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Jack In The Box

Image: Studbee

And speaking of outer space… Before Mark Hamill became Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, he once worked the drive-thru at Jack in the Box. He was quickly fired, though. Customers complained after he spoke to them using a clown-like voice.

Decades later, in 2022, Hamill reunited with the brand in a comeback ad promoting two revived fan favorites: Spicy Chicken Strips and French Toast Sticks.

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Taco Bell

Image: PJ Gal-Szabo

The company has pulled off some interesting marketing pranks over the years, but none as unforgettable as its 1996 April Fool’s joke announcing that it had purchased the Liberty Bell.

A full-page ad ran in major newspapers announcing the purchase of the historic bell to help reduce the national debt. The "Taco Liberty Bell" joke did not land well. It caused thousands of complaints; people contacted Taco Bell and the National Park Service demanding answers. Later that day, the company confirmed the story was a hoax, and the stunt went down as one of the most memorable marketing pranks of all time.

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Domino’s Pizza

Image: Erick Galván

Back in the ’80s, when Domino’s expanded into Japan, the company ran into a problem: there was no Japanese word for "pepperoni." And, since it was the best-selling topping in the US, they could not risk leaving that pizza out of the menu! So, the brand had to coin a Japanese word for pepperoni. They went for ペパロニ (pronounced "peparoni").

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Pizza Hut

Image: Joshua Hoehne

Pizza Hut has always been known for some memorable marketing stunts. When Back to the Future Part II hit theaters in 1989, the chain handed out "futuristic" sunglasses with every pie. In 1995, they recruited Donald Trump and Ivana Trump to introduce their first stuffed-crust pizza.

And who could forget the time, in 2001, when they delivered the first pizza ever sent into space, straight to the International Space Station (ISS)?

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Starbucks

Image: Gema Saputera

Starbucks is such an iconic franchise that its presence can signal rising real-estate values. Studies show that neighborhoods with a new Starbucks often experience property-price increases above the usual rate.

Another interesting tidbit about the brand: inside its stores, employees are required to avoid wearing perfume, cologne, or other strong fragrances to prevent interfering with the aroma and taste of the coffee.

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Coca-Cola

Image: Samuel Bryngelsson

From 1886 until 1959 (over seventy years!), a 6.5-oz glass or bottle of Coca-Cola cost exactly 5 cents. The company had strategic reasons for keeping the price so low and stable.

At the time, it was easier to get customers to insert a single nickel into vending machines rather than require multiple coins. The 5-cent price helped make Coca-Cola a simple, affordable choice.

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McDonald’s

Image: Brett Jordan

The Golden Arches giant has had a long, sometimes on-, sometimes off-, relationship with Disney. McDonald’s began doing Happy Meal tie-ins with Disney characters in 1987 to promote Disney films.

For about ten years, the partnership was exclusive, but it fell off because Disney wanted to work with other food brands, and McDonald’s with other movie studios! Today, they still share a non-exclusive alliance.

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Wendy’s

Image: Brian J. Tromp

Wendy’s square hamburger patties weren’t an accident; the idea reportedly came from a chain called Kewpee Hamburgers, a Kalamazoo favorite known for its square-shaped burgers. Founder Dave Thomas has said that as a child, he often ate at a Kewpee, and that those square patties inspired the look and feel of Wendy’s burgers.

Thomas had always loved those because corners poking out of the bun created the impression of a larger burger and made the meat easier to see.

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KFC

Image: Aleks Dorohovich

KFC’s legendary "11 herbs & spices" recipe is kept under tight lock and key; the company splits the production of the spice mix between different suppliers so that no single person outside knows the full formula.

However, there was a time when Colonel Sanders offered that recipe at a very affordable price: he would license the recipe to restaurant owners for just 4 to 5 cents per chicken piece sold, giving them the right to cook and sell his secret-recipe chicken themselves.

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Betty Crocker

Image: Lalada .

Betty Crocker was never a real person. Did you know? She was invented in 1921 by the Washburn-Crosby Company as a friendly, approachable name to respond to consumer letters.

Even though she was fictional, by 1945, Fortune magazine named "Betty Crocker" the second most famous woman in America, second only to Eleanor Roosevelt.

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M&M

Image: Pixabay

There’s a long-standing debate about America’s favorite chocolate nuggets: Do different colors of M&M’s actually taste different? While many fans swear their favorite color has a distinct flavor, the brand consistently states that the only difference between colors is their dye; all other ingredients remain the same.

