Something that we all take for granted made its appearance on this date in 1933, when the first household detergent — named Dreft, and still in production — went on sale. The chemistry of making soap had changed little over hundreds of years, until shortages of fats for making soap during World War I sparked research. Detergents really took off following World War II, and by 1953, their sales had passed those of traditional soaps. Now, detergents have all but replaced soap-based products for laundry, dishwashing, and household cleaning, and most soaps for personal hygiene also contain some detergents. Over 700 U.S. manufacturers produce $29 billion worth of detergents and soaps each year. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the ‘America’s Economy’ mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>.
Saturday, October 11th. The focus this month is definitely on taking care of your teeth. For one thing, October is Dental Hygiene Month-stressing preventative oral health care, from using dental floss to proper brushing techniques. In San Antonio, some 23-thousand dentists and associated professionals are in the midst of the latest annual session of the American Dental Association. They are taking continuing education courses and brushing up on leading-edge dental technology and products at hundreds of exhibit stations. Helping us care for our teeth are about 147,000 dentists and 193,000 dental hygienists, working in more than 131,000 dental offices across the country. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the ‘America’s Economy’ mobile application at www.census.gov/mobile.
Sunday, October 12th. Hispanic Heritage Month ends on Wednesday, but with baseball playoffs under way, it fits the occasion to recognize one of the game’s greatest pioneering players. Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates was the first Hispanic to be elected to the baseball Hall of Fame. Born in Puerto Rico, he was voted Most Valuable Player in 1966 in the National League, won four league batting championships, and was the 11th player to record 3,000 hits. Clemente was noted for his humanitarian work, and died on New Year’s Eve in 1972 in a plane crash while carrying aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. When Clemente played in the 1960s and early ’70s, there were around 9 million Hispanics in the U.S. Today, there are 54 million, and about 25 percent of major league ballplayers are Hispanic. Profile America is in its17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.