Monday Open Line


In Spanish, today’s date is Cinco de Mayo, and celebrations will be held in many cities across the U.S., as well as Mexico. These events mark the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when outnumbered Mexican troops defeated the invading French forces of Napoleon III. Over the years, the celebration has evolved from one of military victory to a colorful and vibrant event, celebrating Mexican culture. Appropriately, this is also National Salsa Month. There are over 34 million people of Mexican descent in the U.S., nearly 11 percent of the total population. Some 20.6 million of these live in either California or Texas. You can find more statistics on communities across the country by downloading the Census Bureau’s “dwellr” mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>.

Sunday, May 4th. Many things we take for granted in current society actually had their beginnings in Colonial America. And many beginnings in Colonial America took place in Philadelphia. The first known life insurance company was called the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers chartered this month in 1759. Given the year and location, it should not be surprising that Benjamin Franklin was involved in setting up the business. Now, there are almost 137,000 insurance agencies and brokerages in the U.S., with nearly 700,000 agents and workers. The insurance industry is a $106 billion a year sector of the economy. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the America’s Economy mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>

Saturday, May 3rd. America’s first medical college was established on this date in 1765. Students at the College of Philadelphia — now the University of Pennsylvania — were able to enroll in “anatomical lectures” and a class about “the theory and practice of physik.” The school’s faculty modeled the instruction after the style of European predecessors. They supplemented their instruction with observation and practice at nearby Pennsylvania Hospital, which was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Bond. The addition of these courses to the college’s curriculum made Penn, in a technical sense, America’s first university as well. Across the U.S. today, there are nearly 700,000 physicians and surgeons working out of some 222,000 offices and more than 6,500 hospitals. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.