Veterans Day originated as ‘Armistice Day’ on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars.

This year as America pays tribute to its 23.2 million military veterans the Census Bureau has released a report that counts American men and women who have served by race/ethnicity, by age, and by the wars in which they served. Also counted are those who served during three wars (World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Conflict). Education, income, disabilities, the number of veterans in the labor force, and federal government spending for veterans benefits programs are included. The report is available at Facts for Features: A Special Edition: Veterans Day 2009,

Wondering how many potential stops there are for trick-or-treaters this Halloween? The answer: 111.4 million. The Census Bureau calls them “occupied housing units” and shares this and many additional statistics, including the annual per capita consumption of candy (that would be a cool 23.8 pounds), at: Facts for Features: Halloween, October 31, 2009.

Need primary sources for that research paper? Looking for the population of Fullerton in 2008? The high school dropout rate in Anaheim? An introduction to health care reform? Progress made since the enactment of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974? A situation update on the H1N1 Flu? Employment and retirement trends of older workers?

Free and unrestricted access to information is critical for democratic societies so that voters can make informed decisions. Cal State Fullerton’s library is one of 1,250 libraries designated by Congress to ensure that Americans are informed.

Congressional hearings, economic reports, environmental reports, and Census publications are among the 5,600 documents added last year to our collection of one million items.

The World Factbook, Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, and the White House report on The Economic Case for Health Care Reform are among thousands of documents that can be accessed via the Library Catalog.

Our research guide provides additional help in locating government documents.

A new report presents a snapshot of today’s stay-at-home mothers as part of a study on trends in basic household and family composition. Data are from the American Community Survey. Highlights and link to full report are available at the Census Bureau’s Stay-at-Home Moms are More Likely Younger, hispanic and Foreign-Born than Other Mothers.

The California Budget Project has published a brief that examines the impact that the recession has had on employment, earnings, and income in California. It specifically looks at unemployment, loss of jobs across industries, wage gains and declines, and changes in income. It is available at In the Midst of the Great Recession: The State of Working California 2009.

The Greening of U.S. Corporations
Economic incentives for U.S. corporations to develop green technologies are examined. Initiatives undertaken by major companies–General Electric, Wal-Mart, Apple, Dupont–illustrate efforts to reduce impact on the environment through environmentally friendly ways of doing business. This report is from the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of International Information Programs.

Pumpkins, cranberries, and towns named “Plymouth” are among the things that have been counted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Check out Facts for Features: Thanksgiving Day on the Census Bureau Web site for more interesting facts about Thanksgiving Day.