U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 8

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8: FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD MURDERS

Profile America — Wednesday, August 8th.  Forty-three years ago today, one of the nation's most notorious crimes began to unfold — the murders of actress Sharon Tate and some of her friends by Charles Manson and members of his so-called "family."  Manson, a drifter and petty criminal, was obsessed with songs of the Beatles, which he felt contained coded references to a forthcoming racial war in the U.S.  He intended the Tate murders to start that war, believing he would become the nation's leader in the war's aftermath.  In 1969, there were nearly 15,500 homicides in the U.S.  After rising to more than 23,000 by 1990, the number of murders in the U.S. has now dropped to just over 15,000 annually.  Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 414
               Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 306

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 a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau