Profile America -- Wednesday, December 30th. Before closing the book on this eventful year, it's worth noting some of the anniversaries of 2009.

A hundred years ago, the U.S. Army accepted a Wright Brothers aircraft as the world's first military airplane. In 1934, 75 years ago, the comic strips Flash Gordon, Lil' Abner, and Terry and the Pirates appeared in U.S. newspapers.

Fifty years ago, Hawaii joined the Union as the 50th state. And 25 years ago, in 1984, AT&T -- known as "Ma Bell," was broken up into seven regional phone companies.

A century ago, the average life expectancy was 54 years for a baby girl and 51 years for a boy. Now, those figures are 81 years for girls and 76 for boys.

Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau, now preparing for the 2010 Census.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, various
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 55
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 100
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009/2009edition.html

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