That said, some people claim that mini M&M’s taste sweeter than the regular ones. Some analyses suggest that mini M&M’s have a higher candy-shell-to-chocolate ratio, which could make them taste sweeter.

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Heinz

Image: JEFERSON GOMES

Though ketchup is by far Heinz's flagship product, that was not the first one Henry J. Heinz sold. You probably could never guess what it was that he personally started selling back in 1869!

Horseradish! The first thing he ever sold, out of his house, under his name, was horseradish and other pickled goods like vinegar, sauerkraut, and pickles. This early business laid the groundwork for the now-famous condiments empire.

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Fresh fish

Image: Chris Chow

If you were new to the army , you were "fresh fish." Veterans spotted them a mile away, wide-eyed, uniforms still smelling like the depot, and not yet hardened by camp life. They got teased, trained, and sometimes tricked. Of course, every seasoned soldier once wore the "fresh fish" badge, so the teasing came with a knowing grin.

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Grab a root

Image: Lars Blankers

Dinner time in camp could mean beans, hardtack, or, if you were lucky, a potato. Asking someone to "grab a root" was soldier shorthand for "let’s eat." Potatoes were cheap, filling, and easy to cook over a campfire.

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Sawbones

Image: Piron Guillaume

Medical science in the 1860s wasn’t exactly what we call gentle. Army surgeons were nicknamed "sawbones," partly for their skill with amputations, a normal procedure during wartime. It wasn’t always fair, since many doctors were dedicated and resourceful, but the name stuck.

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Graybacks

Image: Scott Umstattd

Ask a soldier about "graybacks" and you might get two very different answers. One was lice, the pest that thrived in crowded camps. The other was a nickname Union troops used for Confederate soldiers . Either way, it wasn’t a compliment.

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Bonnie Blue Flag

This was the hit song of the Confederacy , praising the states that left the Union. The "Bonnie Blue Flag" itself showed a single white star on a blue field, the first banner of the Confederacy. The song’s lively chorus made it a favorite at rallies, campfires, and any place soldiers needed a boost of spirit.

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Furlough

Image: Stijn Swinnen

A furlough was a soldier’s golden ticket home , even if only for a short while. The paperwork described the soldier’s looks, regiment, and exact return date, plus a stern warning about being labeled a deserter if he didn’t show up on time.

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Housewife

Image: Annie Spratt

Every soldier carried a "housewife," though it wasn’t a person; it was a sewing kit . Packed with needles, thread, and spare buttons, it kept uniforms in one piece. With supply lines stretched thin, a quick stitch could mean the difference between looking like a soldier or a scarecrow.

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Insult

Image: Aleksey Kashmar

On a Civil War battlefield, an "insult" wasn’t words, it was a sudden attack on a fortified position. The idea was to strike before the defenders could react. Success could turn the tide of a fight, but failure usually meant heavy losses. It was risky and brutal.

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Kepi

Image: Jen Theodore

The kepi was the go-to cap for Union soldiers, with a flat circular top and short visor . It was light, practical, and easy to make, so it became part of the classic Civil War look. Confederate soldiers sometimes wore them too, but it was a Union signature item.

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Ordnance

Image: Rick Lobs

If it was in any way designed to make the enemy’s day worse, it was "ordnance." This covered everything from muskets to cannonballs . Armies guarded their ordnance like gold, since running low meant fighting at a disadvantage.

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Skirmish

Image: Carol Highsmith's America

Not every fight was a massive battle. A "skirmish" was a smaller clash , often between scouting parties or outposts. Quick, unpredictable, and sometimes over in minutes, skirmishes kept soldiers on edge and commanders guessing what the enemy was really up to.

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Jimi Hendrix

Image: Aditya Wardhana

We’ll start with what many believe to be the very best guitarist of all time. James Marshall Hendrix , better known as "Jimi", truly redefined rock music during his tragically short career. Born in Seattle, Jimi’s fascination with music started at an early age: His school teachers recall that he would often carry around a broom, on which he would pretend to play the guitar.

The four albums recorded by Hendrix are still regarded as masterworks, known for their innovation, technique, and amazing design. If we have the difficult task of summing up this amazing musician’s legacy in one moment, we would definitively choose his rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock.

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B.B. King

Image: Thomas Kelley

If you are looking for an undisputed king of the blues, look no further: After all, this man has the word "King" as his surname. Born as Riley B. King in 1925, B.B. King’s career was filled with amazing performances, timeless records, and an undying love for the blues.

However, the influence of "The King of the Blues" is definitely not limited to only one genre: Many iconic musicians and bands owe a lot to B.B. King. Not only that, in 1987, King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a spot well earned by one of the most groundbreaking guitar players in history.

