Some of the many anniversaries marked last year, 2002:

Fifty years ago, American Bandstand started as a local show in Philadelphia, and one-third of U.S. homes did not have a telephone. Seventy-five years ago, Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, The Jazz Singer became the first talking motion picture, and Charles Lindbergh made the first solo flight across the Atlantic. A hundred years ago in 1902, the first Packard and Cadillac cars were built, and the U.S. Census Bureau was established. A century ago, the average life expectancy for a baby girl was 51 years; and for boys, it was 48 years. Today, those figures are 80 years for girls and 74 for boys.

On New Year's Eve, some 289-million Americans of all ages greeted the year 2003. Since this time last year, that's a growth of about 2.5-million. Fifty years ago, the U.S. population was nearly 151-million. A century ago, the figure was 76-million. To show how fast the nation is growing, on January 1st, there will be some 11-thousand new babies on hand to welcome the first of January. Across the nation, the fastest growing states are in the West. Nevada tops the list with a growth rate of over 60 percent, followed by Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Idaho. (Source US Census Bureau)

New Year Graphics by MC Kauffman