1

The "Miracle on Ice" (1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid, NY)

A landmark moment in Olympic men’s hockey history, the first medal-round match saw an amateur Team USA —as Olympic rules barred professional athletes from competing— against a four-time gold-winning Soviet Union that had bypassed regulations to gather a professional team. Against all odds, Team USA achieved a 4-3 upset victory and would go on to win gold against Finland.

2

Jesse Owens (1936 Summer Olympics, Berlin)

The Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics were celebrated with uncertainty and fear, under a full-fledged Nazi regime that had "softened" its regulations during the event, but still barred Romani and Jewish athletes from the competition. As an African-American athlete, Jesse Owens was under intense pressure, but was still able to win four gold medals , becoming the first track and field athlete to achieve this record.

3

The Dream Team (1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona)

The 1992 Barcelona Olympics were the first to see a men’s Basketball Team USA with active NBA players, who until then were not allowed to compete due to FIBA regulations. Considered one of the most talent-packed teams of all time —with a roster that included names such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, and David Robinson. The so-called "Dream Team" would remain undefeated through the competition and take the gold medal home, winning each game by at least 32 points —and without Head Coach Chuck Daly having to ever call for a timeout.

4

Michael Phelps (2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing)

Nicknamed "The Baltimore Bullet" and "Flying Fish", Michael Phelps is one of the great names in Team USA swimming history, with a record total of 24 medals across four Olympic Games . After tying the record for most medals of any color by winning six gold and two bronze in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, Phelps would go on to make history in the following 2008 Olympic Games, where he took home eight gold medals, setting a new record, undisputed in any Olympic sport to this day.

5

Mary Lou Retton (1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles)

The perfect-score victory of 14-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci in 1976 inspired gymnasts around the globe, among them an 8-year-old Mary Lou Retton. Trained by Comăneci’s former coaches, Retton made a name for herself at a young age, but suffered a devastating knee injury five weeks before the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Despite undergoing surgery, Retton recovered just in time and went head-to-head against Romanian athlete Ecaterina Szabo for the all-around medal. Beating Szabo by 0.05 points, Mary Lou Retton became the first American (and the first non-Eastern European) female gymnast to win all-around gold at just 16 years old. She would also win two silver and two bronze medals in the individual events.

6

1996 U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team (1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta)

With the men’s teams hogging the spotlight, women’s basketball in the 1990s was still underestimated. The NBA was considering launching a women's professional league, but the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics were to be the deciding factor. In order to give their all, the team lived and trained together for a whole year before the competition , with an undefeated pre-Olympic tour and Olympic run. Their Olympic success would pave the way for the WNBA and, more broadly, for women’s basketball across America.

7

Mark Spitz (1972 Summer Olympics, Munich)

Thirty-six years before Michael Phelps’ gold medal record, Mark Spitz made swimming history in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. With a record-setting career, Spitz had entered the 1968 Games as the favorite for at least six golds, but was only able to achieve two golds, a silver, and a bronze. The following games were different, though: Spitz competed in seven different categories, winning gold and breaking the world record for each one , remaining undefeated until 2008.

8

Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988 Summer Olympics, Seoul)

Despite her 3 golds and one silver at the 1988 Seoul Games, one of Flo-Jo’s most impressive records was set a few months earlier , during the Olympic trials in Indiana, where she set a world record for the 100-meter dash in 10.49 seconds. During the games, she would also set a world record for the 200-meter dash in 21.34 seconds. Both these records have remained undefeated to this day.

9

Carl Lewis (1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996 Summer Olympics)

Carl Lewis’ track and field career has impressive numbers, with 10 Olympic medals (9 of them gold) and 10 World Championship medals. However, the numbers don’t stop there. After matching Jesse Owens’ record by winning four golds in the same Olympics in 1984, he would go on to win gold for the same event in four consecutive games , being one of six athletes overall, and one of two track and field athletes to achieve this record.

10

The "Magnificent Seven" (1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta)

We’re now used to seeing Team USA dominate women’s gymnastics, but a few decades ago the picture was quite different, with powerhouses like Romania and the Soviet Union dominating the sport. By 1996, Team USA had never managed to win a team gold, but the "Magnificent Seven" —Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps, and team captain Amanda Borden— would change history. With a team composed of athletes with strong individual performances, Team USA had managed to reach the finals, with the vault as the defining apparatus. Under immense pressure and after falling on her first attempt, Kerri Strug (with a torn ligament that caused her immense pain) executed a near-perfect jump, landing on one foot and beating Russia’s overall score by 0.851 points.

1

"Jolene" by Dolly Parton

One of Dolly Parton’s most famous songs, 1973’s "Jolene," has resonated across generations because its story of jealousy feels so relatable. And it was inspired by a real experience in Dolly’s life.

As she recounted in interviews, the song was inspired by an attractive female bank teller who paid a little too much attention to her husband, Carl Dean. But while the jealousy was real, the woman wasn’t named Jolene. Dolly got that name from a young fan with beautiful red hair and green eyes who introduced herself to the singer after a concert.

2

"Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond wrote "Sweet Caroline" in 1969, drawing on his feelings for his wife at the time, Marcia Murphey. But if it was about her, why "Caroline"?

Diamond needed a three-syllable name for the lyrics, and he remembered a photo of First Daughter Caroline Kennedy with her horse that he had seen in LIFE magazine in 1962. Diamond kept the connection to JFK’s eldest secret for nearly 40 years until 2007, when he sang the hit for Caroline at her 50th birthday and finally told her the story. She was "struck by it and really, really happy," Diamond revealed.

3

"You're So Vain" by Carly Simon

When a relationship ends, the inspiration can show up in unexpected ways. For Carly Simon, it became one of her biggest hits: "You’re So Vain."

As Simon herself confirmed, most of the lyrics were inspired by actor Warren Beatty, with whom she had a brief but intense relationship in the early 1970s that ended after he cheated on her. But Beatty wasn’t the only "vain" one. Although she didn’t confirm it, there’s speculation that other famous men from her past, including Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson, also inspired parts of the song.

4

"I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton

Despite what many assume, "I Will Always Love You" wasn’t written about a romantic breakup. Dolly wrote it as a professional farewell .

After more than seven years working with her mentor and longtime duet partner, Porter Wagoner, on The Porter Wagoner Show , Dolly felt it was time to pursue a solo career. But the decision wasn’t easy, and Wagoner was reluctant to let her go. When ordinary conversations weren’t working between them, Dolly did what she knew best: she put her feelings into a song. She brought her guitar to his office, sat him down, and played it for him. Wagoner was moved to tears, called it the prettiest song he had ever heard, and finally agreed to let her leave the show.

5

"American Pie" by Don McLean

A song can be a farewell, a declaration of love, or a tribute born of admiration. That was the case when Don McLean wrote the beautiful yet haunting "American Pie" in 1971.

This epic folk-rock song became a memorial to "the day the music died," the tragic plane crash on February 3, 1959, that took the lives of rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson . McLean was just 13 at the time, but he later said the tragedy had a profound impact on him. The song didn’t come together all at once, either; he wrote it in stages over several years.

6

"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson

In his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk , Jackson explained that his classic "Billie Jean" was inspired partly by experiences involving women who approached his older brothers while the Jackson 5 were touring.

However, the event that really shaped the song happened in 1981, when Jackson received thousands of messages from a woman who claimed he was the father of her children. The unsettling situation stayed with him and eventually became part of the inspiration for one of his biggest hits.

7

"My Sharona" by The Knack

Have you ever wondered who "Sharona" was in The Knack’s famous hit? The answer comes from a real story involving the band’s lead singer, Doug Fieger.

In 1978, Fieger met Sharona Alperin, a clothing store clerk in Los Angeles. He was instantly attracted to her, and after breaking up with his then-girlfriend, he spent several months trying to win Sharona over before she finally agreed to a date. Their romance lasted from 1979 to 1982, and inspired one of the most danceable hits of the 20th century. Even after they broke up, Sharona and Doug remained close friends until he passed in 2010.

8

"Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses

In 1986, Axl Rose was dating model Erin Everly, daughter of Don Everly of The Everly Brothers. He was so in love that he wrote her a love poem in just a few hours, without knowing it would eventually become one of his most famous songs.

That same year, at the band’s shared house, guitarist Slash was playing around with some chords when he came up with an interesting riff. Izzy Stradlin joined in, and when Rose heard the melody from upstairs, he brought down the poem he had written for Everly and adapted the lyrics to fit the music, resulting in the iconic "Sweet Child o’ Mine." Rose and Everly eventually married in 1990, but the marriage ended soon afterward.

9

"Walk On the Wild Side" by Lou Reed

Music crossed paths with other forms of art when Lou Reed wrote his 1972 classic "Walk on the Wild Side".

The song is essentially a series of portraits of real people from Andy Warhol’s circle at The Factory, his famous New York City studio and collective. In the song, "Holly" is a reference to Holly Woodlawn, a transgender actress who appeared in Warhol’s underground films such as Trash (1970). "Candy" was Candy Darling, another prominent actress who starred in Flesh (1968) and Women in Revolt (1971). "Little Joe" referred to Joe Dallesandro, the actor and model who became one of Warhol’s male muses. Other figures from the era’s counterculture are also in the song, bringing a very specific art scene of 1970s New York to a much wider audience.

