Some people call the highway known as Route 66, the 'Main Street of America.

' Built in the 1920s, this highway represents America's hopes and dreams. Connecting Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, this 2,400-mile stretch of concrete is an American legend. Its original purpose was to link rural communities, but it eventually provoked mass relocation. This was documented in John Steinbeck's book 'The Grapes of Wrath' in 1939. He referred to Route 66 as 'The Mother Road.' It was called this because hundreds of thousands of people emigrated to California in search of work during the Great Depression. Thanks to the film based on the book and a 1960s TV show named after the highway, Route 66 became a cult obsession. Every year, thousands of people travel the length of Route 66, staying in the many motels along the way, and everyone has a story to tell!

The island of Alcatraz, near San Francisco, is famous for its prison. The prison is now closed, but it had a reputation as being one of the toughest prisons in the world! Between 1934 and 1963, Alcatraz was a federal prison. Inside, you could find some of the worst criminals in America, such as Al Capone and Robert Stroud. You could also find the toughest prison warden, James Johnson. Johnson, who retired in 1948, demanded silence at all times in the prison, which many prisoners found extremely difficult! There were fourteen escape attempts from Alcatraz, involving thirty-four men, but none were successful. Its geographic location made escape difficult, as it was surrounded completely by water. This is why people refer to Alcatraz as 'The Rock.' Today, Alcatraz Island is a popular tourist destination, and the former prison can be visited all year round.

The Mississippi River is the third-longest river in the world. It begins at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, and ends at the Gulf of Mexico. This long, winding journey covers over 2,350 miles! It is a shared border for ten different states, and tributary rivers from the Mississippi can be found in thirty-two different states! When we think of the Mississippi River, we think of steamboats and lazy afternoons, but this only represents recent history. Native Americans lived along the banks of the river for over 11,150 years! The Ojibway Indians called it 'Messipi,' meaning 'Big River,' and it has also been known as 'Mee-zee-see-bee,' meaning 'Father of Rivers.' The Mississippi River has been immortalized by writers like Mark Twain. His book 'Huckleberry Finn' was adapted from his earlier work, 'Life on the Mississippi.' Also known as 'America's River,' the Mississippi is both culturally and geographically significant.

In the Black Hills of South Dakota, you can see the faces of four Presidents! The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are carved into the side of Mount Rushmore. This sculpture is a tribute to the four men, and is known as the 'Shrine of Democracy.' The sculptor Gutzon Borglum started work on the sculpture in 1927. It took fourteen years to complete, and cost only $1 million. Skilled experts used dynamite before the more detailed work was done by carvers. The result is certainly stunning. The faces are sixty feet high, five hundred feet above the base of the mountain. Today, tourists can see the sculpture from the Grandview Terrace. An avenue of flags leads to this Terrace, with the flags of all the fiftysix U.S. states and territories. Mount Rushmore is not just a tribute to four of America's greatest leaders, but to the nation as a whole.

Hawaii is an American state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This collection of islands became an American state in 1959. Covering 6,425 square miles, Hawaii is a major tourist destination. When tourists step off the plane, they are traditionally welcomed by beautiful women in grass skirts. Some tourists may even witness the 'Hula,' a traditional Hawaiian dance that tells the history of Hawaii! Today, tourism is the largest industry in Hawaii. However, there is more to Hawaii than tourism. The islands have a rich history, dating back to the 5th century. The Hawaiian natives lived without Western influence for more than a millennium. When Westerners arrived in the 18th century, it was for business more than pleasure. Businessman Claus Spreckels was known as the 'Sugar King of Hawaii,' and made Hawaii's main natural resource, sugar, the number one industry of the time! Hawaii is a unique and wonderful place: an American state with a tropical lifestyle!

