A patent was granted on this date in 1902 for something that most of us would rather not see — an envelope with a transparent window in it, usually meaning a bill or solicitation. The inventor, Americus Callahan of Chicago, called his idea the “outlook” envelope. The idea caught on quickly, as businesses discovered that it spared them the bother of addressing each envelope — since the address on the enclosed letter was visible through the window. The year Callahan’s invention was introduced there were nearly 76,000 post offices around the U.S., while the amount of mail has grown enormously since then. There are now just over 27,000 offices. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, June 9th. This is National Rose Month, celebrating America’s favorite flower, grown in all 50 states. One of the world’s biggest floral celebrations is going on now and will pack in its greatest activity this weekend — the Portland, Oregon Rose Festival, founded in 1907. Portland is called the City of Roses, and its Portland party 2013 began last month, incorporating the Rose Festival, which runs still another week. Among the numerous events today will be drag races, best rose awards, and a grand floral float showcase. Roses for all sorts of events — weddings, Valentines Day, graduations, anniversaries, and birthdays — are sold by some 16,000 florists nationwide. Profile America is in its 17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Saturday, June 8th. In the first week of June 1981, the Centers for Disease Control described a new illness — which a year later was officially named acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS. The virus that causes the disease was identified in 1983 and named HIV, human immunodeficiency virus. Since the beginning of the epidemic in 1981, more than 60 million people around the world have contracted HIV, and nearly 30 million have died as a result. In the U.S., about 37,000 new cases are reported each year. An estimated 491,000 Americans are currently living with the disease. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.