The U.S. at 300 (million, that is): the 300 millionth American arrived in October. How does America today compare with 1915 and 1967, when the population passed the 100 million and 200 million marks?

On October 17, around 7:46 a.m. Eastern time, according to the Census Bureau, the American population hit 300 million. The 300 millionth American was probably born in a hospital, but theoretically, he or she may have arrived from overseas, or been smuggled across the Southwestern border with Mexico.

By one count, more than half of all the people who have ever lived in the U.S. are alive today. And on any given day, 11,000 babies are born and 3,000 immigrants arrive, outnumbering the people who die or emigrate.

The recent surge of immigration makes America's diversity today closer to what it was in 1915, when the 100 millionth arrived, than it was in 1967, when the 200 millionth was born. (The odds are nearly even that a baby born today will be Hispanic.) And an American born today will likely have fewer siblings, marry and retire later, and live longer.

Look for the arrival of the 400 millionth American sometime around 2050.

LESSON PLAN 2

BACKGROUND

A comparison of America today with 1967, when the population was 200 million, and 1915, when it was 100 million, shows dramatic social and economic changes. Overall, statistics reveal a healthier, wealthier, longer-living, better-educated population that is becoming more ethnically and racially diverse.

CRITICAL THINKING/RESEARCH

* The charts and graphs in this article provide the opportunity for wide-ranging class discussion and research.

* What might account for rising life expectancy? (Improved health care, better nutrition, higher standards of living.) Why are there so many fewer road deaths than in earlier eras? (Safer cars and better roads.)

* Why did the military grow and then shrink dramatically? (The Vietnam War followed by the end of the draft.) Why are more women working? (New cultural attitudes and the economic need for both husband and wife to work.)

RESEARCH

* Refer to Upfronts October 23 issue, the World Affairs Annual. Why might there be low and even negative population-growth rates in Europe, while in Africa populations are growing up to 309 percent faster than in the U.S.?

* (In Europe, people have chosen to have fewer children. In the U.S., immigration is the major reason for the growing population. In poor places like Africa, people have more children so that those children can contribute to family income.)

WRITING PROMPT

* Write a letter to the 300-millionth American telling him or her what the world is like today.

FAST FACT

[right arrow] In the U.S., there are about 105 male babies born for every 100 female babies.

WEB WATCH

www.census.gov /population/www /popclockus.html

The U.S. Census Bureau's "population clock" provides data on the current U.S. population. The clock also shows the number of seconds between births, deaths, and the arrival of immigrants to the U.S.

Sam Roberts is urban affairs correspondent for The New York Times.

BABY NAMES
The most popular names for boys and girls

1915       JOHN & MARY
1967       MICHAEL & LISA
2006       JACOB & EMILY

CAR CRAZY
Number of motor-vehicle registrations

1915       3 MILLION
1967      99 MILLION
2006     237 MILLION

COST OF A GALLON OF REGULAR GAS *

1915      $5.01
1967      $2.00
2006      $2.20 (as of October 23)

* IN 2006 DOLLARS

SAFER ON THE ROADS
Number of traffic deaths

1915     35 DEATHS
         for every 100 million
         vehicle miles
         TOTAL 6,779

1967     5 DEATHS
         for every 100 million
         vehicle miles
         TOTAL 51,559

2006     1.5 DEATHS
         for every 100 million
         vehicle miles
         TOTAL 42, 643 *

* FIGURE FOR 2003

LIVING LONGER
Life expectancy at birth

1915  55 YEARS
1967  71 YEARS
2006  78 YEARS

AN AGING NATION
Percentage of population age 65 or older

1915    5%
1967   10%
2006   12%

THE MILITARY
Active-duty military personnel

1915  174,000
1967  3.4 MILLION
2006  1.4 MILLION

EDUCATION
Percentage of the population,
age 25 or older, with at
least a high school diploma

1915  14%
1967  51%
2006  85%

RACIAL/ETHNIC COMPOSITION

           1915     1967    2006

White      88%      76.5%   56.6%
Black      10.7%    13.8%   15.3%
Hispanic    1%       6.5%   20.5%
Asian       0.1%     0.8%    3.9%
other       0.2%     2.4%    3.7%

THE AMERICAN DREAM
Percentage of householders
owning the home they live in

1915   46%
1967   64%
2006   69%

PRICE OF A NEW HOUSE

1915    $64,158
1967   $149,147
2006   $290,600

WORKING WOMAN
Percentage of women who work,
age 16 or older (10 or older for 1915)

1915   23%
1967   41%
2006   59%

SOURCES FOR GRAPHS, PP. 10-10: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU: NATIONAL
CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS; SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Note: Table made from bar graph.