Alaska is an American state that shares a border with the northwest of Canada. Separated from the other states, Alaska is known as 'The Last Frontier.' The name 'Alaska' comes from the Native Alaskan word 'Alyeska,' meaning 'great land.' With glaciers, wildlife, rich native culture and even Russian heritage, this is certainly true! Native Alaskans are mostly descendents of nomadic explorers from Siberia. Cultural traditions have remained, as well as languages. The Inupiat and the Yupik Eskimos live in the far north, and the Aleuts live in the southwest. There is a large Russian influence in Alaska. The Russians, who first arrived in 1741, were mainly interested in the fur trade. The U.S. Government bought Alaska from the Russians in 1867 for $7.2 million. Many Americans did not understand why at the time, but Alaska's wealth of natural resources, such as gold and oil, made it a bargain! Alaska's rich cultural heritage, combined with its natural splendor, make it one of America's most fascinating states!

Death Valley is an area in California that was declared a national park in 1933. It covers over 3,000 square miles, but it is famous for its difficult weather conditions. Temperatures are very high. The highest temperature recorded was 134 F, in 1913. There isn't much rain, either. The average yearly rainfall in Death Valley is just two inches! The lowest point of the valley is at Badwater Basin. It is also the lowest point in the Western hemisphere, three hundred feet below sea level. The park's highest point is at Telescope Peak, in the Panamint Range Mountains. The Panamint Indians were the first to live in the valley. On Christmas Day, 1849, the Pioneers arrived, looking for a shortcut on their search for gold. They hadn't expected the hard conditions, and as they were leaving, they sang 'Good-bye Death Valley,' giving the area its name. It is best to visit Death Valley in the winter, as conditions are only for the adventurous in the summer!

English is the native language of over 350 million people around the world. The English language has diverse origins. It belongs to the Germanic set of languages and has also been influenced by Scandinavian and Latin languages, notably French. Today, English is the official language in over fifty countries all over the globe. As the former British Empire grew, so did the number of people speaking the English language. Even after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1940, India chose to keep British English for administrative, political, educational and business purposes. Additionally, British English is used purely for business and administration in many other countries, such as Papua New Guinea or Nigeria. In recent years, due to the strength of the American economy, English has become the worlds international language. Surprisingly, English was only adopted as the Federal language of the United States in 2001, previously having been the official language in just twenty-six states. All over the world, from Australia to Zimbabwe, English dominates the linguistic map.

The first Americans arrived from Asia more than 20,000 years ago during the Ice Age. At that time, the Bering Strait was a land bridge between Asia and Alaska. The first humans to arrive in the Americas came across this bridge in search of food. These people are often called the Paleoindians. They were hunters and gatherers who followed large animals such as giant bison, moose and caribou. These migrations lasted until the end of the Ice Age. Before long, the now Native Americans had settled large areas of both American continents and their way of life had changed to suit their new environment. People of the northeastern woodlands, called the Iroquois, built 'longhouses', developed agriculture and hunted game such as deer and rabbit. The Plains Indians, who lived in the vast prairies known as the Great Plains, followed the migration of bison and lived in tepees. In the Southwest, the Hopi, possibly the oldest established people in North America, lived in terraced houses made of stone, and created a complex system of desert agriculture. Native American civilization and culture continues to influence American life today.

The first Americans arrived from Asia more than 20,000 years ago during the Ice Age. At that time, the Bering Strait was a land bridge between Asia and Alaska. The first humans to arrive in the Americas came across this bridge in search of food. These people are often called the Paleoindians. They were hunters and gatherers who followed large animals such as giant bison, moose and caribou. These migrations lasted until the end of the Ice Age. Before long, the now Native Americans had settled large areas of both American continents and their way of life had changed to suit their new environment. People of the northeastern woodlands, called the Iroquois, built 'longhouses', developed agriculture and hunted game such as deer and rabbit. The Plains Indians, who lived in the vast prairies known as the Great Plains, followed the migration of bison and lived in tepees. In the Southwest, the Hopi, possibly the oldest established people in North America, lived in terraced houses made of stone, and created a complex system of desert agriculture. Native American civilization and culture continues to influence American life today.

