Valentine's Day Fun Facts

Expressing one's love to another is a celebrated custom on Valentine's Day. Sweethearts and family members present gifts to one another, such as cards, candy, flowers and other symbols of affection. Opinions differ as to who was the original Valentine, but the most popular theory is that he was a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. In A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day. Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for selling the first mass-produced valentine cards in the 1840s. The spirit continues today with even young children exchanging valentine's cards with their fellow classmates.

Candy

1,379 Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate products in 2012, employing 37,998 people. California led the nation with 152 of these establishments, followed by New York, with 119. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2012, NAICS code (31135)http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2012/00A1/naics~31135

445 Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2012. These establishments employed 20,419 people. California led the nation in this category with 46 establishments.  
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2012, NAICS code (31134)  
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2012/00A1/naics~31134

$13.5 billion The estimated value of shipments in 2011 for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Products and Service Codes (311320 and 311330)
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ASM/2011/31VS201//prodsvc~311320|311330

Nonchocolate confectionery product manufacturing, meanwhile, was an estimated $8.4 billion industry. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Products and Service Code (311340) 
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ASM/2011/31VS201//prodsvc~311340

3,170Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2012. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (445292)http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2012/00A1/naics~445292

Flowers

14,344 The total number of florist establishments nationwide in 2012. These businesses employed 62,397 people.  
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (4531) 
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2012/00A1/naics~4531

$294,730,180 The value of imports for cut flowers and buds for bouquets in 2014 through November. The total value of fresh cut roses as ofOctober 2014 was $407,807,220. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Foreign Trade Division USA Trade Online U.S. Import and Export Merchandise trade (Commodity code-060319 and 060311)
https://usatrade.census.gov/

Jewelry

23,413 The estimated number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2012.  Jewelry stores offer engagement, wedding and other rings to couples of all ages. 
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (448310)http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2012/00A1/0100000US/naics~448310

"Please Be Mine"

29.0 and 26.6 years 
Median age at first marriage in 2013 for men and women, respectively. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements: 2013, 
http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/marital.html Table MS-2

52.7% The overall percentage of people 15 and older who reported being married. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements: 2013,
http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2013A.html Table A1

68.6% Percentage of people 15 and older in 2013 who had been married at some point in their lives — either currently or formerly. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements: 2013,
http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2013A.html Table A1

36.9              The provisional rate of marriages per 1,000 people performed in Nevada during 2011. So many couples tie the knot in the Silver State that it ranked number one nationally in marriage rates. Hawaii ranked second with a marriage rate of 17.6. 
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/marriage_rates_90_95_99-11.pdf

2.1 million The provisional number of marriages that took place in the United States in 2011. That breaks down to nearly 5,800 a day.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/marriage-divorce.htm

74.5% 
The percentage of women who married for the first time between 1990 and 1994, who reached their 10th anniversary. This compares with 82.8 percent of women who married for the first time between 1960 and 1964. Men who married for the first time between 1990 and 1994, who reached their 10th anniversary was 77.3 percent. This compares with 83.4 percent who married for the first time between 1960 and 1964. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009, 
http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p70-125.pdf Table 4

Giving Love a Second Chance

19.2% Among people 15 and older who have been married, the percentage of men and women in 2013 who have been married twice, and 5.3 percent have been married three or more times. By comparison, 75.5 percent of people who have been married have done so just once. 
Source: 2013 American Community Survey (Table B12505)http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_1YR_B12505&prodType=table

8   Median length, in years, of first marriages that ended in divorce.
Source: Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009 http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p70-125.pdf Table 8

3.8 and 3.7 The median time in years between divorce and a second marriage for men and women, respectively. However, the two medians are not statistically different from each other.
Source: Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009 http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p70-125.pdf Table 8

9% and 7.9% Among people 15 and older in 2009, the percentage of men and women, respectively, who had married twice and were still married.
Source: Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009 http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p70-125.pdf Table 6

Looking for Love

393 The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2007. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed 3,125 people and pulled in $928 million in revenue. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 Economic Censushttp://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2007_US/00A1//naics~8129902

Try Looking Here . . .Romantic-sounding places to spend Valentine's Day:          

Rose City, Texas 
(Population – 509)

Loveland, Colo.
(Population – 71,334)

Romeo, Colo.
(Population – 400)

Lovejoy, Ga.
(Population – 6,302)

Loves Park, Ill.
(Population – 23,703)

Lovington, Ill.
(Population – 1,116)

Romeoville, Ill.
(Population – 39,650)

Rosemont, Ill.
(Population – 4,236)

Romeo, Mich.
(Population – 3,582)

Rose City, Mich.
(Population – 640)

Darling, Minn.
(Population – 531)

Sacred Heart, Minn.
(Population  – 527)

Valentine, Neb.
(Population – 2,789)

Lovelock, Nev.
(Population – 1,958)

Loving, N.M.
(Population – 1,412)

Lovington, N.M.
(Population – 11,550)

Rosemont, Md.  
(Population – 304)                 

