1

No blindfolded driving in Alabama

Image: Kirill Balobanov

As we said in the introduction, these situations are likely born out of real incidents. At some point, someone must have driven blindfolded in Alabama , and the consequences were serious enough for state legislators to enact a law preventing it from happening again—a reasonable measure if you ask us.

2

No driving with dogs on the roof

Image: Tadeusz Lakota

As terrible and infuriating as it may sound, there is a very real possibility that someone drove with a poor dog tied to the roof of a car in chilly Alaska . Thankfully, local legislators passed a law prohibiting this dangerous and cruel situation.

3

No reverse driving

Image: Hunter Wiseley

This law makes no sense, and we bet—or at the very least hope—that it’s no longer enforced. Otherwise, how would Arizonans back out of their driveways without breaking the law?

Believe it or not, traveling in reverse on an Arizona road is illegal .

4

No horn honking at the sandwich joint

Image: Simon Daoudi

While it can certainly be an annoyance to hear cars honking when you’re trying to enjoy a Croque Monsieur and a diet soda at your favorite spot, most of us wouldn’t expect a state law banning it.

But in Arkansas, it’s illegal to honk a horn after 9 p.m. outside an establishment that serves sandwiches and cold drinks .

5

No jumping out of the car at 65 mph or faster

Image: Mathias Arlund

This one seems more like common sense than anything else, but apparently, enough people attempted this stunt in California for state legislators to pass a law making it illegal to leap out of a moving vehicle traveling at 65 mph or faster .

6

No black vehicles on a Sunday

Image: Steven Erixon

But what if your car is black and you need to drive somewhere? Hopefully, this law is no longer enforced in Colorado. Yet, for some reason lost to time, it’s illegal in this state to drive a black vehicle on a Sunday .

7

No speeding tickets for politicians

Image: Sumeet Kapadia

This one is downright infuriating. In Georgia, it’s illegal to ticket a member of the assembly for speeding while the assembly is in session. It should come as no surprise—after all, those same assembly members are the ones responsible for this law.

8

No driving with a gorilla in the backseat

Image: MARIOLA GROBELSKA

People in Massachusetts don’t need a law to tell them that driving around with a living gorilla in the backseat is a bad idea—that’s just common sense. But just in case, there’s a state law explicitly prohibiting it.

9

No camel-ridding on the highway

Image: Oskars Sylwan

Camels are great for desert travel but not so much for highway traffic. And no US state is more certain of this than Nevada, where it’s illegal to ride a camel on a highway .

10

No driving around the town square

Image: Felix Mittermeier

Driving around the town square can be a popular Saturday night activity in some towns, but someone in Ohio must have taken it to the extreme. In this state, it’s illegal to circle the town square more than 100 times in a row .

11

No reading comic books while driving

Image: Erik Mclean

For public safety alone, reading while driving should be illegal everywhere. But in Oklahoma, it’s specifically illegal to read comic books while driving —not newspapers, not hardcover novels—just comic books.

12

No driving with intoxicated passengers

Image: Jamie Street

Driving under the influence of alcohol is highly dangerous and, fortunately, banned almost everywhere. But in Texas, legislators have taken it a step further, making it illegal to drive if any alcohol is within arm’s reach of the driver —including if that alcohol is in another person’s bloodstream.

1

New York Times

Image: Marco Lenti

"The Gray Lady" remains the go-to online newspaper in the country. It is the only news site to make it into the top 15, landing in the last place.

Its renowned journalism—and, let’s be honest, its Wordle and crossword puzzles—have captivated millions, keeping readers coming back for comprehensive coverage of national and international news.

2

ESPN

Image: Tech Daily

Sports enthusiasts have made ESPN the ultimate online destination, securing its spot at number 14 on the list. From live games and scores to in-depth analysis and highlights, ESPN provides a 24/7 feast for sports fans.

Most of us have favorite teams we follow religiously, while others visit the site just to stay casually up to date with the world of sports .

3

Microsoft Online

Image: Bram Van Oost

A powerful and versatile tool, Microsoft Online secured the 13th spot on the list. Its sprawling digital landscape offers everything from cloud computing services (Azure) and productivity software (Microsoft 365) to gaming (Xbox) and search (Bing).

It's a one-stop shop— one that many people have set as their default site when they open their browser!

4

ChatGPT

Image: Jonathan Kemper

Officially the newest site on the top-15 list, this powerful AI tool became the 12th most visited in 2024, taking the world by storm with its chat-like approach to artificial intelligence searches.

Launched in late 2022, this chatbot can generate text, translate languages, write various types of creative content, and answer questions—like having a super-smart, endlessly patient research assistant. Of course, it’s always wise to double-check its answers!

5

eBay

Image: Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com

The master of online auctions , eBay has been connecting buyers and sellers since 1995—and we keep coming back for more.

Whether you're looking to thrift, hunt for rare collectibles, or finally get rid of that printer gathering dust, eBay is a treasure trove of unique finds and deals. It’s just as handy for decluttering your attic as it is for fueling your latest obsession at a bargain price.

6

Walmart

Image: Marques Thomas

The popularity of online Walmart couldn’t fall far behind its physical stores. Products at competitive prices make it one of the most visited retail sites.

From groceries and electronics to clothing and home goods, Walmart.com offers a convenient one-stop shop for online shoppers looking for value and variety . It's a digital extension of the familiar in-store experience.

7

Wikipedia

Image: Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, is a collaborative project that has become an indispensable resource for information seekers worldwide. Since its launch in 2001, it has helped users navigate everything from academic studies to random curiosities and long-standing doubts.

This crowdsourced encyclopedia covers a vast range of topics, from historical events and scientific breakthroughs to pop culture and biographies. While its accuracy is often debated, Wikipedia remains a go-to starting point for research .

8

Instagram

Image: Solen Feyissa

Instagram, the visually driven social media platform owned by Meta, allows users to share photos and videos, express themselves, and connect with others.

The app has evolved far beyond its early days when heavily filtered meal photos dominated feeds. Today, it serves as a digital hub for exploring interests, building communities, staying in touch with loved ones, and capturing life’s moments.

9

X (formerly Twitter)

Image: Kelly Sikkema

X, formerly known as Twitter, is a fast-paced social media platform where news breaks, conversations spark, and 280-character thoughts dominate.

It’s the go-to space for staying updated on current events, engaging in lively debates, and following the musings of everyone—from world leaders to your next-door neighbor.

10

Yahoo

Image: Dylann Hendricks

Did you know that Yahoo was one of the early pioneers of the Internet? While it may not hold the top spot anymore, it remains a popular portal and search engine . (More on the reigning champion later.)

Offering a variety of services, including email, news, finance, and sports, Yahoo provides a centralized hub for online activities. It's a familiar hub for many longtime internet users.

11

Reddit

Image: Brett Jordan

Reddit isn’t for everyone, but for millions, it’s essential. The self-proclaimed " front page of the internet " is a vast network of online communities where users discuss just about anything and everything imaginable.

From niche hobbies and fandoms to breaking news, psychology, and political debates, Reddit offers a forum for every interest imaginable.

12

Facebook

Image: Timothy Hales Bennett

Facebook, now known as Meta, the social media giant , has been connecting billions of people worldwide for over a decade.

It’s a space for sharing updates with friends and family, joining communities with shared interests, and discovering new content. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 193.5 million people have a Facebook account!

13

Amazon

Image: Christian Wiediger

Amazon has revolutionized the way we shop. What began as a humble bookselling site has grown into an unparalleled retail giant, offering an endless selection of products.

Standing third on the podium among the most-visited websites, Amazon is the go-to destination for online shoppers, making it easy to find just about anything you need—or didn’t know you wanted.