John F. Kennedy was President of the United States from 1961 to 1963. J.F.K. was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1917. He fought in the Pacific in World War II, and became a hero by saving his entire crew! After the war, he went into politics, and quickly made a name for himself. While climbing the political ladder, he also became a writer. His book, 'Profiles in Courage,' won him the 1957 Pulitzer Prize. By 1960, J.F.K. was ready to run for the Presidency. His victory over Richard Nixon in 1960 is mostly credited to his polished performances in front of TV cameras. As President, he focused on civil rights and international relations. However, his Presidency came to an abrupt end. When J.F.K. was assassinated in November 1963, America lost perhaps its most popular President ever. He only spent just over a thousand days in office, but his impact was unprecedented, and his legacy will last forever.

On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. He landed on the moon with astronauts Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin and Michael Collins in the Apollo 11 spacecraft. The event was watched by millions of people all over the world, and was perhaps America's proudest achievement. Putting a man on the moon was the result of a hard-fought space race against the Soviet Union. For many years, the U.S. was behind in the space race. The Soviets launched the first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. Yuri Gagarin was the first man to orbit the Earth, in 1961. That same year, President Kennedy set a goal for the U.S.: to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. The U.S. continues to lead the world in space exploration, but the moon landing in 1969 was the ultimate achievement. As Armstrong said during his moonwalk, 'That's one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind.'

Abraham Lincoln was America's sixteenth President. Lincoln was born in 1809 in Hardin, Kentucky. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846. He served there for just one term, before returning home to become a lawyer. In 1860, Lincoln was elected President. He became famous for holding together the Union during the Civil War, and for his many speeches, such as the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln was against slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 declared freedom for all slaves in areas not under Union control. This proclamation is considered as one of the most important steps towards complete abolishment of slavery. Lincoln, however, did not live to see slavery abolished. While at Ford Theater in 1865, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Southerner who disagreed with Lincoln's unionist stance. Abraham Lincoln was a determined man with strong principles and perseverance, and his place among America's great Presidents is well deserved.

The American Revolution took place in the 18th century. Fighting began in 1775, in Lexington, Massachusetts, between Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies. It continued until 1783, when the United States was officially declared a nation. For several years before the War, the colonies were unhappy about the treatment they had received from Britain. Colonists claimed taxes were too high, and that they had no representation in British Parliament. In 1776, the colonies declared independence. A Continental Congress was formed. Led by George Washington, it directed the war effort. The new 'states' created republican constitutions. Victory arrived in 1783, and Britain recognized the former colonies as an independent nation. This became official when both sides signed the Treaty of Paris later that year. The formation of the United States was a struggle, but Americans today will be forever grateful to those who fought for it.

Harriet Tubman helped free many slaves in the 19th century. She was born in 1820, in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was sold into slavery at a young age, but she escaped, and so began one of America's most amazing stories. During the Civil War, she worked as a spy for the Union. She also worked tirelessly as a nurse and a cook. However, she is most famous for helping slaves escape. In total, Harriet Tubman made nineteen trips to Maryland, helping over three hundred slaves to freedom. She took them along the 'Underground Railroad,' a network of 'safe houses,' where slaves could stay hidden. The Underground Railroad led to the North, and even to Canada. Her efforts earned her the title 'Moses of Her People.' Rewards were offered for finding the escapees. A reward of $40,000 was offered for Tubman! The inscription on Tubman's tombstone reads 'Servant of God, Well Done.' Her story is one of courage and bravery.

Celebrated every October 31st, Halloween is definitely the spookiest American holiday! With black cats and witches, ghosts and vampires, it's quite surprising that parents let their children go outside on such a night! However, a closer look will show that the monsters and werewolves knocking on your door are actually children in disguise! This tradition started with the Celts in Northern Europe over 2,000 years ago. They believed that on the night before Samhain (the Celtic New Year celebrated on November 1st), the spirits of the dead came back in search of living bodies to inhabit. To confuse the spirits and protect themselves, people dressed up as demons, too. Many things have changed since then, including the name Samhain which was changed to Halloween after the Catholic holiday, All Hallows Eve. Nowadays, children don't dress up to scare off spirits, but rather to get candy by going from door to door saying 'Trick or treat!'

Tourists often come to Louisiana to experience a bit of France in the U.S. Some people in Louisiana speak a form of French called Creole. New Orleans, the largest city of this state, has a French quarter. But where does this French connection come from? In 1682, Frenchman Robert Cavelier was the first European to explore the Mississippi Valley. He named the area 'Louisiana' after King Louis XIV. Settlers from France began arriving in 1699. Other Frenchspeakers soon joined them. When the British took over the Canadian region of Acadia in 1713, many Acadians moved to Louisiana in order to keep their Catholic traditions. The Acadians were called 'Cajuns' in their new land. A final group of French-speakers arrived from Haiti to escape from the slave rebellion against French colonists in 1791. In 1803, France sold Louisiana to the U.S. However, the state has not lost contact with French culture. Today, many schools offer French immersion programs. Louisiana remains proud of its unique origins.

Jazz is perhaps the United States' most celebrated contribution to music. Each year, the world's finest jazz musicians, such as Wynton Marsalis, can be found at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. The ten-day-long festival, which takes place in May, is internationally renowned, and represents a yearly return to the birthplace of jazz. Legend has it that in 1891, Buddy Bolden, a barber from New Orleans, Louisiana, played the first notes of jazz on his trumpet while at work. He had unwittingly created a whole new kind of music. Combining early blues, gospel and tribal drums, African Americans made jazz their own. In the 1920s, Louis Armstrong took jazz to new heights with 'Dixieland,' one of the many branches of jazz. Many people, however, consider Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue,' released in 1960, to be the finest jazz album of all time. Jazz musicians today continue to entertain and amaze audiences across the world with a genre of music that will never forget its roots.

Independence Day, on July 4th, celebrates the birth of the United States. This patriotic day is usually celebrated with fireworks, parades, pageants and speeches. People all across America gather for family picnics and outings. In Washington, D.C., the National Independence Day parade attracts over four million people a year! Independence was declared on July 4th, 1776. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Congress declared, in the Declaration of Independence, that the thirteen colonies were free of British rule. A year later, the first anniversary was celebrated with bonfires all across Philadelphia. Church bells rang, and candles were lit in almost every window. These were the first true Independence Day celebrations. Although Independence Day wasn't made a federal legal holiday until 1941, Americans have celebrated the birth of their nation in style every year since those first celebrations.

Cowboys worked as 'hired hands' in the American West in the late 19th century. Today, we only see cowboys in the movies, as villains or heroes. However, the true story of the cowboy is far from the Hollywood image! Many of the original cowboys were soldiers. After the American Civil War, many soldiers had no home to go back to, so they started to move west, in search of work. They traveled on horseback, with very few possessions. Many worked on ranches, especially with cattle. Cowboys worked long days and experienced extremely difficult working conditions. As the U.S. modernized, the cowboy was needed less, and thirty years after the end of the Civil War, the cowboy had almost died out. Hollywood revived the cowboy image in the 1950s, but didn't revive the true cowboy story. The truth is, cowboys were some of the hardest working people America has ever known!

Pocahontas was the daughter of a powerful Indian chief, Chief Powhatan. She was born in Virginia at the end of the 16th century, and died before she was twenty. She was a symbol of peace and unity between the English settlers in Jamestown and the Native Americans. Legend has it that English settler John Smith was captured by the Powhatan Indians. They were about to kill him when Pocahontas, at the time only ten years old, asked that he be saved. When relations between the settlers and the Indians were difficult, Pocahontas helped both sides. She was a good friend of the English, providing food and gifts. However, when the two sides were at war, the settlers held Pocahontas hostage. During this time she converted to Christianity and learned English. In 1614, she was married to John Rolfe, an English man! In her short lifetime, Pocahontas always strove for peace, even at the most difficult times, making her a true heroine.

