1

Yankees vs. Red Sox

Image: Chanan Greenblatt

This feud has colored baseball for more than a century. The teams clashed often in the early 1900s, and the sale of Babe Ruth to New York only fanned the flames. Generations of fans have passed down the lore, and every game still feels like a chapter in a never-ending story.

2

Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi

Image: Nik A.

The "Cola Wars" picked up steam in the late 20th century with taste tests, jingles, and flashy commercials. Each brand tried to outdo the other in ads and sponsorships. Many households still swear one tastes better, even if most folks can barely tell the difference in a blind sip.

3

Lakers vs. Celtics

Image: Tim Hart

When basketball fans talk about greatness, these two names pop up right away. Their battles in the 60s, 80s, and 2000s created unforgettable moments. From Magic and Bird to Kobe and Garnett, each era brought its own flavor. Even non-fans recognize the spark between these teams.

4

Democrats vs. Republicans

Image: Bruno Ngarukiye

The nation’s two major parties have been sparring since the mid-1800s. Their disagreements shape elections, public debates, and dinner conversations across the country. While their views often pull in different directions, both sides trace their roots deep into American history.

5

Michigan vs. Ohio State

Image: Jakob Rosen

College football’s "The Game" is a yearly event that can tilt an entire season. Families in the Midwest grow up picking a side before they can spell the names. The rivalry took shape in the late 1800s and still ends with dramatic finishes, loud crowds, and plenty of bragging rights.

6

Mickey Mouse vs. Bugs Bunny

Image: steven lozano

Disney and Warner Bros. shaped our childhood. Mickey brought gentle charm while Bugs introduced quick wit and a wink at the audience. Their studios battled for box office success, theme park magic, and Saturday morning loyalties, giving generations a favorite to root for.

7

Duke vs. North Carolina

Image: Markus Spiske

Just eight miles separate the schools, and that short drive holds decades of college basketball tension. Their first meeting was back in 1920, and each season brings new storylines. The noise inside their arenas can practically shake the floor when these two square off.

8

Giants vs. Dodgers

Image: Hongbin

This rivalry began in New York before both teams headed west in the 1950s. The move did not cool things down one bit. Whether in Brooklyn and Manhattan or Los Angeles and San Francisco, these clubs have carried the same competitive spark for well over a hundred years.

9

Hamilton vs. Jefferson

Image: Sudan Ouyang

These two founding figures clashed over just about everything. Hamilton leaned toward strong federal power while Jefferson preferred a lighter touch from the central government. Their debates set the stage for questions that still guide the country’s political landscape.

10

Marvel vs. DC

Image: Rachit Khurana

Comic book fans have compared these two universes for generations. Marvel’s heroes often feel grounded and human, while DC characters carry mythic, larger-than-life qualities. Their films, shows, and comics compete for audiences who proudly cheer for their chosen side.

1

McLean Deluxe

Image: Szabo Viktor

Remember the low-fat diet craze of the 1990s? Well, McDonald's was no stranger to it. To attract customers seeking "healthier" options, Mickey D's introduced the McLean Deluxe—a supposedly lighter burger than the Big Mac . The patty, developed by food scientists at Auburn University, was made with 90% meat and seaweed extract.

The company’s intentions were noble, but most consumers weren’t convinced by the "low fat but tastes great" slogan. Apparently, it was not tasty enough for the American palate and was ultimately pulled from stores in 1996 .

2

McHotDog

Image: sstoyanov

It doesn’t seem far-fetched for McDonald's to offer a hot dog on its menu. Yet, for many years, the company avoided it because Ray Kroc—the man who transformed McDonald's into the megafranchise we know today—had banned them on the grounds that sausages were of questionable quality.

Despite his reservations, McDonald's introduced the McHotDog in several locations in the mid-1990s. For unknown reasons, however, the product never took off. Have you ever tried it? What did you think?

3

McDLT

Image: Aaron Boucicault

No, it has nothing to do with Subway's BMT or the classic BLT sandwich. The McDLT, introduced in 1984, was a lettuce and tomato burger with only one novelty: it was sold in a Styrofoam container, separated in two, and you had to assemble it yourself.

