1

Open the windows

Image: Braden Burson

Yes, you read that right. A sitting US president can’t just get up and open the windows of the White House to enjoy a beautiful day. While there’s no law against it, the protocols state that any action that could pose a security risk to the commander-in-chief must be carefully reviewed and approved by the staff.

2

Go to the cinema

Image: Krists Luhaers

Going to the movies is one of life’s simple pleasures. Unfortunately, if you’re the president, it’s not one of your options. While it’s not officially forbidden, crowded and dark spaces like movie theaters represent serious security risks. Luckily, the White House has its own private screening room, so the president and his family can still enjoy movie night at home.

3

Attend their children’s events

Image: Sincerely Media

You’ll rarely see a president at their kids’ school plays or sporting events. And it’s not because they’re bad parents; it’s because regulations discourage them from attending. With so many people, children, and things happening at the same time, keeping the commander-in-chief safe in those settings is nearly impossible.

4

Buy their own tech devices

Image: appshunter.io

When a new iPhone hits the market, many rush to buy it, but presidents can’t make this decision on their own. Any electronic device, like a smartphone or tablet, could be vulnerable to hacking or espionage. So while presidents can use cell phones, theirs must be secure, vetted, and government-approved.

5

Block people on social media

Image: Julian

And that isn’t the only restriction on cell phones. Presidents who use their social media accounts for official communications are advised not to block people in their official POTUS account, since doing so could be seen as suppressing free speech. On the other hand, they can block users on personal accounts.

6

Go out alone

Image: Warren K. Leffler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The US president can’t just grab the keys and head out for a walk. Sure, strolls around the White House gardens are fine, but stepping beyond the gates is a different story. Anytime the president leaves the White House, even for a quick walk around the block, the Secret Service must secure the area, plan the route, and provide constant protection. Sounds a little overwhelming, right? But when you’re the commander in chief, safety always comes first!

7

Drive

Image: Jerry Kavan

Ever felt the urge to hop in your car and drive somewhere spontaneously? Well, if you’re the President of the United States, that’s off-limits. Security measures strongly recommend that presidents must always travel in a secure vehicle with a driver and a full security detail. In fact, the last president known to drive alone on the open road was Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969).

8

Fly on commercial airlines

Image: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Just as security protocols strongly discourage the president from driving alone on open roads, flying on commercial airlines is also off-limits. Imagine being hundreds of feet in the air, locked in with strangers; it could be extremely unsafe when you’re the president of the United States. Implementing proper security measures would be too complicated, and with a large presidential staff, there might not even be enough seats for everyone.

9

Accept expensive gifts

Image: Ayana Ames

Presidents receive many, many letters and gifts from the public, but not all of them can be accepted. The US Constitution and federal law require presidents to decline overly expensive gifts, whether they come from foreign leaders or everyday citizens, to prevent any appearance of conflict of interest or corruption.

10

Discard official mail

Image: Wolfgang Vrede

Although it may seem like a harmless, ordinary task, the president can’t just start cleaning out their office or email inbox. All presidential correspondence, physical or digital (even spam!), is considered official government property. It must be processed or archived according to federal records regulations, and discarding anything requires a strict review process.

1

The Roaring Twenties

Image: Carrie Borden

We’ll begin with one of the first fads invented right here in America. The 1920s in America were characterized by a period of prosperity and well-being that resulted in a dynamic and distinct cultural rise in major American metropolises. There’s a reason why this period was known as "The Roaring 20s": It signified an upheaval in American music, arts, and fashion.

The 20s saw the birth of avant-garde art forms like jazz music, as well as groundbreaking novels by authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. This era is also remembered for the surge of the "Flapper" subculture: Modern, young women with a more carefree attitude toward entertainment.

2

Pin-up models

Image: Florida Memory

Who do you think about whenever you think of the word "pin-up model"? Chances are your answer is Marilyn Monroe or Betty Grable : After all, they both got their start as pin-up models, portrayed in thousands of mass-produced photographs. However, these actresses helped cement the notion of what defines a pin-up model, now considered to be an essential icon in American pop culture history.

