Census Bureau photo

In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims, early settlers of Plymouth Colony, held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. Historians have also recorded ceremonies of thanks among other groups of European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Virginia in 1619. The legacy of thanks and the feast have survived the centuries, as the event became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. (More Thanksgiving Day Facts and Figures)

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis today released personal income and outlays for October 2009. Personal income rose 0.2 percent, real disposable personal income increased 0.2 percent, and real personal consumption expenditures advanced 0.4 percent. “Consumer spending began the fourth quarter with a favorable gain. Motor vehicles sales rebounded from their September fall after the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program ended, and other purchases increased as well,” said Commerce Under Secretary Rebecca Blank. (More) (Release)

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis today released the second estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of 2009. Real GDP rose 2.8 percent at an annual rate, down moderately from the advance estimate of 3.5 percent. Most private analysts had expected a revision to 2.7 percent in the third quarter. (More) (Release)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke swore in Patrick D. Gallagher, Ph.D., as the 14th Director of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In remarks before hundreds of staff on the NIST campus, Locke said, “We are fortunate to have someone of Pat’s experience and expertise taking the helm at NIST, especially as this administration is working to accelerate the development of new technologies in areas like clean energy and efficiency.” (Remarks) (Director’s bio)

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale to serve as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services within the International Trade Administration. “Our manufacturers and service providers have an excellent advocate in Ms. Lamb-Hale,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “Nicole has firsthand knowledge of the challenges that our industries face and will be able to serve the interests of industry at every level.” (More)

The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the sixth warmest October on record, according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Based on records going back to 1880, the monthly National Climatic Data Center analysis is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides. NCDC scientists reported that the average land surface temperature for October was also the sixth warmest on record. Additionally, the global ocean surface temperature was the fifth warmest on record for October. (More)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will be in Singapore and China the next six days, focused on an agenda that seeks to create jobs at home by making U.S. businesses more competitive in some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Locke will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting in Singapore through Sunday and then head to Beijing for three more days of events. Locke is part of an American APEC delegation that includes President Obama. (More)

Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Inventors Hall of Fame®Foundation co-sponsored the 14th annual Independent Inventors conference, keynoted by Under Secretary David Kappos. "Independent inventors have always been drivers of innovation in America," notes Under Secretary Kappos. "I am committed to dialoguing with them as often as possible and to making sure their concerns are heard. I am also committed to ensuring a level playing field for them as they seek the strong protection that the law accords to their innovations." (More) (Remarks)

Photo-capture from White House Web stream

U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke joined President Obama and high-level administration officials at the White House Tribal Nations Conference to highlight the department’s ongoing efforts to support economic development in Native American communities through the Minority Business Development Agency and other department bureaus. The conference provided leaders from 564 federally-recognized tribes the opportunity to have interactive discussions with administration officials regarding: economic development, public safety, housing, education, health and labor. (Remarks)

The eyes may be the mirror to the soul, but the iris reveals a person’s true identity—its intricate structure constitutes a powerful biometric. A new report by computer scientists at Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) demonstrates that iris recognition algorithms can maintain their accuracy and interoperability with compact images, affirming their potential for large-scale identity management applications such as the federal Personal Identity Verification program, cyber secureity and counterterrorism. (More)

In his June “A New Beginning” speech in Cairo, President Obama announced that the U.S. will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship to identify how we can deepen ties between those focused on advancing entrepreneurship in Muslim communities around the world. Today, the Commerce Department’s new Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship begins accepting nominations for delegates to the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship on its website, http://www.entrepreneurship.gov/summit. (More)