1

The original sign read "Hollywoodland"

Imagine driving through Los Angeles and suddenly seeing a giant new word stretched across a hillside, where nothing had stood before. The sign that appeared on Mount Lee in 1923 read "Hollywoodland," with 13 enormous letters rising above Beachwood Canyon. Each letter was about 43 feet tall and 30 feet wide, making the advertisement impossible to miss.

Modern period movies sometimes restore that original view. Ruben Fleischer’s 2013 film Gangster Squad is set in 1949 and opens with a shot that moves from Griffith Observatory toward the complete "Hollywoodland" sign. The extra four letters immediately place the story in an earlier Los Angeles, before the landmark took its familiar form.

2

It advertised real estate

No one involved in putting up the sign could have imagined how iconic it would become. Before the sign was a celebration of Hollywood’s film industry, it advertised Hollywoodland, a new upscale neighborhood in the hills . A group of real estate investors, including Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler, supported the project and spent about $21,000 on the giant sign.

The development itself was already a large project. A 1923 advertisement said that 200 men were working there, seven miles of roads had been built, and huge amounts of dirt had been removed. The sign was simply the biggest part of the sales campaign.

3

It was supposed to be temporary

The Hollywood sign wasn’t meant to last forever. The developers expected it to stay on the hillside for only about 18 months. But that deadline passed, and the sign was still useful for attracting buyers to Hollywoodland, so no one rushed to take it down.

As the years went by, the giant letters became a familiar part of the Los Angeles landscape, especially as the movie industry nearby continued to grow. After the development had sold its properties, the company transferred the sign and the surrounding land to the City of Los Angeles in 1944. By then, the temporary billboard had already been standing over the city for more than 20 years.

4

Thousands of bulbs lit the letters

For Los Angeles residents in the 1920s, the Hollywoodland sign must have looked more like a giant theater marquee than a roadside billboard. As it was designed to stand out after dark just as much as during the day, about 4,000 light bulbs, each rated at 20 watts, covered its metal panels. Placed only eight inches apart, they turned the hillside into an enormous electric display.

And the whole sign didn’t light up at once. First came "Holly," followed by "wood" and then "land," before the complete name appeared. There was even a 35-foot illuminated dot beneath the letters, acting like a giant period at the end of the word.

5

The "Land" section disappeared in 1949

By the late 1940s, the sign had fallen into such poor condition that city officials considered tearing it down. Residents pushed back, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce offered to help restore it. But there was one major change: the last four letters had to disappear.

In April 1949, the city approved a plan to rebuild the missing "H," remove "LAND," and repair the remaining letters. On September 26, "Hollywoodland" officially became "Hollywood." That small change gave the sign a completely new meaning. It no longer advertised a housing development; it now represented the entire Hollywood district.

6

The original letters slowly collapsed

The 1949 repairs helped for a while, but they didn’t fix the sign’s deeper structural problems. Its metal panels and supporting framework were still exposed to years of sun, rain, wind, termites, neglect, and vandalism. By the 1960s and 1970s, the landmark looked rusty, uneven, and was close to falling apart.

In fact, parts of it did fall down the mountain. The top of the "D" collapsed, the third "O" disappeared completely, and an arsonist damaged the bottom of the second "L." Even after Los Angeles designated the sign a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1973, its condition continued to deteriorate. At that point, another coat of paint was not going to be enough.

7

The sign was rebuilt in 1978

What would Hollywood do if its most famous sign disappeared? Small repairs were no longer enough by the end of the 1970s. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce decided that all nine letters had to be replaced, and workers took down the original sign in August 1978, leaving the hillside completely bare for about three months.

This time, the sign was built to last. The new letters were made of steel and enamel and secured with concrete, creating a structure of about 194 tons. The new sign imitated the original and was completed in November 1978. So, t he letters visitors see today aren’t from 1923, but a recovered version of the landmark.

8

Celebrities helped pay for new letters

The project cost about $250,000, and Hollywood raised it the only way it knew how: with famous names and a big party. Hugh Hefner held a party at the Playboy Mansion, where donors could pay about $27,700 to sponsor one of the nine new letters.

Several famous names joined the campaign. Alice Cooper paid for the third "O" in honor of comedian Groucho Marx. Singer Andy Williams sponsored the "W," while Gene Autry and television station KTLA helped pay for the second "L." Warner Bros. Records, Kelley Blue Book founder Les Kelley, and other supporters also helped rebuild the famous sign.

9

The sign has been altered several times

Those giant white letters have always attracted pranksters, students, activists, and advertisers who wanted to display their own messages above Los Angeles. Most of them didn’t remove or damage the original letters. By covering only certain parts of the sign with fabric, plastic, or curtains, they could make the sign appear to spell a completely different word . These changes were usually temporary, lasting only long enough to promote an event, support a cause, or play a public joke.

On New Year’s Day in 1976, art student Daniel Finegood used about $50 worth of curtains to change the sign to "Hollyweed." In 1987, it became "Holywood" during Pope John Paul II’s visit. The sign has also been changed for official promotions, including "FOX" for the television network and "Go Navy" for an Army-Navy football game.

10

An advertisement became an icon

Los Angeles officially named the sign Historic-Cultural Monument No. 111 in 1973, recognizing that the former advertisement had become an important part of the city’s history. Five years later, during the campaign to rebuild the damaged letters, the Hollywood Sign Trust was created to help protect the landmark for future generations.

Since then, the organization has overseen repairs, repainting, security, and other improvements needed to keep the sign standing on the hillside. The sign represented much more than a place on a map; it’s a symbol of Hollywood dreams and the hope of turning them real.

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.