1

First tracks laid

Image: Tim Wildsmith

Date: 1827

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), chartered in 1827, became America’s first common carrier railroad. Construction began the following year, introducing horse-drawn carriages on iron rails. While rail lines existed before, most were privately owned or served specific industries.

2

Tom Thumb’s race

Image: K. Mitch Hodge

Date: 1830

Shortly after the establishment of the B&O’s chartered line, American industrialist and inventor Peter Cooper designed the first American steam locomotive, Tom Thumb , to convince the railroad’s owners to adopt steam power. To prove the technology’s potential, a race was organized between the locomotive and a horse. Although the horse won after Tom Thumb suffered a mechanical failure, the demonstration successfully proved the superiority of steam engines, marking a turning point in railroad history.

3

The railroad boom

Image: Museums Victoria

Date: 1840s to 1850s

With the rise of steam locomotives, railroads expanded rapidly, connecting major cities and driving unprecedented economic growth. By 1850, the U.S. had built 9,000 miles of railroad tracks . These rail lines played a crucial role in transporting goods—particularly agricultural products—to markets, revolutionizing commerce and travel across the country.

4

First transcontinental charter

Image: Alex Boyd

Date: 1862

The Pacific Railroad Act, signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, authorized the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, connecting the East and West coasts. The legislation empowered the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads to undertake this monumental task, offering land grants and bonds to support the project. Beyond its technological significance, the act also demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to uniting the nation, fostering economic growth, and solidifying the country’s infrastructure.

5

Driving the Golden Spike

Image: Matt Benson

Date: 1869

On May 10, 1869, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads met at Promontory Summit, Utah, completing the first transcontinental railroad. During the ceremony, a 17.6-karat golden spike was ceremonially driven in —then promptly removed to prevent theft. This historic achievement connected the nation like never before, reducing cross-country travel time from months to days and forever transforming America's transportation landscape.

6

Standardized time zones

Image: Igor Savelev

Date: 1883

Another transformative effect of railroad expansion and faster travel times was the need for standardized timekeeping. To address the confusion caused by varying local times, the system of time zones was introduced. This not only revolutionized rail scheduling but also transformed travel and commerce across the country, helping synchronize operations nationwide and ensuring greater efficiency and coordination.

7

The Pullman revolution

Image: Jennifer Latuperisa-Andresen

Date: 1867

In 1867, George Pullman introduced the first luxury sleeper cars, offering passengers unmatched comfort on long-distance journeys. Pullman cars featured plush seating, fine dining, and exceptional on-board service, elevating the railroad experience to new heights. These innovations set a standard for first-class travel that extended far beyond railroads.

8

Connecting the South

Image: Oxana Melis

Date: 1870s

During the American Civil War, railroads were a strategic asset, enabling the swift movement of troops and supplies. After the war, Southern rail development played a key role in integrating the South into the broader U.S. economy, facilitating trade and mobility in the Reconstruction era. The Southern rail network expanded from 11,000 miles in 1870 to 29,000 miles by 1890, breaking the region's isolation and fostering economic growth.

9

Electric rail debuts

Image: Museums of History New South Wales

Date: 1888

Richmond, Virginia, became the site of America’s first electric streetcar system, forever revolutionizing urban transit. The system had a significant impact on the emerging electric trolley industry, with its design serving as a model adopted by many other cities. This shift marked the beginning of modern public transportation, transforming urban landscapes and mobility for generations to come.

10

The Golden Age

Image: Marco De Luca

Date: Early 20th Century

From 1900 to 1930, railroads dominated American transportation, carrying nearly all freight and passengers . During this period, innovations in track systems, signaling, and luxury amenities reinforced their status as the nation’s lifeblood. The industry thrived unchallenged until the rise of automobiles and airplanes reshaped the transportation landscape.

11

Amtrak takes over

Image: Jan Canty

Date: 1971

During the post-World War II economic boom, airlines and Interstate highways pushed many railroads out of business . As passenger rail declined, the U.S. government created Amtrak to sustain intercity travel, consolidating struggling private lines into a national service. While freight rail remained strong, Amtrak preserved passenger trains’ legacy, ensuring their continued role in America’s transportation system.

12

Modern freight titans

Image: Akshay Nanavati

Date: Present Day

Finally, we've reached the last station on our railroad journey! While the railroad landscape has drastically changed since its golden era, trains remain a vital backbone of the country’s economy. Freight railroads now dominate the industry, transporting over 1.7 billion tons of goods annually. The U.S. boasts one of the world’s largest and most efficient freight rail systems , transporting everything from coal to electronics and continuing to drive commerce and industry.

1

Blockbuster

During the 1980s and 1990s, Friday night often meant one thing for American families: a trip to Blockbuster. Browsing the aisles for a movie, debating what to watch, and grabbing popcorn at the counter became a weekly routine. But nothing lasts forever.

Born in 1985, Blockbuster conquered the massive home-video market with thousands of stores by the late 1990s and early 2000s, catering to families with at-home VCRs. Then technology changed everything. First came DVD-by-mail services like Netflix, followed by streaming, which left Blockbuster struggling. Late fees and inconvenience only pushed more customers away. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Today, just one official store remains in Bend, Oregon, where visitors still stop by for a dose of the video-store era.

2

Kodak

Back in the day, almost every vacation, birthday, wedding, or holiday gathering seemed to include a Kodak camera, or at least a roll of Kodak film. Founded in 1881, Kodak helped keep the moments that filled family photo albums for generations.

From the 1960s through the 1990s, Kodak dominated the world of film and photography. But that success also made the company slow to accept that technology was changing. Ironically, Kodak helped invent one of the first digital cameras in 1975, yet it hesitated to embrace the future. By the 1990s and 2000s, digital cameras (and later camera phones) quickly replaced traditional film. In 2012, the company declared bankruptcy.

3

Pan Am

Long before flying became an everyday experience, Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am, was already carrying Americans across the world. It was founded in 1927, and during the 1960s and 1970s, the airline became a symbol of glamorous air travel.

Its famous blue globe logo was instantly recognizable, even to those who rarely flew. But by the late 1970s, rising competition, fuel costs, and financial troubles began weakening the company. After years of mounting losses and debt, Pan Am shut down in 1991. Even so, its fame was such that even today, more than 30 years later, we still remember it.

4

Woolworth’s

Before Woolworth's made the "five-and-dime" famous, shopping in America looked very different. For decades, Americans visited Woolworth’s for everything from toys and school supplies to household goods and everyday essentials. By the 1960s, the brand had become a familiar part of American life.

Created in 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth, the chain grew into one of the country’s largest retailers. But in the 1970s, malls and discount giants like Walmart changed the way Americans shopped, and Woolworth struggled to keep up. By the 1980s, the iconic chain was slowly disappearing. Most stores closed during the 1990s, and the Woolworth retail chain officially ended in 1997.

5

Circuit City

Testing giant stereo systems, browsing rows of CDs and video games, and shopping for the newest TV were all part of the experience at Circuit City, once one of America’s biggest electronics chains.

Founded in 1949 by Samuel S. Wurtzel in Richmond, Virginia, as "Wards Company," the retailer adopted the Circuit City name in 1984. During the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, it became the go-to place for Americans buying a TV, stereo, computer, or any electronic device. But like many companies on this list, Circuit City struggled as shopping habits changed and online stores became more convenient. A controversial 2007 decision to lay off thousands of experienced employees further hurt the company’s reputation. Circuit City couldn’t survive mounting losses and closed all remaining stores in 2009.

6

Borders

Remember Borders? Born in 1971, its huge stores, filled with books, music, magazines, and cozy reading spaces, invited customers to spend entire afternoons there.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, the rise of large shopping malls actually helped Borders thrive, turning its bookstores into popular destinations inside malls across the US. But eventually, the company ran into a challenge it couldn’t overcome: online shopping and digital reading. Competitors like Amazon surged ahead, while Borders struggled to adapt and made costly business decisions, including outsourcing its online sales to Amazon for years. The company collapsed financially in 2011 and soon closed all remaining stores.

7

Bugle Boy

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, teenage fashion became almost synonymous with Bugle Boy. Famous across the country for its casual jeans and memorable TV commercials, the brand became a major part of American mall culture and was sold in department stores nationwide.

But fashion never stands still, and brands have to constantly adapt to survive. By the late 1990s, newer youth-oriented labels had taken over with fresh styles that quickly made Bugle Boy seem outdated. Sales began to fall, and after years of struggling to keep up with changing trends, the company closed its stores in 2001.

8

Howard Johnson’s restaurants

During the 1960s and 1970s, a stop at Howard Johnson's was part of the classic American road-trip experience for many families, and that was no accident.

Founded in 1925 in Quincy, Massachusetts, the famous orange-roofed chain reached its peak when America’s expanding highways and booming car culture made roadside travel more popular than ever. But by the late 1970s and early 1980s, the growing popularity of fast-food chains like McDonald's began changing the way Americans ate on the road. Drivers increasingly wanted meals that were faster, cheaper, and more standardized, while interstate highways also redirected traffic away from many older roadside locations. Unlike some other brands on this list, Howard Johnson’s faded away slowly over the decades. The last restaurant finally closed in 2022.

