U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 31

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 31: RUNNING IN THE SUN

Profile America — Saturday, August 31st.  The 1950s may be recalled for many now-quaint things, Elvis, Sputnik, hula hoops, the Mickey Mouse Club, and so on.  But it was also a decade with antecedents for our current technological pursuits.  On this date in 1955, William G. Cobb of the General Motors Corporation demonstrated the world's first solar-powered car.  This vehicle didn't take the world by storm, because it was a model a mere 15 inches long.  The first solar powered car that could actually be driven was unveiled in 1962, a 1912 Baker electric car was fitted with nearly 11,000 individual solar cells on the roof to power the vehicle.  Now, more than 50 years on, a fully practical solar-powered car remains a goal, but manufacturing motor vehicles, mostly powered by internal combustion, is a $258 billion a year business in the U.S.  Profile America is in its 17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  Kane's Famous First Facts, 5457
www.energy-today.biz/history-reminder-first-solar-car
2007 Economic Census, NAICS 336111

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau