7/23/2011:
On today’s date in 1942, the Fargo Forum newspaper proudly announced that North Dakota was tied with South Dakota, Arkansas, and Utah for the lowest death rate in the nation. The death rate they could boast at the time was 8.3 a year for every 1000 people. The death rate in the entire United States was 10.5. And the state with the most deaths? Nevada, coming in at 12.7 per thousand. North Dakotans in the forties were proud to live in one of the safest states. And in modern times? North Dakota is still in the bottom five for deaths per year, with a rate even lower than in 1942. And of course we like to boast the highest quality of life, too!
Dakota Datebook written by Leewana Thomas
Sources:
Fargo Forum July 23, 1942
www.statehealthfacts.org/comparemaptable.jsp?ind=58&cat=2 (Rate of 6.79, 2007 stats)