9

Burger Chef

In 1958, a name emerged as one of the pioneers of America’s growing fast-food industry: Burger Chef. By the late 1960s, the chain had more than 1,000 locations across the country and had become one of McDonald's’s biggest competitors.

Long before Happy Meals became famous, Burger Chef helped popularize the idea of marketing meals directly to children with toys and themed publicity. But during the fast-food wars of the 1970s, competition became fiercer than ever. While McDonald’s and Burger King expanded by leaps and bounds, Burger Chef struggled with financial problems and changing consumer tastes. In 1982, the company was sold to Hardee's, which gradually converted most Burger Chef locations into Hardee’s restaurants.

10

Sports Authority

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, many Americans looking for running shoes, gym shorts, and sports gear headed straight to Sports Authority.

Known for its huge stores packed with athletic apparel, exercise equipment, bicycles, camping gear, and team sports products, Sports Authority became the ideal shopping destination for families and athletes across the US. But as online shopping rapidly changed retail in the 2000s, the company struggled to adapt. Heavy debt from expansion efforts and a slow shift to e-commerce eventually caught up with the chain. Sports Authority declared bankruptcy in 2016 and closed all remaining stores later that year.

1

What are bills made of?

Unlike other currencies, dollar bills are not made of paper or plastic. U.S. dollar bills are made from a special fabric blend composed of 75% cotton and 25% linen. This mix makes the bills extremely durable and resistant, and they can be folded about 4000 times before tearing.

2

What bills are valid?

Any U.S. dollar bill that was legally printed is valid, no matter how old, as American currency does not have an expiration date. While some bills might not be accepted by businesses of foreign exchange services due to their condition or if they are a discontinued version of the bill, the bills themselves are still valid, and American banks will accept them, though they might take them out of circulation.

3

American leaders

Five bills have a depiction of an American president. The exceptions are the $10 bill, with Alexander Hamilton on the front, and the $100 bill, with Benjamin Franklin. The $1 bill, depicting George Washington, is extremely symbolic: several elements are repeated 13 times as a nod to the thirteen colonies, and it showcases the Bald Eagle and the Eye of Providence as a sign of God watching over America.

4

A change in size

Did you know that dollar bills used to be so big that they were nicknamed "horse blankets"? Original dollar bills were 7.4 × 3.1 inches. In 1929, the Treasury Department reduced the size of bills to 6.14 × 2.61 inches to reduce production costs and materials. Old bills, though still valid, are worth much more as collector items.

5

Uniformity

Besides their value and design, all dollar bills have the same size (6.14 × 2.61 inches), color, and weight (1 gram) , which sets American currency apart from other countries where bills of different values are differentiated by size, color, or both. Why doesn’t the U.S. implement differences among bills? The cost of adapting vending machines, bank drawers, and ATMs to new bill sizes would cost billions of dollars.

6

Hard to copy

Originally, dollars were not green, but black. As time passed, green ink was favored, as it was cheap and did not fade as much as black. The new color also prevented people from using black-and-white cameras to create counterfeit money. Currently, dollar bills are predominantly green, but newer versions also include extra colors, such as pink, orange, or purple.

7

A $100,000 bill?

Have you ever seen a $500 or 1,000 dollar bill? What about a $100,000? Up until 1945, the U.S. Treasury printed $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $100,000 notes , in addition to the values currently in use. These higher-value notes were mainly intended for bank and government use, but were sought by criminals as they made it easier to hide large amounts of money. Even though they were officially discontinued in 1969, these notes are still valid, though rare, and they have a high worth as collector's items.

8

No numbers

Unlike bills, American coins have different sizes and colors related to their value. Originally, gold, silver, and copper were used for coins, but modern coins are made of copper, zinc, or nickel. Besides their size and design, the value of each coin is printed in letters, not in numbers , alongside depictions of American presidents.

9

Liberty for all (the coins)

By law, all American coins must include six specific details : the word ‘Liberty’, the name of our country, the national motto "In God We Trust", the oldest American motto "E Pluribus Unum", the value of the coin, and the year. Each coin also includes a mint mark that shows where it was made: "P" for Philadelphia, "D" for Denver, "S" for San Francisco, and "W" for West Point.

10

A global currency

The American dollar is one of the most powerful currencies in the world, acting as a backbone for international trade and finances. It is estimated that two-thirds of the physical dollars in circulation are outside American territory. Besides the U.S. and its territories, eight sovereign nations have the U.S. dollar as their official currency, with several more accepting it as legal tender.