On this date in 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Statehood Bill that passed through Congress the week before. In a plebiscite held in June, Hawaiian voters validated the federal act, opting for statehood by more than 94 percent of the vote. On August 21st, Hawaii became the 50th state, and our current national flag debuted. Hawaii was annexed by the United States in July 1898 and was organized as a territory two years later. In the 1900 Census, the islands had a population of 154,001. In 1960, after statehood, the island group’s population was just under 633,000. By 2011, it had more than doubled, to 1,375,000. Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Sunday, March 17th. This is a day when people of all ethnicities are cheerfully encouraged to wear something green. It is St. Patrick’s Day, a rare national holiday observed outside its native land. The day honors Bishop Patrick, born in England, who brought Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, using a shamrock to illustrate divinity. The celebration here goes back to colonial times. New York City’s parade has taken place every year since 1762. The greatest number of Irish immigrants arrived in the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century, when the home country was reeling from the potato famine. Now, nearly 35 million Americans claim Irish descent, more than seven times the population of Ireland itself. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
Saturday, March 16th. Two young women, who were the first Americans of their gender to enter their professions, are highlighted during this Women’s History Month. Lucy Hobbs Taylor was the first to receive a degree in dentistry, graduating from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1866. And this month in 1883, Susan Hayhurst became the nation’s first woman pharmacist, when she graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. She’s further distinguished by obtaining that degree while already being a physician. Now there about 98,000 dentists across the U.S. — with offices employing over 825,000 people. Among the nation’s 186,000 pharmacists, women comprise over 52 percent. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.