Native Americans first farmed some of the planet's most popular foods thousands of years ago. Two of the most popular Native American foods are corn and potatoes. Early inhabitants of Peru grew white potatoes from which we now make French fries. Corn, the mainstay of most early tribes, was grown in Mexico as early as 5000 B.C.! They used it to make corn cakes, now called tortillas. Nowadays, corn on the cob is an all-time American favorite and popcorn, invented by Mexican Natives, is a modern-day movie-going tradition! Native Americans were also the first to farm tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, beans, tapioca, maple syrup and most importantly, cocoa beans. Just imagine how sad life would be if the Aztecs and Mayas hadn't created the world's most favorite treat, chocolate! Remember, the next time you sit down to eat, that it might be Native American food on your plate!

Cajun cooking, from the U.S. State of Louisiana, is a tasty contribution to American cuisine. Settlers began to arrive in Louisiana after it was explored by a Frenchman in 1682. The 'Cajuns' were French-speaking immigrants who left the Canadian province of Acadia when the British took over the region in 1713. The Cajuns arrived under difficult conditions. Fortunately, their new land was rich in ingredients and they soon learned to survive there. As Louisiana is on the coast, the Cajuns often cooked seafood. Famous dishes include 'bisque' (fish soup) and 'Oysters Rockefeller' (baked oysters with spinach). Later, German settlers taught the Cajuns to make sausages from the area's wild game. Another popular ingredient, okra, was introduced into Louisiana by settlers of African origin. This vegetable's sticky juice was used to thicken soup. Cajun settlers cooked dishes from local ingredients in the black iron pots they carried everywhere on their travels. Cajun cooking originated from survival methods, but it is now enjoyed worldwide.

Ninety percent of wine produced in the U.S. comes from California! With 400,000 acres of vineyards, California is one of the leading wine producers in the world. The climate is perfect for growing grapes: it can get very hot, but the Pacific Ocean helps to cool the temperature. Northern California is the main wine-growing region. In the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, you can find grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. These two grapes can be found all over the world, but one grape that is almost exclusive to California is Zinfandel. Zinfandel can be found closer to the Central Coast. Originally produced as a white wine, it is now famous as a red, and it can have quite a spicy taste! Californians often say 'Life is hell without Zinfandel'! California is now a major player in the world wine market, providing high quality wines at affordable prices.

Fast food means exactly what it says: it is food that arrives fast! When you go to a fast-food restaurant, you will be dazzled by the speedy service. You will be met with a smile and a friendly 'Have a nice day!' This could be in any country in the world now, but the fast-food phenomenon originated back in the U.S. The first fast-food restaurants opened in the 1950s. Designed to provide people with an alternative to traditional restaurants, they quickly became popular. One of the first snacks was the burger which was simply a slice of meat in a bun. Later versions of the burger include cheeseburgers and even vegetarian burgers! Other popular snacks include hot dogs and donuts. Americans spend $5 billion a year on fast food, and visit fastfood restaurants once every three days, on average! Fast food really has become a way of life.

One of America's favorite snacks is the hot dog. These sausages in buns, often served with ketchup or mustard, are a popular fast food. No sporting event or outdoor event is complete without them. Every Independence Day, about 150 million hot dogs are sold! The U.S. owes this sandwich to the Germans. It was a German butcher who developed the frankfurter sausage in the Middle Ages. The frankfurter was also called a 'dachshund sausage,' as its shape was similar to that of the dachshund or hound dog. In the 1860s, German immigrants in the U.S. began selling dachshund sausages in rolls with pickled cabbage or 'sauerkraut.' The name 'hot dog' came later. It is said that cartoonist Tad Dorgan invented the term when drawing a cartoon of a dachshund sausage seller. Dorgan could not spell 'dachshund' and wrote 'hot dog' in the caption instead. Ever since, the hot dog has become an important part of U.S. culture.

Between 800 A.D. and 1400 A.D., a highly developed Native American civilization lived in an area that stretched from the Mississippi Delta to present-day Illinois. In the beginning, this people, the Mississippians, were mostly farmers. They farmed corn, beans and squash, which they called 'The Three Sisters.' They also traded furs, copper and salt along the Mississippi River. As trade and farming prospered, the population grew, creating a need to build cities. Architecture developed and cities with roads and marketplaces were built around large central plazas. Next to them were earthen mounds which dominated the cities. Some of these were platforms for temples or burial mounds. Others were status symbols of an elite class. They built their houses on top of the flat mounds. Today, we refer to those who built the mounds as 'moundbuilders.' The largest mound, Monks Mound, is in Cahokia, Illinois. It's one hundred feet high and covers 739,224 square feet, making it one quarter larger than the base of the Great Pyramid of Egypt!