Pin-ups defined the aesthetic of an entire period, present in everything from movies to advertisements. Not only that, pin-up models were often depicted on the side of American fighter planes during World War 2, helping raise the morale of our troops.

3

Greasers

Image: Sümeyye Candan

Although the word "greaser" definitively got its start as a derogatory term for this subculture, it ended up being the name of one of America’s most beloved periods. The 1950s are still revered as a golden age by millions of Americans, particularly because of the surge of many icons that make our country so wonderful: Things like Cadillacs, Rock N’ Roll music, and soda fountains were all born in this era.

In that sense, the "Greaser" look was heavily influenced by musicians and actors like Elvis Presley and James Dean . Greasers would showcase their fast motorcycles, stylish hairstyles, and leather jackets wherever they went. By the 1970s, this style was so well-known that it provided the basis of one of America’s favorite TV characters: Fonzie, perhaps now considered the quintessential greaser.

4

The Hippie movement

Image: Jamie Street

The Hippie movement is synonymous with 1960s America: This subculture influenced almost every art form during this period, from music to television, film, and literature. While it is nowadays mostly looked at as an aesthetic or cultural movement, the influence of hippies in American politics and society shouldn’t be overlooked.

Perhaps the biggest representatives of the hippie movement are those groundbreaking bands and musicians aligned with this movement, like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, or Jefferson Airplane. Hippies were also characterized by their groundbreaking fashion, which featured bell-bottom jeans, sunglasses, and colorful shirts.

5

Beatnik movement

Image: Pereanu Sebastian

Speaking of hippies, let’s take a little detour and focus on an American artistic movement that laid the foundation from which the hippie movement emerged. Much like with "greaser," the term "beatnik" was first coined as an insult, aimed at followers of the "Beat Generation," a literary movement that included names like Jack Kerouac or William S. Burroughs.

The beatnik subculture had a defining image, often exaggerated by detractors: Think about the caricature of a modern poet, complete with a black turtleneck, beret, and bongos, and you’ll be thinking about a stereotypical beatnik. Regardless, historians believe that the term "hippie" comes from "hipsters," which is a term first used to describe the beatnik subculture.

6

The 80s

Image: Eric Nopanen

Fashion during the 1980s can be best summed up by this phrase from Charles Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities": "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." While it can’t be denied that this decade brought forward groundbreaking styles to music, films, and culture, it should also be noted that some of these changes were extreme, to say the least. At the end of the day, whether the 80s were good or bad will ultimately depend on who you are asking.

Personally, we would like to focus on those 80s things that we absolutely love: Things like synthesizer music, mullet hairstyles, and neon-bright clothing. This decade was also the birthplace of several subcultures, including the post-punk, preppy, and new-wave movements.

7

The 90s

Image: Panos Sakalakis

If the 70s and 80s were characterized by their loud and flamboyant styles, the 90s were defined by a more minimalist approach: Bands like Nirvana or Pearl Jam helped promote the "grunge" aesthetic, which featured simple items of clothing like jeans, flannel shirts or hoodies.

Although definitively minimalist, the 90s were also the birthplace of subcultures like the goth movement. During this era, numerous extreme sports like skateboarding gained popularity, in line with this decade’s alternative outlook on culture.

8

Disco

Image: Dustin Tramel

Ready to dance "The Hustle"? The late 60s and early 70s were determined by the emergence of one of America’s most remembered subcultures. While disco music first appeared in New York City and Philadelphia, it quickly swept over the nation: Think of a tornado filled with disco balls, roller skates, and nightclubs, and you might be able to paint a picture of how influential this subculture was.

Although disco got its start in iconic nightclubs like Studio 54, it soon expanded to other mediums like movies and television. Most notably, shows like "Soul Train" helped promote this genre’s appeal, while films like "Saturday Night Fever" cemented the ultimate aesthetic of the disco subculture.

9

Digital age

Image: Xiong Yan

We have now arrived at our modern times ! The advent of the internet represented such a groundbreaking innovation in our everyday lives that it stands to reason that the digital age also influenced many of our fads and movements. The late 2000s and early 2010s were determined by this new massive access to information, which completely changed the way we consume culture and entertainment.