14

YouTube

Image: charlesdeluvio

YouTube claims the second spot on the podium as the world’s largest video-sharing platform—it’s a treasure trove of entertainment, education, and information.

From music videos and movie trailers to tutorials and comedy bloopers, users search for just about everything. And, of course, no list would be complete without cat videos.

15

Google

Image: Pixabay

Naturally, Google sits at the top of this list and has the crown. The ubiquitous search engine is so deeply tied to finding information online that it has even become a verb in everyday language.

Every minute, 5.9 million searches are conducted on Google worldwide, with 60% of U.S. searches coming from mobile devices. Ask yourself—how many times a day do you turn to the great search engine? Probably more than you realize!

1

Snap the Whip - 1872

Image: Winslow Homer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Winslow Homer was a self-taught artist from Boston, best known for his Civil War paintings, which he created at the request of Harper's Weekly magazine. But after the war, Homer moved to a totally different subject matter: childhood. The artist painted the life of American children as a world unto itself, where adults seemed to have no influence.

Homer's children, like the ones depicted in Snap the Whip , can be compared to similar literary characters of the time, like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer . They are potential America, the stock from which renewal will spring in the aftermath of the Civil War: young, strong, quick-witted, practical, and without pretense. The piece can now be viewed at The Met in New York City.

2

Whistler’s Mother - 1871

Image: James McNeill Whistler, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was a painter mainly active during the American Gilded Age and a leading proponent of the motto "art for art's sake." Whistler’s best-known piece is a painting entitled Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1: The Artist’s Mother . While it is a portrait of his mother, the identity of the woman, according to the artist, should be of no interest to the viewer, only the formal layout of grays and blacks.

For Whistler, art was not about moral instruction or storytelling but, instead, about formal perfection. He believed that artists should not simply replicate what they see in nature but express their emotional response to it. Art should be filled with sentiment, not sentimentality. These ideas formed the basis of the Aesthetic Movement of the 1870s and 1880s and influenced several American artists.

3

Madame X - 1884

Image: John Singer Sargent, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

It may seem totally innocent to us today, but in the late 19th century, this piece was a true scandal. Madame X , by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), is a portrait of Virginie Gautreau, a young woman born in New Orleans who moved to Paris after her father’s death. There, she married a wealthy man twice her age and became the talk of the town, due to her independent character and her alleged infidelities.

Virginie posed for Sargent, the world's most sought-after portrait painter of his time, and the work turned out to be as rebellious, elegant, and striking as its model. Sargent always thought that this was his masterpiece, but the public hated it. Shortly before his death, he donated the painting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, saying, "I suppose it is the best thing I have done."

4

The Child’s Bath - 1893

Image: Mary Cassatt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mary Cassatt (1845-1926) was not only one of the foremost American Impressionists but also an outstanding woman painter of the 19th century. She was raised and initially trained in Philadelphia before moving to Paris, where she befriended prolific Impressionists like Edgar Degas. However, Cassatt’s subject matter was very different from that of her French counterparts. She depicted a distinct world, drawn from her own strong family interests: sociable encounters over tea, fashionable women in theaters or drawing rooms, and mothers with their babies.

For example, The Child's Bath not only reflects Cassatt’s technical ability but also serves as a testament to her exploration of motherhood and female roles . Her approach succeeds in capturing everyday life, and the painting is remarkable for its composition and use of color. This piece, like many of her works, stands as a reminder of the value of small, deeply meaningful moments that make up culture and life in all its complexity.

5

American Gothic - 1930

Image: Grant Wood, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Perhaps one of the most famous houses in America is located in Eldon, a tiny community in southern Iowa. Contrary to what one might think, no one of distinction, notoriety, or power has ever lived in this house. Its fame is owed entirely to artist Grant Wood (1891-1942), who used it in the background of his painting American Gothic .

