1

Extra cheese

Image: Ivan Torres

Let's start with a wild card: extra cheese pizza. It's no surprise it's one of the most popular choices, with its unbeatable trio of classic ingredients: dough, a lot of mozzarella cheese, and a simple tomato sauce. And who doesn't like cheese?

However, its simplicity doesn't make it any less delicious; it can be one of the best pizzas you'll ever taste! And if you want to try something new, some suggest swapping mozzarella for provolone.

2

Pepperoni

Image: Alan Hardman

A total winner of all rankings, pepperoni pizza is undoubtedly one of Americans' favorites. And that's no surprise at all. The combination of delicious melted cheese with a tasty tomato sauce and spicy, smoky pepperoni slices makes it an irresistible variety for most palates. Is it your favorite, too?

3

Sausage

Image: Nadya Spetnitskaya

Thanks to pizza's unlimited variety of toppings, you don't have to pick between protein and carbohydrates; you can enjoy both!

Sausage pizza is now a staple on the menus of many restaurants and pizza chains. And it's no wonder, given that it's one of the most popular choices among Americans. Traditionally, pizza-makers opt for Italian sausage, but you can always choose your favorite type!

4

Mushrooms

Image: Lavi Perchik

Along with pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese, mushrooms are also one of the most popular pizza toppings in America.

Because of their versatility, mushrooms are a great choice to complement any pizza, whether it's a vegetarian or a meat pizza. In addition, they are a recommended topping for their flavor, nutritional value, and low-calorie content.

5

Green Peppers

Image: engin akyurt

Green peppers also make the top 5. If sausage isn't your choice or you follow a vegetarian diet, green pepper pizza is likely one of your favorites.

The crunchy texture and slightly sweet flavor of green peppers make a fantastic team with pizza crust and tomato sauce, making it one of the most popular.

6

Onions

Image: Adonyi Gábor

There is an alternative that's a must-have on any menu: onion pizza. Although it may not have as many staunch and expressive fans as other varieties, onion pizza is actually one of the most requested options across the country.

Onion, like tomato and cheese, is a widely used ingredient in Italian cuisine, making it a classic that's also included in other varieties and sauces.

7

Black olives

Image: Carissa Gan

Black olives have earned a spot in this ranking, as it is a very appreciated option for those who demand a briny touch on their pizza.

Some people hate them, others love them, but if you've never tried black olives on your pizza, we recommend giving it a shot. Many people have tried them and come back for more!

8

Fresh garlic

Image: Sébastien Marchand

Hand in hand with onion, garlic is a must when it comes to giving a punch of flavor to food. And pizza is no exception. In fact, fresh garlic pizza is also one of the most widely eaten pizzas in America.

While it may not have as large a fan base as other toppings, those who choose garlic as their favorite are incredibly loyal! This variety offers an exquisite combination: Often paired with mozzarella cheese and olive oil, garlic gives a unique touch.

9

Margherita

Image: Aldward Castillo

If we talk about perfect combinations, we can't leave out the legendary Margherita, a fabulous Italian pizza. Created in the 19th century in Naples, Italy, this pizza was invented especially for the Queen Margherita of Savoy, with flavors that represent the Italian flag: the green of the basil, the red of the tomato, and the white of the mozzarella cheese. Irresistible!

10

BBQ Chicken

Image: serjan midili

Chain restaurants and pizzerias wouldn't be the same without the delicious BBQ chicken pizza, a blend of flavor, heartiness, and creativity.

If the more traditional varieties have bored you, this is the perfect option for you. With a combination of sweet and smoky, this variety is undoubtedly a top choice for those who appreciate audacious tastes.

1

​Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Every legal TV drama has a "You have the right to remain silent" moment. But that phrase actually became part of American culture thanks to a Supreme Court ruling. In 1963, American laborer Ernesto Miranda was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, and questioned by police for several hours about a kidnapping and assault case. During the interrogation, officers did not tell him he had the right to remain silent or the right to speak with a lawyer. Miranda eventually signed a confession that was later used to convict him at trial.

His lawyers appealed, arguing that he had not been properly informed of his constitutional rights. In a narrow five-to-four ruling, the Supreme Court agreed. Chief Justice Earl Warren explained that police interrogations place heavy pressure on suspects, making safeguards necessary. The Court ruled that suspects must be informed of their rights before questioning begins. Today, the Mirada Rights warning is one of the best-known legal protections in the U.S.

2

​Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

For many decades, racial segregation in public schools was considered legal under the doctrine "separate but equal." In reality, schools for Black children were often underfunded and unequal in nearly every other way. The issue came to a head in Topeka, Kansas, when Oliver Brown tried to enroll his Black daughter Linda in a nearby white elementary school. She was denied admission because of segregation laws.

Brown joined other families in challenging school segregation with support from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, whose legal team was led by Thurgood Marshall. The Supreme Court heard arguments from several related cases and faced enormous pressure because of the issue’s national importance. In 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered a unanimous decision declaring that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. The ruling overturned earlier legal precedent and became one of the most important decisions in American history, helping launch the modern Civil Rights Movement.

