Most of the time, when we hop into our cars or trucks, we don’t think about our tires — we’ve become so accustomed to them performing for tens of thousands of miles with only checking the air pressure every now and then. This month in 1844 Charles Goodyear received a patent for his discovery that if he removed the sulfur from natural rubber and then heated it, it would remain elastic even when cold. More than 40 years later, Scottish veterinarian John Dunlop developed the balloon tire for a better ride on his bicycle. And in 1910, B.F. Goodrich added carbon to rubber, making tires last longer and also making them black. There are just over 20,000 tire dealers across the U.S., and each year, they sell $29.5 billion worth of tires. Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Here is Saturday’s, and Sunday’s as well:
Saturday, June 23rd. With summer here, it’s hard to think of a polar bear swim — one of those outings where slightly crazy people, usually wearing strange costumes, plunge into chilly waters in the middle of the winter. But today in Nome, Alaska, where it will be daylight pretty much all around the clock, the 37th annual Polar Bear Swim will be held. Dozens of swimmers will jump into the frigid Bering Sea — if the ice has broken up enough to allow the event to proceed. Down in the lower 48, swimmers of all ages are enjoying warmer waters across the nation — from lakes, rivers, and oceans to swimming pools. Swimming is one of our favorite recreational activities — with more than 50 million people taking the plunge at least six times a year. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, June 24th. The 41st annual Water Ski Days event winds up today in Lake City, Minnesota, as the town celebrates the birthday of water skiing. It was in 1922 that young Lake City resident Ralph Samuelson strapped on some slightly bent pine boards and was towed by a boat with an early outboard motor to the amazement of onlookers on the shores of Lake Pepin. At first considered a novelty, water skiing quickly became a brand new sport in the U.S. and spread around the world. Its fans have been lobbying for water skiing to become an Olympic sport. Today, more than 5 million people in the U.S. enjoy water skiing. Profile America is produced by the U.S. Census Bureau: Measuring America–People, Places, and Our Economy.
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