Wood enlisted his sister Nan to pose as the woman and recruited a dentist from Cedar Rapids, B. H. McKeeby, as the man. The painting won a prize in Chicago in 1930 and was instantly catapulted to national fame. Since then, it has been reproduced and satirized by popular culture to exhaustion and is now one of the most recognizable American paintings. Wood's American Gothic honors those who settled the land and has become an iconic representation of American identity and resilience.

6

Nighthawks - 1942

Image: Edward Hopper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Edward Hopper (1882-1967) studied at the New York Institute of Art and Design and worked for many years as a magazine illustrator. Although he didn't particularly enjoy this job, it helped sharpen his compositional skills. Thanks to these influences, Hopper's work has come to typify the American Realism movement. His paintings convey the sense that the events depicted are taking place in front of the viewer in the here and now, as seen in his famous diner scene, Nighthawks .

In this stark, impassive, realist painting, Hopper evokes a powerful sense of urban alienation, highlighting the isolation. The bright fluorescent light in the all-night diner contrasts strongly with the surrounding gloom outside and immediately transports us to a scene from a film noir movie. Exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, Nighthawks is considered one of Hopper's masterpieces and is worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.

7

Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red) - 1949

Image: chummels

Mark Rothko (1903-1970), along with Jackson Pollock, was one of the greatest representatives of American abstraction . He is best known for his color field paintings. Through his work, he sought to achieve an ambitious utopia: to express the most basic universal emotions.

When Rothko painted Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White, and Red) he was arriving at a point of maturity in what was a highly nuanced and distinct visual style. He had abandoned any remaining references to recognizable imagery, and the result is a painting with a great expressive force. Rothko used to say that he preferred to paint large pictures because he wanted to be very intimate and human. In this work, he achieves this immersion entirely through his sensitive use of color.

8

Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) - 1950

Image: Simi Iluyomade

Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) was a leading figure in Abstract Expressionism and is best known for his "drip technique." Pollock's drip method entailed placing a canvas on the floor and then dripping, pouring, and at times throwing paint over its surface. Although his technique appeared to favor chance, the artist stressed that everything in his paintings was fully intentional.

One of his most emblematic works is Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) , which is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. If you ever have the chance to see this piece in person, know that Pollock believed contemplation of his paintings allowed the viewer to access personal and unconscious responses to the modern world. As Pollock advised, the viewer should look passively and "try to receive what the painting has to offer."

9

Twenty Marilyns - 1962

Image: pvdberg

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) started making paintings of Marilyn Monroe shortly after her death. He used a black and white publicity photograph taken by Gene Korman for the 1953 movie Niagara to create a stencil for silk-screen printing, a technique he had adopted for transferring photographic images to canvas. Over the course of four months, Warhol created more than twenty works based on the Korman photograph.

What Warhol called the "assembly line effect" of the repeated image aimed to criticize the supposed uniqueness of the work of art in a world of mass reproduction and mass media. Yet, the repetitive Marilyns are full of small variations, as the paint is applied by hand. Twenty Marilyns is such an iconic work of American art history that, in a 2004 article published in The Guardian , it was named the third most influential piece of modern art in a survey of 500 artists, critics, and other members of the art world.

10

Whaam! - 1963

Image: Eric Koch, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Apart from Andy Warhol, perhaps the greatest exponent of American Pop Art is Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997). Lichtenstein was mainly drawn to action and true romance comic strips. Through his depictions of fighter pilots and tearful drowning damsels, he drew attention to the constructed nature of gender roles. Lichtenstein's exaggeration of these gender stereotypes in comic book characters led some critics to recognize his paintings as true works of art.

Whaam! , based on a comic book panel published by DC Comics in 1962, is Lichtenstein's witty and irreverent reaction to the contemporary popularity of Abstract Expressionism. With this piece, the artist attempted to deflate that movement's pomposity by presenting pictorial subject matter based on what was regarded as crass commercial art. Since Whaam! , Lichtenstein was viewed by the public eye as the ultimate American master of Pop Art.