On this date in 1955 in West Milton, New York, a species of turning swords into plowshares was realized. That was when the Atomic Energy Commission sold electric power from a General Electric nuclear reactor to the Niagara-Mohawk Power Corporation for civilian distribution. Some 10,000 kilowatts were supplied from the reactor, which was a prototype for the one used in the submarine USS Seawolf. Last year, 789 billion kilowatt hours were generated at nuclear plants — about 19.5 percent of the nation’s total electricity. There are 142 nuclear power generating facilities in the U.S., employing over 50,000 workers in America’s $522 billion a year utilities sector. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the America’s Economy mobile app at <www.census.gov/mobile>.
Saturday, July 19th. It’s time to pass the strained peaches or maybe the junior green beans. Fremont, Michigan is celebrating the 24th annual National Baby Food Festival, which concludes today. The town of 4,000 is home to the Gerber Baby Food Company and is welcoming thousands of visitors to enjoy entertainment as well as baby food eating contests by adults and a baby crawl race. Today in the U.S., there are around 4 million babies being cradled or held in parents’ laps for their feedings. Millions more ages 1 through 3 have graduated to high chairs and are transitioning from baby food. Companies engaged in specialized canning, including baby foods, generate $7.3 billion in sales annually. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at www.census.gov
Sunday, July 20th. It took a while after the invention of the gas-powered automobile by Karl Benz in Germany in 1886 for someone to steal the wheels. The first stolen car is said to be of a French aristocrat’s Peugeot in Paris in 1896. In this country, the first auto theft is believed to have occurred in St. Louis in 1905. But this slow beginning has become an all-too-robust present. With July and August being the peak months for automotive thefts, this is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. The goal is to raise public awareness of the danger and remind drivers to above all take their keys and lock their vehicles. Nationally, a motor vehicle is stolen on average every 44 seconds, and safeguarding against this threat contributes to the insurance industry’s annual revenue of over $1.7 trillion. Profile America is in its17th year as a Public Service of the U.S. Census Bureau.