1

Abraham Lincoln

Image: Library of Congress

Probably one of the most remembered presidential beards is that of the 16th US President and author of the unforgettable Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln. But, while his image is forever linked to his top hat and distinctive, mustache-free beard, he actually didn't always have it.

Before he was elected president, an 11-year-old girl wrote him a letter suggesting he grow a beard. Fortunately, Lincoln took her advice! Thus, he became the first president to grow a beard while in office.

2

Theodore Roosevelt

Image: Library of Congress

Another iconic style was that of Teddy Roosevelt. His handlebar mustache is not only seen in photos and portraits from his time in office but is also forever etched on the imposing Mount Rushmore. Many men of his era imitated his dramatic, thick, and bushy mustache, which perfectly matched the vigor and toughness that defined the 26th US president.

3

Ulysses S. Grant

Image: Sergei Starostin

Beard? Yes! Sideburns? Of course. Mustache? That too! That is the case with Ulysses S. Grant, a president with a full look, fitting for a Civil War hero.

Grant's beard and mustache were thick -though not long- covering his jawline and also much of his cheeks. Thus, the 18th US president set a fashion trend that would be followed by several other presidents of the 19th century.

4

Grover Cleveland

Image: Dave Sherrill

Another president with a well-remembered mustache was Grover Cleveland, the first US president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Cleveland's mustache was fluffy and extended just past the edges of his mouth. Although this might have been a problem when dining with guests, his mustache always looked neatly trimmed.

5

William Howard Taft

Image: Ronaldo Guiraldelli

Now, it's time to talk about the only person in the history of the US to have served as both President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: William Howard Taft.

Taft sported a bushy mustache, like Teddy Roosevelt, who served right before him. But, unlike his predecessor, the tips of Taft's mustache didn't point downward; instead, they bent upward, making it much more theatrical.

6

John Quincy Adams

Image: Library of Congress

John Quincy Adams didn't need a mustache to stand out with his style. His hallmark was something quite original: sideburns.

Remembered for being bushy and always well and neatly groomed, the 6th president's memorable sideburns extended down the sides of his face, even connecting beneath his chin!

7

Rutherford B. Hayes

Image: Nikolaos Dimou

Rutherford B. Hayes was another 19th-century president known for sporting a full beard. In addition to being thick, his beard and mustache were quite long and even joined together, fully covering his lips, as seen in portraits from the time. While the 19th President looked really distinguished, we can't help but wonder how he handled summer with that style!

8

James A. Garfield

Image: Sean Foster

James A. Garfield had a look strikingly similar to that of his predecessor, Rutherford B. Hayes.

Also sporting a thick, long, full beard, Garfield's mustache was slightly shorter than Hayes', and his beard extended further onto his cheeks. It seems that you had to put some serious effort into perfecting your facial hair to be trendy in the late 19th century!

9

Martin Van Buren

Image: Jack Bulmer

"Mutton chops" is the term for the thick, bushy sideburns worn by Martin Van Buren, the 8th president of the United States, a style known more for its volume than its tidiness.

As seen in portraits from different moments of his life, Van Buren had sideburns from a young age, but they definitely stood out during his presidency. In fact, political cartoons of his time often emphasized that very feature, making his sideburns exaggeratedly large.

10

Zachary Taylor

Image: Josh Sorenson

Before Lincoln, the dominant fashion was a clean-shaven look. But Zachary Taylor -just like John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren- came to revolutionize things with his sideburns.

We have to admit Taylor's sideburns were far more modest than those of his predecessors, but he remains one of the few presidents to have worn any facial hair before Honest Abe made it a trend!

1

European origins

Image: Martin Zenker

Lawns — and by lawns we mean closely mown grassy spaces — began appearing in 17th- and 18th-century Britain and France as signs of wealth. This was because only aristocrats or large estates could afford to keep grass short and manageable.

Before mechanized tools, scythes, shears, or grazing animals were used to maintain lawns, so turf was largely limited to those who could own the necessary manpower or animals. Early American colonists imported these aesthetics and tried to replicate them in their architecture and homes, albeit less formally.

2

Public parks set the bar

Image: Carl Newton

Early urban park designers, strongly influenced by European landscaping ideas, laid out wide expanses of turf in city parks, showing the public a "civilized" green aesthetic. That made clipped lawns part of the civic-space ideal, and not just a private luxury.

These parks helped cement the association between grass lawns, order, leisure, and modern urban life in American culture.

3

Mechanical breakthroughs

Image: Daniel Watson

In 1830, English engineer Edwin Beard Budding patented the first mechanical lawn mower, inspired by a wool-mill reel used to trim cloth.

Budding’s design used a cylinder of blades powered by a rear roller, making it easier to cut grass evenly, and largely replaced laborious scything or grazing, cutting down the cost of maintaining such status symbols in the process.

4

Et pluribus lawnus

Image: Gang Hao

Once affordable lawn mowers—including lighter push-mower variants in America—became popular, maintaining a lawn became feasible for aspiring middle-class homeowners.

This sparked a major transformation in both private and public architecture, as many well-to-do homes that before could not afford it began attempting to replicate the European lawn style in some fashion or another.

5

Suburban dreams

Image: Venrick Azcueta

For decades, lawns remained a steady feature of American architecture and green-space design; however, it wasn’t until after WWII that the true lawn boom began. Returning veterans and government-backed mortgages fueled rapidly expanding suburbs.

Developer William Jaird Levitt and his company built thousands of nearly identical homes, each with its own front and back lawn. By the 1950s and ’60s, lawns had become central to the "American Dream," symbolizing stability, middle-class respectability, and neighborhood uniformity.

6

A bit of chemical help

Image: Victor Furtuna

After the war, synthetic fertilizers (derived partly from wartime chemical technologies) became widely available to consumers, enabling lush, uniform lawns even in soil and climate conditions unsuited to grass.

This lowered the barrier to achieving a "perfect" lawn, further popularizing lawns as part of the American identity and raising the expectations of what the perfect lawn should look like.

7

Begone, pesky weeds!

Image: Dmitry Burdakov

In addition to fertilizers, in 1944, researchers discovered 2,4‑Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), the first widely effective selective herbicide — killing broadleaf weeds while leaving grasses largely unharmed.

Deployed commercially soon after WWII, 2,4-D made maintaining uniform, weed-free lawns much easier and was quickly adopted in home lawn products.

8

Thou shalt keep thy lawn green

Image: Tiago Rodrigues

As suburbs proliferated, lawn maintenance became a shared social norm — homeowners' associations and neighborhood covenants often started to expect regular mowing and upkeep.

Keeping a well-groomed lawn became not just an aesthetic choice but also a mark of civic responsibility and conformity to norms.

9

Environmental worries

Image: Rémi Müller

By the mid- to late 20th century, the ecological cost of the lawn aesthetic became visible: heavy water use for irrigation, chemical runoff from fertilizers and herbicides, and reduced biodiversity as a consequence.

These drawbacks spurred both scientific and public debate about the sustainability of the traditional lawn model — especially in water-scarce regions, where it was both impractical and resource-intensive.

10

The birth of mixed lawns

Image: Ruben Sukatendel

Growing environmental awareness, droughts, and changing tastes have prompted many homeowners and municipalities to adopt drought-tolerant landscaping, native plants, or mixed-species yards instead of the traditional uniform turf.

As a result, today the "ideal lawn" is evolving as we speak: classic turfgrass still remains common, but alternative yard styles now offer more varied ecological, economic, and aesthetic options.

1

Fast food chains

The U.S. pioneered large-scale fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s, especially after World War II. These restaurants focused on speed, consistency, and low prices .

Their standardized menus and assembly-line kitchens made quick meals widely accessible. The model spread globally, shaping modern eating habits.

2

Drive-Thru restaurants

The drive-thru concept took off in the U.S. in the 1940s, with chains like In-N-Out and later McDonald’s making it national. It allowed diners to order food without leaving their cars .

This idea dovetailed perfectly with a growing car culture and suburban life in the aftermath of WWII. Today, drive-thrus are common worldwide, but their roots lie in mid-century America.

3

Credit cards

While earlier charge systems existed, modern credit cards became widely used in the U.S. in the 1950s with Diners Club and BankAmericard (later Visa).

They allowed consumers to buy now and pay later , transforming spending habits. This system became a global standard, making everyday purchases faster and more flexible.

4

Online shopping

Modern online shopping began in the U.S. during the 1990s, with now-ubiquitous companies like Amazon leading the way. Consumers could browse and buy products without visiting a store .

This shifted retail forever, offering convenience, home delivery, and endless variety. Today’s global e-commerce industry grew from these early American platforms.

5

Self-service gas stations

Self-service gas stations became popular in the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s, allowing drivers to pump their own fuel instead of relying on attendants .

This reduced costs and sped up service, appealing to busy motorists. Over time, it became the standard in most parts of the world.

6

Supermarkets with one-stop shopping

The first true supermarkets appeared in the U.S. in the 1930s, offering a wide range of goods, from fresh meat and produce to dry goods to cleaning and personal care products, under one roof . King Kullen in New York is often cited as an early example of this.

These mega-stores replaced smaller specialty shops and made grocery shopping easier. The concept became a global standard for food retail.

7

Shopping malls

Indoor shopping malls emerged in the U.S. in the mid-20th century, designed as climate-controlled spaces with multiple stores in one location , beginning with Southdale Center, which opened in Edina, Minnesota, in 1956.

They became social hubs as well as retail centers. The mall concept spread worldwide, especially in suburban areas.

8

Frozen TV dinners

TV dinners were introduced in the U.S. in the 1950s, notably by Swanson. These frozen meals were designed to be heated quickly and eaten while watching television, hence the term "TV dinner."

They reflected changing lifestyles in which convenience and entertainment overlapped. Frozen meals later became a global staple, especially with the advent of microwave ovens, which became increasingly popular in the 1970s and 80s.

9

Automatic dishwashers

Dishwashers existed earlier, but automatic home models became widely adopted in the U.S. during the mid-20th century, making their way into American homes in the 1950s and 60s.

They saved time and reduced household labor, especially in busy families . Today, they are a common appliance in many parts of the world.

10

Sink garbage disposals

The garbage disposal system was invented in the U.S. in the 1920s and became popular in American homes after World War II. It grinds food waste directly in the sink .

This innovation simplified kitchen cleanup and reduced trash volume. It remains especially common in U.S. households.

11

Vending machines

Modern vending machines became widespread in the U.S. during the 1950s and 60s, offering snacks and beverages in public places.

They provided quick, unattended service at any hour . While now global, their large-scale use and variety were strongly shaped by American consumer culture.

12

Ride-sharing apps

Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft began in the late 2000s, using smartphones to connect passengers with drivers instantly .

They transformed urban transportation, offering flexible alternatives to taxis. This model has since expanded to cities around the world.