“The U.S. Commerce Department’s Census Bureau has released a compendium for the millennium, a statistical abstract highlighting 20th Century changes. The 119th edition of this publication, the 1999 Statistical Abstract of the United States, documents how the U.S. have changed since the last turn of the century in 1900 too. It includes facts such as:- Over the past 100 years, the population has nearly quadrupled from 76 million to 270 million; the number of divorced people has grown nearly a hundred times from less than 200,000 to 19.4 million; and the number of married women working has increased over 40 times from less than 800,000 to 33.9 million.- While the number of gasoline-powered vehicles rose from 8,000 in 1900 to 208 million in 1997, the country’s air has become nearly 10 times more polluted, with nitrogen dioxide emissions soaring from 2.6 million tons to 23.6 million tons that same year.- Over 10 times as many Americans were 65 and over in 1997 – 34 million – than in 1900.- In 1900, 60 percent of Americans lived in rural areas, with 40 percent in urban areas. In 1990, 25 percent lived in rural areas, while 75 percent resided in urban areas.- In 1998, the population of Florida was 14.9 million – 28 times larger than the figure of 530,000 living there at the turn of the century. California, at 32.7 million was 22 times larger than its 1.5 million population in 1900.- Between 1901 and 1910, 2 million immigrants arrived from Italy and 50,000 came from Mexico. Between 1991 and 1997, 1.8 million immigrants came from Mexico, with 54,000 arriving from Italy.- The number of foreign-born residents in the U.S. grew from 10.3 million in 1900 to 25.8 million in 1997.- The average household of 1900 comprised 4.8 people. In 1998, the average American household was down to 2.6 people.- In 1900, about 11 percent of all 14 to 17-year-olds were enrolled in high school. By 1997 that figure changed to about 93 percent in grades 9-12.- In 1900, approximately 95,000 people graduated from high school and 28,700 earned bachelor’s degrees. In 1997, 2.7 million people received high school diplomas while 1.2 million obtained their bachelor’s degrees.- Life expectancy grew from 46 years for men and 48 for women in 1900 to 74 years for men and 79 for women in 1997. 1900 statistics were based on data for 10 states.- Death rates were cut in half, from 17.2 people per 1,000 in 1900 (10 states data), to 8.6 deaths per 1,000 in 1997. – Influenza and pneumonia killed 202 of every 100,000 people in 1900 (10 states data). In 1997, the rate was 33 per 100,000.- There were 36 highway traffic fatalities in 1900 compared with 41,967 in 1997.- In 1920, 35 percent of American households had telephone service. By 1997, 94 percent of American homes had telephones.- In 1930, 40 percent of households had a radio. As of 1970, almost every home has at least one radio.- The U.S. government took in $567 million in receipts in 1900. In 1999, the government took in $1.7 trillion.- National defense and veteran expenditures were around $300 million in 1900 and $307 billion in 19989.- The largest budget deficit of the 20th century was $290.4 billion in fiscal year 1992. The $9.5 billion 1999 surplus was second only to the $11.8 billion surplus in 1948.- The three presidents receiving the highest percentage of popular votes during the 20th century were Lyndon Johnson, at 61.1 percent in 1964; Franklin Roosevelt, at 60.8 percent in 1936; and Richard Nixon, at 60.7 percent in 1972.- The S&P 500 composite stock index for 1900 was 6.2. It rose to 26.0 in 1929, fell to 9.0 for 1933, and was at 1,085.5 for 1998.- With $1 from the mid 1980s, an American customer could purchase $10.08 worth of goods in 1913, compared with 60 cents worth of merchandise in 1998.- In 1900, there were 5.7 million farms encompassing 841 million acres. By 1998, there were 2.2 million farms covering 954 million acres.- The average farm in 1900 was 147 acres. That amount grew to 435 acres by 1998.“To date, the 20th century has to be the most dynamic in our history, and these statistics paint a picture of rapid and massive change,” said Kenneth Prewitt, director of the Census Bureau. “The Statistical Abstract traces this century of change by the numbers, and some of the numbers are truly amazing.””