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Chuck Berry

Image: Rachel Bramlett

Chuck Berry’s contributions to rock and roll can’t be overlooked: After all, there’s a reason people know him as "the Father of Rock N’ Roll". Berry’s legacy truly befits a pioneer such as himself: He redefined the concept of rhythm and blues into the most defining elements of what we now know as rock and roll, creating the basis of history’s most popular music genre in the process.

Chuck wrote such legendary songs as "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybellene", and "Roll Over Beethoven". His charisma and raw talent quickly made him one of the most famous music stars in the 50s, but his legacy still lives on to this day.

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Carlos Santana

Image: Simon Weisser

We mentioned Jimi Hendrix’s unforgettable performance at Woodstock, but it’s also necessary to talk about Carlos Santana and his amazing breakthrough in this legendary music festival. For many Americans, Woodstock was the very first time hearing Santana’s music, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán began playing music at an early age: His father, a musician, taught him how to play the violin and the guitar when he was 5. Nowadays, at the young age of 77, he happily continues to tour around the world.

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Slash

Image: Cathy Mü

Some guitar players are so iconic that they don’t even need a full name, but Slash takes it to the next level: After all, he only needed a punctuation mark for the whole world to remember him. Known worldwide as the guitarist of the 80s hard rock band Guns N’ Roses, Slash is instantly recognizable by his insane riffs and solos, as well as his wild hair and elegant top hat.

Slash has been named one of the best rock guitarists in history by several magazines and publications, including Rolling Stone and Time Magazine. Should you want to hear some of his most amazing melodies, we recommend the guitar riff in "Sweet Child of Mine" as well as the insane guitar solo in "November Rain".

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Stevie Ray Vaughan

Image: Dominik Scythe

Although his career was cut abruptly short, Stevie Ray Vaughan is considered to this day one of the most influential and groundbreaking guitar players in music history. Vaughan’s seven years in the public eye left an indelible mark on rock and roll that still continues to influence young musicians around the world.

Born in Dallas, Stevie began playing the guitar at the age of 7, inspired by his older brother, guitarist Jimmie Vaughan. By the time he made it on his own as the frontman of the "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" trio, Vaughan was already an accomplished studio guitarist, even recording the instrumentals on David Bowie’s iconic 1983 album Let’s Dance.

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Frank Zappa

Image: Dominik Scythe

As you would expect, this article includes its fair share of talented and groundbreaking musicians, but we can certainly state that Frank Zappa has a quality we haven’t seen in our previous entries: His sense of humor. Zappa’s raw talent playing the guitar can only be compared to his incredible sense of irony and parody, often reflected in the lyrics of his band "The Mothers of Invention".

However, don’t let his ability for satire make you think that Zappa was anything less of a virtuoso: Even detractors who consider his experimental and eclectic style off-putting also admit that his talent can’t be denied.

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Wes Montgomery

Image: Adrian Ordonez

For any casual observer, the guitar often seems overlooked by jazz orchestras, falling in the shadows of other instruments like the piano, the trumpet, or the saxophone. However, we can almost guarantee that any jazz aficionado will agree that Wes Montgomery ’s contributions to this genre have no equal.

You might not know that Wes was not the only musician in his family: Both his brothers, Monk and Buddy, were accomplished jazz players in their own right. However, Wes is probably the most influential of the three; many of his songs have become jazz standards, while his unique style of playing was instrumental in the creation of smooth and fusion jazz.

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Image: Samuel Ramos

Many regard Rosetta Tharpe as the "original soul sister," and with good reason, as she performed under the stage name " Sister Rosetta Tharpe " throughout her entire career. However, there’s another title that shouldn’t be overlooked: Since she has influenced music legends like Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, and Chuck Berry, she is also known as "The Godmother of Rock n’ Roll".

Born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, by the age of 6, Tharpe had joined her mother in a traveling evangelical group, advertised as a "singing and guitar-playing miracle". By 1938, her amazing guitar skills, often showcased in guitar battles at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York, had already earned her a name as one of the best guitar players around.

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Robert Johnson

Image: Ahmed Rizkhaan

We’ll end this article with a man that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes as perhaps "the first ever rock star". Born in Mississippi in 1911, Robert Johnson is recognized as a pioneer in the "Delta Blues" style and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

What’s interesting is that Johnson’s career spanned only seven months: He recorded 29 songs in only 2 sessions. However, his amazing skills even spawned a supernatural legend. Many believed that Johnson’s talent came from an agreement with a supernatural entity at a crossroads.