3

​Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

During the Vietnam War, protests and political debates spread across the country, including in public schools. In 1965, a group of students in Des Moines, Iowa, decided to wear black armbands to school to protest the war and support a Christmas truce. School officials quickly announced that students wearing the armbands would be suspended. Mary Beth Tinker and her brother John wore the armbands anyway and were suspended from school. Their family challenged the decision, arguing that the students’ First Amendment rights had been violated.

The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled seven to two in favor of the students. In 1969, Justice Abe Fortas wrote that students do not lose their constitutional rights when they enter a school building. The Court concluded that schools may only limit student expression if it seriously disrupts learning. The ruling became a major precedent protecting peaceful expression in public schools.

4

​Roe v. Wade (1973)

Before Roe v. Wade, abortion laws differed greatly from state to state, and many states severely restricted access to the procedures. The case began when, in 1969, a Texas woman, Norma McCorvey, challenged state laws under the pseudonym "Jane Roe." Texas only allowed abortions in cases where the mother’s life was in danger. Roe argued that the law violated constitutional protections for personal privacy.

The Supreme Court heard the case during a period of growing national debate over reproductive rights and government authority. In 1973, the Court ruled seven to two that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment, including certain decisions about abortion. The justices created a legal framework balancing individual rights with state interests. Roe v Wade continued to be one of the most debated decisions in history. It was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022 via the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, which eliminated the federal constitutional right to an abortion and allowed individual states to set their own abortion laws.

5

​Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Inequality based on race took all kinds of forms, and school desegregation was just the beginning of a long pursuit of justice and equality. As universities sought to address racial inequality in higher education during the 1970s, affirmative action policies became the subject of national debate. Alla Bakke, a white 30-year-old engineer from California, applied to the medical school at the University of California, Davis, and challenged its admissions program after being denied entry.

Bakke argued that the school’s racial quota system violated the Equal Protection Clause. In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled that strict racial quotas were unconstitutional, but also said race could still be considered as one factor among many in admissions decisions. The ruling shaped college admissions policies for decades. In 2023, however, the Court overturned much of that framework, via Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard College, ruling that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violated the Constitution, bringing a major chapter of the affirmative action debate to a turning point.

6

​Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Before 1963, many Americans accused of serious crimes had no guaranteed right to a lawyer if they couldn’t afford one. Clarence Earl Gideon, an impoverished Missourian drifter, learned this firsthand after being charged with burglary in Florida. Too poor to hire an attorney, Gideon asked the court to appoint one for him, but the request was denied because state law only required lawyers in death penalty cases.

While incarcerated, he sent a handwritten petition to the Supreme Court arguing that his constitutional rights had been violated. The Court agreed to hear the case and ruled unanimously in his favor. The Justices declared that the Sixth Amendment guaranteed the right to legal counsel in serious criminal cases and that states must provide attorneys for defendants who cannot afford them. The ruling greatly expanded protections for ordinary citizens in the criminal justice system.

7

​Schenck v. United States (1919)

During WWI, the U.S. government became increasingly concerned about opposition to the military draft. Charles Schenck, a leader in the Socialist Party, distributed pamphlets encouraging drafted men to resist military service peacefully. He was arrested under the Espionage Act of 1917 and argued that his actions were protected by the First Amendment. But the Supreme Court didn’t see it that way.

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. explained that free speech rights are not unlimited, especially during wartime. In one of the most famous lines in Supreme Court history, Holmes stated that the law would not protect someone falsely shouting "fire" in a crowded theater and causing panic. The Court created the "clear and present danger" test, allowing the government to limit speech that creates an immediate threat to public safety or national security. The ruling became an important balance between civil liberties and public protection.

8

​McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

In the early years of the U.S., many Americans still viewed their states almost like separate countries. After the War of 1812, in 1816, the federal government created the Second Bank of the United States to help stabilize the economy. Several states opposed the national bank, including Maryland, which placed a heavy tax on it. James McCulloch, who worked at the Baltimore branch of the federal bank, refused to pay the tax , and the dispute reached the Supreme Court.

In 1819, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that Congress had the authority to create the bank, even though the Constitution did not specifically mention national banks. He explained that the Constitution gives the federal government certain implied powers needed to carry out its duties. The Court also ruled that states could not tax federal institutions. The decision strengthened federal authority and helped create a more stable national economy at a time when the young country was still finding its footing.

9

​Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

In the 1820s, steamboats were transforming transportation and trade across the U.S. New York granted a monopoly, giving certain operators exclusive rights to run steamboats on its waters. Aaron Ogden operated a ferry service between New York and New Jersey under that monopoly. Thomas Gibbons began running a competing ferry service using a federal license, leading to a major legal battle. The case raised an important question: Could individual states control interstate trade, or did that authority belong to the federal government?

In 1824, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Gibbons. Chief Justice John Marshall declared that Congress alone has the power to regulate interstate commerce. The Court also defined commerce broadly to include navigation and transportation. The ruling prevented states from blocking trade across borders and helped create the open national economy Americans know today, making travel and business between states far easier and more consistent.

