The U.S. Census, which is conducted every 10 years, will be conducted in 2020, and the process of documenting American citizens is not without its share of historical issues and controversies. The Onion takes a look at important moments in the history of the U.S. census.
1790:
First census taken by show of hands.
1840:
With the census falling on a day many Americans were vacationing out of the country, U.S. population recorded as 95.
1870:
American Indians first enumerated in census after centuries-long effort to get population down to manageable number.
1880:
Federal marshals who previously collected census data replaced by professional enumerators who knew thousands of additional numbers.
1930:
Census Bureau begins asking questions about unemployment, prompting officials to receive record number of business ideas that just need little investment boost to really take off.
1940:
Second gender option added.
1970:
After heavy pressure from constituent groups, Census officially stops counting individuals over 6’4” as two people.
1990:
First census to ask respondents their biggest turn-ons and turn-offs.
2010:
Bilingual questionnaires introduced in effort to increase rate of return by Hispanic and overachieving households.
2012:
According to census data, white births no longer majority in U.S. due to shadow genocide perpetuated by Barack Obama and George Soros.