criminals, such as Prune Face, Flat Top, and Pear Shape.  The comic strip was the idea of Chester Gould, and was the first to deal in graphic violence, usually part of a rough morality in which crime did not pay.  When Dick Tracy first appeared, there were just over 1,900 daily newspapers with a circulation of about 39 million.  Today, there are some 1,400 papers, read by nearly 49 million people every day.  Profile America is in its 15th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2011, p. 500
www.dicktracymuseum.com
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 809
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, t. 1135

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