Friday, June 26th. Whoever bought a pack of chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio on this date 41 years ago was making history. It was the first purchase of an item to be scanned into a cash register by using the Universal Product Code — better known as the bar code. Realizing the significance of the event, the buyer returned the item. The 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit is now on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., along with one of the early scanners. The price scanning concept actually dates from the early 1950s, employing a bull’s-eye type mark. But it proved cost prohibitive. Today, the bar code is part of everyday life for the $4.2 trillion worth of annual transactions in America’s nearly 1.1 million retail trade establishments, and the 14.7 million people who work in them. Profile America is in its 19th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Saturday, June 27th. Consumers’ options for managing their finances were greatly broadened this week in 1934 after President Roosevelt signed the Federal Credit Union Act the day before, promoting the nationwide formation of credit unions. These differ from banks by being member-owned and controlled. Credit unions are nonprofit institutions where groups of people can save, borrow, and obtain other financial services. There are nearly 19,000 credit unions in the U.S., employing about a quarter million people. These establishments range from a small cooperative for a single church or factory, to those that serve employees of giant corporations. By contrast, there are over 97,000 commercial banking establishments in America’s $3.6 trillion finance and insurance sector of the economy. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, June 28th. America’s first commercial oil refinery was put in operation this month in 1860. It was built in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on the banks of Oil Creek. That town was the site of the country’s first productive oil well in 1859, and the refinery was focused on extracting kerosene from the crude oil. Any gasoline by-product was dumped into the creek. With today’s regulations and economy, that would be worse than a crime; it would be a blunder. There are 142 oil refineries operating in the U.S. today. Four of them are in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, there are over 8,000 oil and gas extraction establishments across the country, with annual revenues of around a third of a trillion dollars. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the ‘America’s Economy’ mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>.
ADAM & EVE > adam & steve…….SMH @ SCOTUS ruling today with a 5-4 majority. The greatest country in the entire world lets a group of “unelected” Judges make the laws of the USA? What about that is democratic? All the soldiers who have died or lost limbs fighting in the various conflicts/wars of the past got a collective slap in the face today with this ruling. Way to go SCOTUS……a perfect example when politicians appoint the lawmakers. China & other US enemies are laughing all the way to the nuclear bomb facilities. If the BIBLE is the most important book in the WORLD…why don’t people read/follow the BIBLE? If you are truly a GOD-fearing person, do you really think this is what your heavenly father would agree with?
I am waiting for the posts condemning my post so bring it on….this site needs a little controversy to get your blood flowing and your emotions moving so that we don’t continue to let this great country be weakened by things that the BIBLE specifically speaks against!!!!!! You better get right….time is running out for all of us!!!