The most likely reason for the McDLT’s demise was the backlash against Styrofoam in the late 1980s, due to its environmental impact. And let’s be honest—how many people actually want to assemble their own hamburger?

4

Hula Burger

Image: Irene Kredenets

Long before vegan options became popular, Ray Kroc attempted to offer a meatless option for Roman Catholics to eat during Lent. Introduced in 1963, the Hula Burger was essentially a cheeseburger with a slice of pineapple instead of a meat patty.

The idea was a complete flop and was quickly replaced by the Filet-O-Fish, which served the same purpose but was much better received by the public.

5

McLobster

Image: ucomedia

Believe it or not, McDonald's once had a lobster roll on its menu. Introduced in 1993, the McLobster was a sandwich served in a hot dog bun with lobster sauce and shredded lettuce.

Why did it fail? Mostly because of the price . Not only was it expensive for a fast food chain, but if you wanted lobster, you’d probably go to a seafood restaurant instead—don’t you agree?

6

Arch Deluxe

Image: HamZa NOUASRIA

Flavor-wise, the burger "with the grown-up taste" was decent enough, the problem was the marketing campaign that went along with it. The Arch Deluxe was designed for adults , featuring more sophisticated and expensive ingredients.

However, the ads showed Ronald McDonald engaging in adult activities and young rappers saying, "Yuck," which failed to resonate with anyone. The product flopped and was discontinued in 2000 . After all, no matter how old we are, when we go to McDonald's, we all want to feel like kids again.

7

McPizza

Image: dankeck, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In hindsight, McDonald's should have stuck to selling burgers. But we have to give them credit for trying something different. In the late 1980s, the Golden Arches attempted to expand its menu with dinner options, introducing the McPizza. Sold only after 4 p.m. , it was heavily promoted through a major marketing campaign.

However, it was doomed to fail. Pizza takes much longer to prepare than a burger, and most people prefer to buy theirs from traditional pizza parlors. The McPizza was discontinued around 2000 and hasn’t returned to the menu since.

8

McPasta

Image: Lance Lozano

Just as pizza was a bad idea, offering pasta dishes at a burger joint was an even bigger stretch. Since the 1970s , McDonald's has attempted to market pasta, adding items like spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, and fettuccine to its menu.

Needless to say, despite multiple attempts, all of McDonald's pasta products eventually flopped.

9

Onion Nuggets

Image: Brett Jordan

In 1975, a year after Burger King debuted its famous Onion Rings, McDonald's introduced Onion Nuggets. As the name suggests, this side dish consisted of small, fried onion pieces .

Unfortunately for vegetable lovers, Onion Nuggets were not as successful as their ring-shaped competitors and were finally removed from the menu in the mid-1980s. Just a few months later, McDonald's launched Chicken McNuggets, which proved to be a far bigger success.

10

McSalad Shakers

Image: Hermes Rivera

It seems that most of McDonald's attempts to offer healthier options were fruitless. The McSalad Shakers were salads sold in plastic cup-like containers that you had to shake to distribute the dressing evenly.

Although they featured three appealing flavors—Chef, Grilled Chicken Caesar, and Garden—McSalad Shakers lasted only a few years on the market. In 2003, the cups were replaced by traditional bowls, which, you’ll probably agree, make much more sense.

11

McDonaldland Cookies

Image: 三岁 陈

It remains a mystery why this item disappeared from the McDonald's menu, as it was a favorite among many for years. First introduced in 1974, this dessert consisted of crunchy lemon-flavored cookies shaped like the classic McDonaldland characters—Grimace, Hamburglar, The Fry Kids, Birdie, and Ronald himself!

McDonaldland Cookies came with the Happy Meal but were discontinued in the early 2000s , likely due to health concerns. The good news is, if you want to bring back this childhood flavor, you can still find them in Australia!

