1

2008 Beijing Olympic Games - Michael Phelps

Image: Thomas Park

Winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games is, by itself, a huge achievement and a dream come true for any elite athlete. Repeating this feat is something that very few have achieved, and doing so has elevated these individuals to legendary status.

Now, imagine winning not one, not two, but eight gold medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games . This unimaginable feat was accomplished by the now-famous swimmer Michael Phelps. This remains the greatest individual achievement in one edition of the Olympic Games by any Team USA athlete.

2

1936 Munich Olympic Games - Jesse Owens

Image: Braden Collum

Another legendary Olympic moment took place many years before Michael Phelps was even born, when Jesse Owens, a Black athlete, won four gold medals in the 1936 Munich Olympic Games.

Despite competing on very controversial ground at the time, Owens blazed his way to Olympic glory and secured his place in the pantheon of the greatest American athletes.

3

Cuba to Florida Swim - Diana Nyad

Image: Matt Hardy

If you see the distance between Miami and Havana on a map, it doesn’t seem all that far. That is until you start approaching and realize that there are 110 miles between these two places. Believe it or not, this journey has been swum three times. The first two crossings involved a shark cage and several short rests.

The third person to achieve this milestone was Diana Nyad, who completed the swim on her fifth attempt at age 64 in 2013 . Nyad used a protective jellyfish suit, shark divers, and electronic shark-repellent devices to achieve an "unassisted" swim.

4

50 Marathons in 50 Days

Image: Pietro Rampazzo

Running a marathon is an impressive feat of endurance and strength for almost any human being. Running two marathons in two consecutive days is nearly impossible for anyone. Now, imagine running 50 marathons across 50 American states in 50 consecutive days.

That incredible accomplishment was achieved by Los Angeles native Dean Karnazes , beginning with the Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Louis on September 17, 2006 , and finishing with the New York City Marathon on November 5 . A bit too much, maybe?

5

1968 Mexico City Olympic Games - Bob Beamon

Image: Gabriel Sanchez

On the rarest of occasions, humans are capable of physical achievements that defy what the human body is capable of doing. During the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Bob Beamon broke the world record for men’slong jump with an incredible jump of 29 feet, 2.25 inches . Yes, that is almost 30 feet.

There was a delay in posting the distance, and Beamon didn’t know what the metric figure that finally appeared on the board equated to in feet and inches. When a teammate told him he had jumped over 29 feet, he collapsed on the track from the realization of what he had accomplished.

6

2017 Australian US Open - Serena Williams

Image: Kelly Sikkema

Winning a world tennis championship is a significant achievement for any tennis player. That is, unless you are a tennis player so accomplished that winning these tournaments is as regular as anything. The list of people who do that is very short, and the names on it are all very well known.

One of those names is, without a doubt, Serena Williams. Possibly the greatest female tennis player ever, she won the 2017 Australian Open . This fact alone may not seem out of place for such an athlete. But what sets it apart is the fact that she did so while pregnant .

7

17 minutes without breathing - David Blaine

Image: Jakob Owens

How long can you hold your breath underwater? Trained individuals can achieve very impressive results in this field, but one feat that stands out is the one accomplished by American illusionist David Blaine, who, on September 8, 2008, set a world record for static apnoea, by holding his breath underwater inside a tank for 17 minutes and 4.5 seconds.

Blaine is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance and has set and broken several world records. These include standing for 35 hours on a 100-foot-high pillar only 22 inches wide in 2002 and sitting in a clear Perspex box for 44 days in 2003 without eating and drinking only water.

8

900 spin - Tony Hawk

Image: Devin Avery

In the world of skating, a 360 is the name given to a stunt performed by executing a mid-air spin on the board. This is a complicated trick, achieved only by very experienced skaters. A 720 is a stunt performed by doing not one, but two mid-air spins on the board. As one can imagine, this is exponentially more difficult than a 360, and very few people can pull off this stunt.

Now, if we mention a 900, you might guess where we are going. This involves not one, not two, but two and a half mid-air spins on the board. This insanely difficult stunt was first performed (at least publicly) by Tony Hawk, the skateboard champion, at the 1999 X Games, cementing his status as a skateboarding legend.

9

2008 U.S. Open - Tiger Woods

Image: Will Porada

Tiger Woods is a familiar name in the sports world. He has won 14 major golf championships and achieved a level of superstardom seldom seen in the game. However, the one we are choosing to highlight today displays an extraordinary amount of tolerance to pain in the face of competition.

During the 2008 U.S. Open, he played a total of 91 holes with a torn ACL and double stress fractures in his left leg . With a course set up to give players the toughest test of golf imaginable, the U.S. Open is hard enough as it is. Add in debilitating leg injuries, plus 19 extra holes (thanks to a playoff with Rocco Mediate), and you have one of the greatest showings of pain tolerance in the history of tournament golf.

10

El Capitan Free Solo Climb - Alex Honnold

Image: Jessica Tuttle

Imagine climbing a huge stone wall approximately 3,000 feet high in less than four hours. Now imagine doing that, without any kind of ropes or safety equipment. That is exactly what Alex Honnold did on June 3, 2017, when he made the first-ever free solo ascent of El Capitan by completing Alex Huber's 2,900-foot big wall route, Freerider, in 3 hours and 56 minutes.

The climb, described as "one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever," was documented by climber and photographer Jimmy Chin and documentary filmmaker E. Chai Vasarhelyi, as the subject of the documentary Free Solo which, among other awards, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2018.

1

Statue of Liberty

Image: Pierre Blaché

Location: New York City, New York

The iconic symbol of freedom and democracy, Lady Liberty stands tall on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. A fraternal gift from France in 1886, she welcomed immigrants and visitors to the United States for over a century with her torch held high , representing enlightenment and hope.

Originally, it was a brownish copper color, but after a few years of exposure to the elements, its iconic green patina—caused by the oxidation of its copper surface—began to spread. Also, did you know that her full name is actually "La Liberté éclairant le monde" , French for "Liberty Enlightening the World"?

2

Mount Rushmore

Image: John Bakator

Location: Keystone, South Dakota

Carved into the granite face of the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore features the colossal visages of four revered American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

Although the monumental sculpture was never finished due to lack of funding (the original vision of sculptor Gutzon Borglum was that each president would be depicted from head to waist), it is still one of the most enduring symbols of the nation's founding principles and leadership.

3

Lincoln Memorial

Image: Kelli Dougal

Location: Washington D.C.

Honoring the 16th President of the United States, the Lincoln Memorial stands as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln's enduring legacy and his role in preserving the Union during the Civil War. An example of neoclassical architecture, it is built in the form of a classical temple , and the massive marble statue of Lincoln seated solemnly commands reverence upon entrance.

The memorial serves as a symbolic center for civil rights and has been the site of many historic speeches , most notably Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.

4

Gateway Arch

Image: Chris Hardy

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Considered by some to be the tallest human-made monument in the Western Hemisphere - and the tallest arch in the world - the Gateway Arch soars 630 feet above the Mississippi River, a tribute to America's westward expansion and the pioneering spirit of its people.

Made of stainless steel with reinforced concrete infill, the structure is built to withstand earthquakes and winds up to 150 miles per hour. Inside, the arch is hollow and contains a tram system that takes visitors to an observation deck at the top.

5

Washington Monument

Image: Andy He

Location: Washington D.C.

Dedicated to the nation's first President, George Washington, this towering obelisk stands at 555 feet, making it one of the tallest stone structures in the world - and for a brief period of time between 1884 and 1889, before the construction of the Eiffel Tower, it actually was the world's tallest structure.

Its cornerstone, a 24,500-pound marble block, was specially hollowed to hold a number of memorabilia , including items associated with the monument, George Washington, and various benevolent societies.

6

USS Arizona Memorial

Image: Kirby Yardley

Location: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Built over the sunken remains of the USS Arizona, this memorial pays homage to the lives lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Only accessible by boat, the solemn structure sits just above the sunken battleship without touching it , preserving the original wreckage intact.

To this day, drops of oil occasionally leak from the ship’s deteriorating oil tanks , forming oil slicks on the water’s surface that are often referred to as "the tears of the Arizona."

7

Crazy Horse Memorial

Image: Lauren Lopes

Location: Crazy Horse, South Dakota

A colossal endeavor still in progress, the Crazy Horse Memorial is a heartfelt tribute to the Lakota leader Crazy Horse , intended to honor the culture, tradition, and resilience of Native Americans.

When it is finally completed, it will be the largest sculpture in the world , standing at 563 feet high and 641 feet long.

8

Hoover Dam

Image: Ryan Thorpe

Location: Nevada/Arizona border

Although not technically a monument, the Hoover Dam undeniably stands as a testament to American ingenuity and resourcefulness. Completed in 1936, it was originally named Boulder Dam , but the association with President Herbert Hoover endured, leading to its eventual renaming in his honor.

Spanning the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona, the Hoover Dam is a monumental feat of engineering and a vital source of hydroelectric power and water for the Southwest United States.

9

Bunker Hill Monument

Image: Siddharth Mallya

Location: Charlestown, Massachusetts

Standing tall on Breed's Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the Bunker Hill Monument commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill , one of the early clashes in the American Revolutionary War.

Constructed between 1825 and 1843, the granite obelisk rises 221 feet and is accompanied by a statue of Col. William Prescott , a celebrated commander and hero of the Revolutionary War. Prior to the construction of the Washington Monument, it was the nation's largest-scale memorial.

10

Golden Gate Bridge

Image: Leo_Visions

Location: San Francisco, California

Spanning the Golden Gate Strait and connecting San Francisco to Marin County, the Golden Gate Bridge is an enduring symbol of American engineering and inventiveness. Opened in 1937, the iconic suspension bridge stretches 1.7 miles, and the main cables that support the weight of the roadway are made out of over 80,000 miles of galvanized steel wire.

Its distinctive orange hue, known as International Orange , was carefully chosen by consulting architect Irving Morrow to both complement the natural surroundings and enhance visibility in the frequent foggy conditions of the bay.

1

The Situation Room

Tucked into the West Wing basement, the Situation Room is the White House crisis headquarters . President Kennedy ordered it built in 1961, after the Bay of Pigs fiasco left him frustrated by slow, jumbled intelligence. It's a complex of rooms, staffed around the clock. The famous 2011 photo of Obama's team watching the bin Laden raid was taken there. A $50 million, year-long gut renovation finished in 2023; the previous one was in 2007.

2

The PEOC

Deep beneath the East Wing sat the PEOC, short for Presidential Emergency Operations Center . FDR had the bomb shelter built in 1942, disguised as an office wing, and Truman's early-1950s rebuild expanded it. Military staff ran it around the clock.

Vice President Cheney was rushed inside on 9/11, and Trump sheltered there in May 2020. The East Wing was demolished in 2025, and they are digging a bigger, secret replacement.

3

The Map Room

Before the Situation Room, there was the Map Room, on the residence's ground floor. During World War II, FDR used it to follow the fighting, with maps, pins, and secret messages handled by Army and Navy officers. It was off-limits to nearly everyone.

The Truman rebuild of 1949–52 paneled it, and it was last redecorated in 1994. Today it's a sitting room that still shows off a few maps.

4

The Family Theater

This 42-seat movie theater began in 1942 as a cloakroom nicknamed the "Hat Box," when the White House needed a screening room. Eisenhower added the plush front-row armchairs, Reagan's team redid it in 1982–83, and Laura Bush gave it "movie-palace red" in 2005.

Carter reportedly watched about 480 films there in four years, and Kennedy's last movie there was reportedly the James Bond flick From Russia With Love , in the fall of 1963. The theater was demolished in October 2025 for the new ballroom.

5

The Press Briefing Room

You've seen it on TV, but the secret is underneath. In 1933, FDR got an indoor pool here to ease his polio pain. Nixon, who preferred bowling, covered it in 1970 and built the press room on top , reportedly insisting it could be restored. The pool still sits under the floor.

Renamed for James Brady in 2000, the room was renovated and reopened in 2007; the press secretary holds court there.

6

The Bowling Alley

The first White House bowling alley arrived in 1947, a two-lane birthday gift for Truman from Missouri friends. Staffers formed a league in 1950, but the lanes were moved out in 1955. Then, in 1969, friends funded a one-lane alley for Nixon , hidden beneath the North Portico driveway. He and Pat bowled there often, and his best reported score was 232. It's still down there, closed to the public.

7

The Solarium

Perched on the third floor over the South Portico, the Solarium is a sunny family hangout . Pre-AC, President Taft had a rough sleeping porch up there for hot summer nights, and the real room came in 1927, when Coolidge added the third floor. Grace Coolidge called it her "Sky Parlor."

After World War II, it became more of a family rec room. Mamie Eisenhower hosted card games there, while Ike grilled steaks outside.

8

The Lincoln Bedroom

Despite the name, Lincoln never slept in that bed. In the southeast corner of the second floor, the room was his office and Cabinet room, and he signed the Emancipation Proclamation there on January 1, 1863. Mary Todd Lincoln bought the famous rosewood bed in 1861, but the space became a bedroom only in the Truman years.

Today it's a guest room, famously used for overnight guests during the Clinton years.

9

The Medical Clinic

It's less "hospital" and more "doctor's office." A small exam room sits on the ground floor, near the Map Room, backed by the White House Medical Unit: about two dozen military doctors, nurses and aides, with offices in the next-door Eisenhower building. They're on call around the clock for the president, the VP, staff, and even tourists . Full-time presidential doctors date to McKinley, and a formal 24-hour rule came in the 1990s.

10

The Treaty Room

On the second floor, the Treaty Room was the Cabinet Room from 1865 to 1902. On August 12, 1898, President McKinley witnessed the peace protocol ending the Spanish-American War being signed there. Jackie Kennedy's restoration gave it its name in the early 1960s , and JFK signed the 1963 nuclear test ban treaty there. Obama used it as a main office. Today it's a presidential study, with drapes modeled on Lincoln-era designs.

11

The Flower Shop

Yes, the White House has its own flower shop, tucked beneath the North Portico. A Chief Floral Designer and a staff of florists create arrangements for the public and private rooms, matched to each room's color scheme . First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy established the Office of the White House Florist in the early 1960s.

Flowers have been a White House habit far longer, though: a conservatory supplied blooms through the 1800s.