On April 30, the U.S. Census Bureau's daily podcast Profile America Audio ended its 25-year run. In its place, we have launched By the Numbers, a new monthly spotlight on notable observances, anniversaries, and historical events. Click here to

Louisiana Purchase

Apr 30th, 2022 1m

APRIL 30: Louisiana Purchase Profile America — Saturday, April 30th. This is the 219th anniversary of perhaps the greatest real estate deal in American history — one that doubled the size of the nation, putting it in position to become a world

National Arbor Day

Apr 29th, 2022 1m

APRIL 29: National Arbor Day Profile America — Friday, April 29th. Today is National Arbor Day, an observance going back 150 years to celebrate nature’s bounty of trees. Arbor Day comes with plenty of flexibility, though, as different states no

Zippers

Apr 28th, 2022 1m

APRIL 28: Zippers Profile America — Thursday, April 28th. Today is the 109th anniversary of an invention many — if not most — of us use every day without a second thought, but occasionally with a struggle. In April 1913, Hoboken, New Jersey, re

Praise For The Pros

Apr 27th, 2022 1m

APRIL 27: Praise For The Pros Profile America — Wednesday, April 27th. Today is Administrative Professionals Day. It falls in the middle of Administrative Professionals Week — a time to recognize a job well done and to promote the growth and tr

First License Plates

Apr 26th, 2022 1m

APRIL 26: First License Plates Profile America — Tuesday, April 26th. Many automobile license plates proclaim glories of the issuing states. Others spell out something dear to the drivers but indecipherable to anyone else. Those plates, and the

Let The Games Begin

Apr 25th, 2022 1m

APRIL 25: Let The Games Begin Profile America — Monday, April 25th. What might be considered the birth certificate of the home video game industry was issued on this date 50 years ago. That 1972 event was the award of a patent to German-born en

A Higher Power

Apr 24th, 2022 1m

APRIL 24: A Higher Power Profile America — Sunday, April 24th. On tomorrow’s date 68 years ago, Bell Laboratories in New York announced the prototype manufacture of a new solar battery, or what we now call a solar cell. The new cell was capable

Slowing Immigration

Apr 23rd, 2022 1m

APRIL 23: Slowing Immigration Profile America — Saturday, April 23rd. One-hundred one years ago today, the Census Bureau announced that the total foreign-born population of the United States had increased by only 2.6 percent since the 1910 cens

A Taste Negation

Apr 22nd, 2022 1m

APRIL 22: A Taste Negation Profile America — Friday, April 22nd. On this date 37 years ago, executives at one of America’s and the world’s most famous consumer brands were expecting good news on the morrow about a new and improved product. Afte

First Movie Theater

Apr 21st, 2022 1m

APRIL 21: First Movie Theater Profile America — Thursday, April 21st. For over a century and a quarter, going to the movies has been one of the American people’s great pleasures. The first time paying Americans gathered as an audience to watch

Ford Launches Assembly Line

Apr 20th, 2022 1m

APRIL 20: Ford Launches Assembly LineProfile America — Wednesday, April 20th. The American automobile industry began to crank up this month in 1913 — as Henry Ford set up the first moving assembly line in Highland Park, Michigan. Before the ass

All News

Apr 19th, 2022 1m

APRIL 19: All News Profile America — Tuesday, April 19th. The first all-news radio format in America was heard on this date in 1965, as WINS-AM in New York City switched from rock ‘n’ roll to rip and read. The station faded out the last song, t

First Laundromat

Apr 18th, 2022 1m

APRIL 18: First Laundromat Profile America —Monday, April 18th. For urban dwellers, the difficulty — or at least the expense — of doing their laundry began to ease on this date 88 years ago. In 1934, the first public, self-operated laundry in t

First Public School

Apr 17th, 2022 1m

APRIL 17: First Public School Profile America — Sunday, April 17th. America’s oldest school in continuous existence celebrates its 387th birthday this month. The Boston Latin School started in 1635 with a handful of students meeting in the head