In that sense, this new, instant way to share information immediately meant that culture was now not only limited to geographical locations: Your favorite band or fashion icon could easily live on the other side of the world. This cultural exchange resulted in a rich and diverse movement, which is still developing to this very day.

10

All those wonderful memories…

Image: COSMOH LOVE

We have reserved the final entry on this list for the many objects that defined each of these decades. It is sometimes easier to picture an era through a specific item: Think about the 50s and their timeless jukeboxes, or the 90s and the above-mentioned flannel shirts.

In that sense, we have selected a few of our top picks. Some, like the Hula Hoop or the Frisbee, have truly transcended time: Although they were created decades ago, they are still thoroughly enjoyed by children and adults alike. Time hasn’t been that kind with others, though, like with the now practically extinct Tamagotchi. This digital pet was all the rage during the late 90s and early 2000s, but it ultimately fell into obscurity thanks to other digital mediums.

1

87 steps

In case you haven't counted them, there are exactly 87 steps leading up to the Lincoln Memorial. But why does that number matter? Although the National Park Service says it wasn’t intentional, many people connect it to the opening line of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: "Four score and seven years ago...", a coincidence that's hard to ignore.

2

Hidden underground chamber

The Lincoln Memorial is more than what you see at first glance; there’s an entire hidden world beneath it. That’s right! Underground lies a large chamber built as part of the monument’s foundation. Giant concrete columns support the structure above, and there are also narrow corridors where workers once walked. You can even find graffiti and markings left by those builders in the early 1900s. Although the public can’t visit this space yet, the National Park Service has said it hopes to open it in the future.

3

A pyramid?

Can you imagine a giant pyramid rising over the landscape of Washington, DC? It’s hard to picture, but it could have happened. Among the many design proposals for the Lincoln Memorial were some extravagant ideas, including a huge pyramid. In the end, the Greek temple design we know today won out.

4

The typo

To err is human, and the Lincoln Memorial is no exception. As you may know, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address are engraved on the interior walls. But the carver made a small mistake when transcribing the Second Inaugural Address, writing "euture" instead of "future" in the line "high hopes for the future." Although the error was corrected, people say that if you look closely enough, you can still see it.

5

Lincoln's friends made it happen

For years, several proposals to build a memorial to Abraham Lincoln failed in Congress. Fortunately, Senator Shelby Collum and Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon joined forces to get the final bill approved. These men had known Lincoln and felt that a memorial to Honest Abe was both fitting and necessary.

6

Who is Thomas Jefferson looking at?

It’s well known that the statue of Thomas Jefferson inside his memorial faces north toward the White House and the Washington Monument. But there’s another interesting interpretation. Also to the north is the statue of Alexander Hamilton on the south side of the US Treasury Building. Since Jefferson and Hamilton were once colleagues who later became political rivals, some like to imagine that Jefferson’s bronze likeness is keeping a cautious, almost "watchful eye" on Hamilton.

7

FDR specifically requested the Jefferson Memorial

Since the early 20th century, there had been talk of building a memorial to honor Thomas Jefferson. But nothing moved forward until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933. An admirer of Jefferson, FDR pushed tirelessly for the project until Congress approved it. But he was not only the one who requested it; he even delivered the dedication speech when the memorial was completed in 1943.

8

10,000 pounds

We all know Jefferson was a great man, but do you know how big his statue is? It stands around 19 feet tall and weighs an astonishing 10,000 pounds; that’s a lot of bronze! Originally, the statue was a painted plaster model because, when it was dedicated in 1943, metal shortages from World War II made bronze unavailable. Four years later, in 1947, the bronze statue we see today was installed.

9

Once a popular beach

Before becoming the site of the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin Beach was a popular beach in Washington. That's right; at the beginning of the 20th century, the area was used for swimming, boating, and picnics. This, coupled with the need to cut down some cherry blossom trees for construction, sparked controversy and turned some people against the project.

10

Created by a landfill

Before the Jefferson Memorial could be built, the area had to be transformed. The Tidal Basin was originally shallow and surrounded by marshland, so workers filled it with material dredged from the Potomac River to create a stable foundation. Definitely a big effort.