10

​Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Every time Americans expect the Constitution to protect their rights, they are relying on a principle established in Marbury v. Madison. Before 1803, nobody was entirely sure who had the final authority to decide whether a law violated the Constitution. That question arose during a tense transfer of power between Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. In his final hours in office, Adams appointed several judges, including Maryland businessman William Marbury. Some appointment papers were never delivered before Jefferson took office, and he ordered his brand-new Secretary of State, James Madison, not to hand them over to the appointees.

Marbury sued, asking the Supreme Court to force Madison to deliver the documents. Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that Marbury deserved the position, but the law allowing the Court to hear the case directly was unconstitutional. In doing so, Marshall established judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution.

1

"Play it again, Sam." Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca remains one of Hollywood’s most memorable classics, but what if we all remember one of the movie's most quoted lines incorrectly? In the famous scene where Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) approaches Sam (Dooley Wilson) at the piano, she asks him to play a song for her.

The line is most commonly quoted as: " Play it again, Sam. " But Ilsa never says these exact words. What she actually tells Sam is: "Play it once, Sam, for old time's sake. Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’"

2

"Luke, I am your father." The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Few plot twists in movie history have been as shocking as the scene where Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) finally reveals to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that he’s his father in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back . So how did we end up remembering Vader’s line wrong?

People always recall the line as: "Luke, I am your father." But in the scene, Luke says, "He told me you killed him!" referring to his father. Vader then answers, "No. I am your father." He never really says "Luke."

3

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The characters, story, and indelible scenes of The Wizard of Oz have made it one of the most beloved films of all time, and even though we’ve seen this countless times, we still misquote one of its most famous lines .

Believe it or not, Dorothy (Judy Garland) didn’t say "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." After she and Toto arrive in Oz’s Munchkinland, what she says is: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The difference is small, but the misquote has become far more ubiquitous than the original.

4

"Life is like a box of chocolates." Forrest Gump (1994)

At the beginning of the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump , Forrest (Tom Hanks) fondly remembers his mom’s analogy comparing life to a box of chocolates. While the line stuck with us, it's not quite how folks usually repeat it.

Forrest doesn’t exactly say "Life is like a box of chocolates." He says: "My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." The most commonly remembered version changes both the opening and the verb tense.

5

"If you build it, they will come." Field of Dreams (1989)

What if the mysterious voice in Field of Dreams said something different to Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) than what we’ve been repeating all this time? The quote is most commonly remembered as "If you build it, they will come." But again, there’s a catch.

The voice actually tells Ray, "If you build it, he will come." "He" initially refers to Shoeless Joe Jackson, the first ghost to appear. However, the message has a deeper meaning: it also foreshadows Ray’s chance to reconnect with his deceased father, John Kinsella.

6

"Do you feel lucky, punk?" Dirty Harry (1971)

Clint Eastwood has played so many iconic characters throughout his career, but antihero cop Harry Callahan has stuck around, and his line "Do you feel lucky, punk?" has been repeated ad nauseam. But if you watch Dirty Harry again, you’ll notice he never says it like that.

After Harry stops a bank robbery, he tells the criminal, "You've got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk? " He’s challenging the robber to guess whether his .44 Magnum still has a bullet in it.

7

"Houston, we have a problem." Apollo 13 (1995)

This line has been repurposed everywhere to convey that something has gone wrong. Turns out, the 1995 movie Apollo 13 changed the wording of what the real Commander Jim Lovell said.

In Apollo 13 , Tom Hanks, playing Lovell, says "Houston, we have a problem." During the actual Apollo 13 mission, astronaut Jack Swigert radioed Mission Control and said: "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here," and then Lovell repeated, "Houston, we've had a problem."

8

"Hello, Clarice." The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The line "Hello, Clarice" from The Silence of the Lambs is synonymous with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) himself. But as surprising as it sounds, Hannibal never says those words at all. In that first tense encounter between Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Hannibal, the serial killer and cannibal simply says " Good morning ." It’s unclear why this conversation has been misquoted.

9

"Mirror, mirror on the wall…" Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Here’s another one that almost everyone gets wrong: the Evil Queen never said "Mirror, mirror on the wall…" in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . The actual line in the movie goes: " Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

The confusion stems from the original German text from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale: " Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand ," which literally translates to "Mirror, mirror on the wall." This version caught on so well that even Disney has used "mirror, mirror" in official merchandise, movie posters, and even in the animated series The 7D (a spin-off focusing on the dwarfs), in which an episode is titled "Mirror, Mirror."

10

"He’s alive!" Frankenstein (1931)

The exact moment when Frankenstein’s monster comes to life in James Whale's 1931 movie, based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, isn’t quite how most people remember. In the scene, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) doesn’t cry "He’s alive!" What he actually says is: " It’s alive ."

Dr. Frankenstein uses "it" instead of "he," emphasizing his creation’s monstrous, rather than human, nature. Interestingly, the iconic scene doesn't happen the same way in Shelley's original novel. In the book, there’s no lightning storm, no kites, and no massive electronic equipment as in the movie; he simply brings the creature to life during a quiet, rainy November night and never screams "It’s alive" when the monster starts moving.