• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

100 Great Things About America

By
Paul Smalera
Paul Smalera
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Paul Smalera
Paul Smalera
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 2, 2010, 4:59 PM ET

Part 4 [ 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 75-100 ]

76. The Great Lakes

77. Salt water taffy
Delicious even though they contain neither salt nor water

78. Roller coasters
Possibly the only 30-second activity worth a three-hour wait





79. HBO
Even if we’re unsold on the vampire craze

80. The Everglades
Where else would you go to get drunk and wrestle an alligator?





81. Bonnie and Clyde
Do you and your honey bunny rob banks? No? Then sit down.

82. Chewing gum
But please, remember that it’s a silent activity





83. The light bulb
And we just keep inventing better ones!

84. Religious freedom
From Pilgrims to scientologists

85. Bagels
If you’ve never tried one, come to New York and make your first one an H&H

86. Judd Apatow films

87. The Billboard 100
Measuring our music since 1958

88. Chipotle
And the guacamole really is worth the extra $2.25

89. Dalmatians on fire trucks
Black and white and red all over





90. Disney movies
Not yours, Nicholas Cage. The old school, animated ones

91. New Year’s Eve
Every country has one, but they all watch Times Square

92. Elvis Presley
A hound-dog and the King

93. Cowboys

94. Turducken
A true American delicacy: a chicken in a duck in a turkey

95. Netflix
The only movie rental survivor

96. Spring Break
We plead the Fifth





97. Escalators
First used commercially in Yonkers, NY in 1899—who knew?

98. Stand-up comedy
Unless you are singled out

99. Redwood trees
The oldest is 2,200 years old

100. Bendy straws
Invented by a Cleveland entrepreneur—and perhaps Ohio’s most significant contribution, though we tip our hats to the Wright Brothers and its 8 U.S. Presidents

101. Charlie Brown
Sorry, Charlie, maybe next time you’ll crack the top 100

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znDRrf7VkCE]

Happy Birthday America!

[ The list: 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 75-100 ]

About the Author
By Paul Smalera
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
'Some form of crisis is almost inevitable': The $38 trillion national debt will soon be growing faster than the U.S. economy itself, watchdog warns
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 22, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Europe
Denmark offered to trade Greenland to the U.S. in 1910—and America thought it was crazy
By Steven Lamy and The ConversationJanuary 22, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Energy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. could soon be producing more chips than we can turn on. And China doesn’t have the same issue
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 22, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Jamie Dimon tells Davos: ‘You didn’t do a particularly good job making the world a better place’
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 21, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction are about to be unlocked because someone needs to build all these new AI centers
By Preston ForeJanuary 21, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
McDonald’s CEO shares tough love career advice he’d give Gen Z and young millennial workers: ‘No one cares about your career’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJanuary 22, 2026
1 day ago

Latest in

rabbi
PoliticsImmigration
Minneapolis’ icy ICE rally sees 100 clergy arrested as thousands protest ‘federal occupation’
By Giovanna Dell'Orto, Sarah Raza, Jack Brook and The Associated PressJanuary 23, 2026
8 minutes ago
A woman stands in a target with her fist in the air. A man behind her holds an "Abolish ICE" sign.
RetailTarget
Target faces new backlash amid Minnesota ICE raids after boycotts over its DEI rollback. But don’t blame politics for falling profits, analyst says
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 23, 2026
36 minutes ago
EnvironmentWeather and forecasting
Winter Storm Fern is about to slam 230 million Americans. Here’s what stores and restaurants typically stay open during severe weather
By Sydney LakeJanuary 23, 2026
2 hours ago
RetailWeather and forecasting
How Walmart is using AI to reroute essential supplies ahead of Winter Storm Fern
By Alex Vuocolo and Retail BrewJanuary 23, 2026
2 hours ago
trump
EnergyPuerto Rico
Trump cancels Puerto Rico solar project designed to help 30,000 low-income families in rural areas
By Danica Coto and The Associated PressJanuary 23, 2026
3 hours ago
georgieva
EconomyEconomic growth
IMF chief sees global GDP growth as ‘beautiful but not enough’ to handle ‘the debt that is hanging around our necks’
By David McHugh, Jamey Keaten and The Associated PressJanuary 23, 2026
3 hours ago