1

Printer and newspaper editor

Image: Denny Müller

Benjamin Franklin wanted to be a sailor when he grew up. But his father had lost an older son of his at sea, so he sent him off to learn from his older brother, who was in the printing business. After learning the craft, he left Boston for Philadelphia at age 17 where he became a well-known printer of newspapers and an almanac full of wit and wisdom called Poor Richard’s Almanac , still in print to this day.

Franklin was a prolific author who wrote under several pseudonyms, including Silence Dogood, Polly Baker, and Richard Saunders.

2

Founding father

Image: Dan Mall

A well-known fact about Franklin is his role in the Nation’s foundation. He is the only person in history to have signed all four documents that helped to create the U.S. : the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Alliance, Amity, and Commerce with France, the Treaty of Peace between England, France, and the U.S., and the U.S. Constitution.

He famously quipped after signing the Constitution to the people that they had created a republic but warned it would only be one "if you can keep it."

3

American representative abroad

Image: Brett Wharton

A major player abroad, Benjamin Franklin spent years representing the colony of Pennsylvania in England and then later representing the U. S. in France . For his actions abroad, he became universally admired and renowned, playing an important role in securing a French alliance during the Revolutionary War. He also helped to negotiate the Treaty of Paris that officially ended the Revolutionary War.

4

Inventor

Image: AbsolutVision

His restless mind urged Franklin to be on the constant lookout for ways to improve the world through new inventions. His most famous creations were the bifocal glasses and the Franklin stove, but he also invented a pair of swim fins for his hands at age 11, and he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968 for his many contributions to the sport.

As for the bifocals, when his vision worsened as he got older, he cut lenses from a pair of glasses that allowed him to see things close up and lenses from another pair of glasses that allowed him to see things far away. He put half of each lens in a single frame to invent bifocals.

5

Scientist

Image: NOAA

The immortal image of Franklin pulling a kite with a key attached to it, while in the middle of a thunderstorm brings us to probably the most famous of all his scientific discoveries: the realization that lightning was an electrical phenomenon . Benjamin Franklin didn’t discover electricity, as some people think, but proved the connection between electricity and lightning.

The whole key-kite-thunderstorm experiment led to his invention of lightning rods for buildings.

6

Musician

Image: Dominik Scythe

Few people know that Benjamin Franklin played several instruments , including the violin, harp, and guitar. He invented the glass armonica after seeing performers make music with glasses of water, which he played by touching the edge of the spinning glass with damp fingers.

In his letters, Franklin recounts many happy evenings playing the armonica alongside his daughter, Sally. "Of all my inventions," Franklin wrote, "the glass armonica has given me the most personal satisfaction."

7

Volunteer Fire Company creator

Image: Sandie Clarke

Worried by the fires that broke out constantly in the area, Franklin founded the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1736. This fire company was the first volunteer fire company of its kind in the U.S.

Soon after this volunteer fire company appeared, more and more fire companies spread across the city and soon all over the country, leading to a safer environment in relation to fires.

8

Postmaster

Image: Joanna Kosinska

Franklin was appointed postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737, holding the office until 1753, when he was named deputy postmaster–general of British North America , the first to hold the office. Franklin reorganized the service's accounting system and improved the speed of delivery between Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.

On July 26, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the United States Post Office and named Franklin as the first United States postmaster general . He had been a postmaster for decades and was a natural choice for the position.

9

Gulf Stream charterer

Image: Max Okhrimenko

Although it was first observed in 1513 by Ponce de Leon, the Gulf Stream was not charted until 1769 by our friend, Benjamin Franklin . Alexander Agassiz, a preeminent oceanographer of the 19th century, attributed the first scientific basis for exploring this stream to Franklin, who had published a map of the Gulf Stream in the previously mentioned year, 200 years before a submersible named after him drifted below the surface to study this river in the ocean.

10

Ben Franklin Effect

Image: Chris Liverani

The final entry on this list is dedicated to a psychological phenomenon known as the Ben Franklin effect. The basic concept behind this phenomenon is that people like someone more after doing a favor for them , and the reasoning is that people believe that they help others because they like them, even if they do not because their minds struggle to maintain logical consistency between their actions and perceptions.

Benjamin quoted what he described as an "old maxim" in his autobiography: "He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged."