History

2017

The content of the U.S. Census Bureau's History Web site changes every month. If you missed a month or have been directed to the home page by an older link, visit the archived home pages below.

Archived pages contain the content, links, and photos featured in past home pages.

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Visit April 2017's archived History home page to learn more about
some of Ragtime music's greatest composers and musicians.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

January 2017: Super Bowl I

January 15 marks the 50th anniversary of Super Bowl I. Known at the time as the American Football League (AFL)-National Football League (NFL) World Championship Game, the 1967 championship game pitted the Green Bay Packers against the Kansas City Chiefs. Learn more about football and the Super Bowl using data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal agencies.

February 2017: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Learn more about the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the places featured in her Little House on the Prairie books using census data and records.

March 2017: Establishment of a Permanent U.S. Census Bureau

On March 6, the U.S. Census Bureau celebrates its 115th anniversary as a permanent agency and 115 years later, the agency is an international authority on the collection, tabulation, and publication of statistical data. Use census data and records to learn more about the Census Bureau's remarkable record of invention and innovation.

April 2017: Scott Joplin—"The King of Ragtime

One hundred years ago this month, on April 1, 1917, Scott Joplin—the "King of Ragtime"—passed away at New York City's Manhattan State Hospital. During his brief career, the musician wrote a ballet, two operas, and 44 original ragtime compositions, including "The Maple Leaf Rag," one of the ragtime genre's earliest and most influential compositions, along with others that continue to feature prominently in movies, television, and theater.

May 2017: Charles Lindbergh

May 20–21, 2017, marks the 90th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's historic transatlantic flight during which the aviator became the first person to fly solo between New York and France. Learn more about Charles Lindbergh and aviation using data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal agencies.

June 2017: The Korean War

Sixty-seven years ago this month, on June 25, 1950, 75,000 North Korean People's Army soldiers crossed the 38th parallel separating North and South Korea. Approximately 1 million United Nations, North Korean, Russian, and Chinese soldiers and 2.5 million civilians would die in over the next 3 years. Learn more about the war, its combatants, and the U.S. Korean population using data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal agencies.

July 2017: Amelia Earhart

July 2017 marks two significant anniversaries in the life of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. Learn more about the Atchison, KS, native and her flying career using census data and records.

August 2017: Ransom E. Olds

Ransom E. Olds founded Oldsmobile 120 years ago this month. Between 1897 and 2004, the company (purchased by General Motors in 1908) built more than 25 million automobiles. Learn more about Olds, the automobile industry, and Lansing MI, using census data and records.

September 2017: Antietam

On September 17, 1862, the Union and Confederate Armies clashed in and around the town of Sharpsburg, MD. The Battle of Antietam became the bloodiest day in American military history. Learn more about the battle and the American Civil War using using census data and records.

October 2017: Manufacturing

October 6, 2017 marks the celebration of the sixth annual Manufacturing Day—an opportunity for manufacturers and manufacturing associations to teach the public more about their industries, highlight the vital role manufacturing plays in our economies, and inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Learn more about the nation's manufacturers and its 207-year history of collecting manufacturing data using data and records collected by the Census Bureau and other federal agencies.

November 2017: Thomas A. Edison

November marks the anniversary of two important milestones in Thomas A. Edison's inventing career—the announcement that he invented a cylinder phonograph and development of a practical and long-lasting incandescent light bulb. Learn more about Thomas Edison and his inventions using the records and data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal agencies.

December 2017: American Poets

December marks the anniversary of several milestones in the lives of some of America's greatest authors and poets. use census data and records to learn more about some of your favorite literary figures and the publishing industry.