WASHINGTON, April 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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SATURDAY, APRIL 14: FIRST PRESIDENTIAL BASEBALL TOSS
Profile America - Saturday, April 14th. When President William Howard Taft went to the opening game of the baseball season on this date in 1910, it's doubtful that he realized his desire for a spring outing would turn into a lasting tradition. Before the game between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics, Taft was invited to throw out the first ball to start the season. The Senators won the game, but Philadelphia went on to beat the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. That year, some 7 million fans went to major league games but everyone else had to rely on newspapers for results. Now, 74.5 million people attend big league games annually and millions more watch games and daily results on television. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.
Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 217
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 400
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1245
Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office 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