10

"Sara" by Bob Dylan

In 1975, Bob Dylan was in the middle of a creative rush, writing and recording his album Desire . But while his career was going well, his marriage to Sara Lownds was falling apart. So he decided to write a love song for his wife.

"Sara," a heartfelt and personal song, was recorded in 1975 with Sara in the studio, and it became the raw, emotional closing track on the album. It helped spark a brief reconciliation, and Sara even joined Dylan on his subsequent Rolling Thunder Revue tour. However, the marriage ultimately ended in divorce in 1977.

1

Arizona skips Daylight Saving Time

Image: Christoph von Gellhorn

This is partly true because most of the state doesn’t bother with Daylight Saving Time . They stopped changing the clocks back in 1967. The exception is the Navajo Nation, which stretches into Utah and New Mexico and keeps DST so all its communities stay on the same schedule. Now, as for the smaller Hopi reservation, inside the Navajo Nation, it sticks with Arizona time… Yes, quite confusing if you’re not a local.

2

Georgia isn’t really the Peach State

Image: Jessica Furtney

Georgia loves its peaches, sure, but the state’s top fruit money-maker is actually blueberries . In recent years, blueberries have brought in several times more cash for farmers than peaches. Meanwhile, California grows far more peaches than Georgia ever has. The nickname stuck from the old days when Georgia peaches were famous for their flavor, not their volume. So while the pride is real, the peaches aren’t quite the powerhouse people may think.

3

Nevada didn’t record the hottest US temperature

Image: tommao wang

You probably think of Nevada’s desert heat as unmatched, but the all-time record belongs to California’s Death Valley . In July 1913, it hit a mind-melting 134 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest temperature not only in America but the hottest ever recorded on Earth!

4

Minnesota doesn’t have the most lakes

Image: Tom Conway

Minnesota proudly calls itself the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but that’s selling itself short… The real number is closer to 12,000. However, Alaska wins this battle . The state has more than 3 million lakes over five acres in size. In fact, Alaska contains over 40 percent of the nation’s surface water. If you love fishing, kayaking, or just staring at a quiet stretch of water, the true lake capital of America is far up north.

5

Pineapples aren’t native to Hawaii

Image: Christian Joudrey

Pineapples are everywhere in Hawaiian imagery, but the plant actually comes from South America , mainly Paraguay and southern Brazil. Spanish explorers likely brought them to Hawaii in the 1500s after spreading them across the Pacific to places like the Philippines and Guam. Hawaii’s climate turned out to be perfect for growing them and by the 1900s, the islands were producing so many pineapples that the fruit became a symbol of Hawaii itself.

6

Maine isn’t the country’s easternmost point

Image: Chris Henry

If you’re a Geography geek, you’ll love this one. You might picture Maine’s rocky coast as the eastern tip of America, but the actual easternmost point is thousands of miles away, on Alaska’s Semisopochnoi Island in the Aleutians. How is that possible? Well, that’s because it crosses the 180th meridian, putting it in the Eastern Hemisphere. That means part of Alaska technically sits farther east than anywhere in Maine.

7

The biggest US earthquake didn’t happen in California

Image: Lala Miklós

California has suffered some big earthquakes in its history, but the most powerful earthquake in America struck Alaska in 1964 . It hit Prince William Sound with a magnitude of 9.2. It was so strong it shook the ground for four and a half minutes and triggered massive tsunamis. In today’s dollars, the damage would total more than $2 billion. Alaska sits on a collision zone of tectonic plates, making it one of the world’s most seismically active regions.

8

The Everglades isn’t America’s biggest swamp

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

A lot of people picture the Florida Everglades when they think of swamps, but technically, the Everglades isn’t a swamp at all. The real title of the largest swamp in the United States goes to Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin , which spans about 1.4 million acres. This swamp has a vast mix of cypress forests, bayous, and marshes, and it’s more than twice as productive as the Everglades when it comes to wildlife and plant life.

9

Big cities aren’t always capitals

Image: Mackenzie Cruz

It surprises people how often the biggest city isn’t the state capital . New York City? Not the capital… Albany is. Chicago? Nope, that honor goes to Springfield. Pennsylvania’s capital isn’t Philly or Pittsburgh, it’s Harrisburg. Even California’s capital isn’t L.A. or San Francisco, it’s actually Sacramento. Out of fifty states, only seventeen have their most populous city as the capital.

10

Alaska isn’t divided into counties

Image: Rod Long

Alaska likes to do things its own way. Instead of counties, it’s split into boroughs , and a massive area known as the Unorganized Borough has no local government at all. People out there don’t pay property taxes, but that freedom comes with challenges, limited services, fewer job options, and tough living conditions.