Love Valley, N.C.
(Population – 98)

South Heart, N.D.
(Population – 358)

Loveland, Ohio
(Population – 12,326)

Loveland Park, Ohio   
(Population – 1,523)

Love County, Okla.
(Population – 9,742)

Loveland, Okla.
(Population – 13)

Lovelady, Texas
(Population – 623)

Loving County, Texas
(Population – 95)       

Valentine, Texas
(Population – 129)

Rose Hill Acres, Texas
(Population – 445)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder 
http://factfinder2.census.gov

Did you know: The history of Liquid Soap and Spray Cans

Two ordinary items found in many or most American households both trace their creation by New York City residents to this date in August. In 1865, the first liquid soap was patented by William Shepphard. His formula flowed from mixing a pound of regular soap with 100 pounds of ammonia solution, then dissolving it in water to the consistency of molasses. And in 1939, Julian Seth Kahn received a patent for an "apparatus for mixing a liquid with a gas" — a spray can for whipped cream. Of course, aerosols didn't stop with whipped cream. Today in the U.S., soap and detergent manufacturing is a nearly $29 billion a year business, while metal can manufacturers make over $14 billion in annual sales. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Did You Know: Leos Who Changed the World

Two geniuses in the field of electronics whose inventions changed pastimes the world over were born in August. One was television pioneer Philo Farnsworth, whose 1906 birthday is noted today. He conceived the idea of television broadcasting while still in high school and realized his dream at the age of 21. The other was Lee de Forest, a Yale Ph.D. in physics. He invented the three-element vacuum tube among his hundreds of patents and was a pioneer in radio, which in the early 20th century was so unbelievable he was once arrested for selling stock to underwrite his invention. Over 225,000 Americans work in the roughly 8,900 radio and TV broadcasting establishments advanced by Farnsworth and de Forest. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Did You Know: The History of the Sewing Machine

An invention that has had a profound impact on our use of fabrics and on the nation's economy was patented on this date in 1851 — the home sewing machine, developed by Isaac Singer. The idea of the sewing machine — and some working models — went back to nearly a century before 1851. But Singer's simple, sturdy machine was the first to be a commercial success. While far fewer people sew at home as avidly as was done in the 19th century, the modern and industrial versions of Singer's machines are the thread that runs through the nation's nearly $150 billion a year apparel and piece goods industry. Some 15,000 establishments employ about 180,000 workers in the manufacture of clothing. You can find current data on the country's economy by downloading the America's Economy mobile application at www.census.gov/mobile.

Did You Know: The History of Printed Catalogues

Even in this Internet world, many of us still receive printed catalogs through the mail, especially near the holiday season. The first such catalog — more of a flyer — was sent out by Montgomery Ward late this month in 1872. That first catalog consisted of only one page, featuring 163 items for mail order purchase. The idea was so successful that by 1904, the Ward's catalog weighed in at four pounds. Montgomery Ward ceased producing its catalog in 1985, and the company itself eventually failed in the largest retail bankruptcy liquidation in American history. But the home shopping business is still thriving. There are about 24,000 electronic shopping and mail order houses, and each year they sell over $220 billion worth of goods. Profile Americais in its 17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Did You Know: The History of the Stop Light

On this date precisely one century ago, American motorists got the green light to confidently proceed through increasingly traveled crossroads. A traffic light system, credited with being the first in the U.S., flashed red and green at the intersection of 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. To further prompt drivers, the words "Stop" and "Move" were emblazoned on the operating red and green lights. At the time, there were about 1.8 million motor vehicles in the U.S., six times more than just five years earlier. Now, there are more than 250 million motor vehicles crowding our roads. Traffic lights control the flow of this congestion, leaving Americans with an average one-way commute of nearly 26 minutes. You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at www.census.gov.

Did You Know: The history of the tape measure

Almost every home has at least one. They can be made out of cloth, plastic, or metal. Seamstresses and tailors use them, as do professional craftsmen and weekend do-it-yourselfers. It's the tape measure, patented on this date in 1868 by Alvin J. Fellows of New Haven, Connecticut. His version had a feature still used today — a spring click lock to hold the tape at any desired point. One notable tape measure was 600 feet long and gold plated. It was presented to New York Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle in 1956 to honor his longest home run. Tape measures are sure to be found at the nation's more than 15,000 hardware stores, which employ more than 130,000 American workers. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Did you know: Bubble Gum

Bubble gum, one of the joys of American youngsters but too often found on sidewalks and under chair seats, was developed in 1928 by a tinkering accountant. Walter Diemer of the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia concocted a batch that was less sticky than regular gum and stretched more easily. It was pink because that was the only food color on hand when he made the first batch. Seeing that it would make bubbles, he distributed free samples to stores throughout Philadelphia. By 1929, Diemer's invention — Dubble Bubble — caught on. Bubble gum is part of America's nonchocolate confectionary manufacturing industry comprised of some 440 establishments producing over $5.7 billion worth of treats annually. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.