Who can imagine San Francisco, California, without the Golden Gate Bridge? However, this famous bridge was once considered to be too dangerous to build. The Golden Gate is on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and the wind, fog and ocean currents in the area made the building conditions particularly difficult. Building began in 1933 and ended in 1937. Sadly, eleven men died while building the bridge. The elegant structure is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. It is supported by two main steel cables. The bridge even contains enough steel wire to encircle the equator three times. The steel is painted a distinctive orange color, chosen by architect Irving F. Morrow to match the natural surroundings. The Golden Gate Bridge has become the symbol of its home city. The bridge has also been named one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Modern World' by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Marilyn Monroe was one of the biggest Hollywood stars ever. Born Norma Jean Baker in L.A. on June 1st, 1926, Marilyn was destined for greatness. Her beauty was first noticed by an army photographer, while she was working inspecting parachutes in 1944. By the spring of 1945, she had appeared on thirty-three national magazine covers! On July 23rd, 1946, Norma Jean changed her name to Marilyn Monroe and signed a contract with moviemaker Twentieth Century Fox. During the next six years Marilyn played minor roles in eighteen films. In 1952, she was cast in the leading role of 'Niagara,' putting her on the road to stardom. Marilyn went on to star in films such as 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,' 'The Seven Year Itch' and 'Some Like it Hot.' Marilyn is best remembered for entertaining troops in Korea or singing 'Happy Birthday' to President J.F.K. at Madison Square Garden in 1962. She remains a popular icon even to this day.

Woody Allen is one of New York's most famous twentieth-century actors and directors. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1935, Allen fell in love with the movies in 1938 when he saw 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' After high school, he began writing comedy for television programs. In 1960, he began performing as a stand-up comedian in New York clubs. Allen's movie career began in 1965 when he wrote and acted in 'What's New, Pussycat?' He has since worked on almost forty movies. Allen is popular with critics and his work has won many awards. Woody Allen's successful career pays tribute to his city of birth. New York is the setting for many of his movies, including 'Manhattan.' Allen is also known for playing clarinet in a New York jazz group. He even lives in an apartment near Central Park. For many, Woody Allen is the ultimate New Yorker.

Walt Disney is a media company that was created in 1923. Disney produces mainly animated films and TV programs, and there are also four huge theme parks! Most people associate Disney with family entertainment: you don't have to be young to enjoy it! The company was created by two brothers, Walt and Roy Disney. Their first films were short animated films called 'The Alice Comedies.' However, in 1928, they made a breakthrough with a film called 'Steamboat Willie,' starring Mickey Mouse. Mickey became Disney's leading character, and by 1931, more than one million people had joined Mickey Mouse clubs! The first feature film, 'Snow White,' was a huge financial success. This allowed Disney to expand, building new, purpose-built studios. The Disneyland theme park was opened in California, in 1955. Walt Disney died in 1965, but the name lives on, representing American family values, and entertaining millions across the world.

Football is a sport that combines soccer, rugby and a little American originality! The objective of the game is to get a 'touchdown' by putting the ball down behind your opponent's line. This is worth six points, and an extra one point can be scored for kicking the ball between the goalposts. Players must wear a lot of padding, as tackles can be extremely hard! The origins of football can be traced back to 1820, in Princeton. The game was originally called 'ballown,' and was quite violent! Gradually, the game changed, and by the end of the century, resembled the modern game. The NFL (National Football League), made up of ten teams, was established in 1922. Today, it is the biggest sport in America, and the Super Bowl, played in January, is the most watched sporting event in the U.S. Football is a sport that has become a multimillion dollar business!

Basketball is played all over the world, but nowadays its true home is in the U.S.! Basketball players can earn millions of dollars for their sport. They are true superstars, watched and adored by millions of sports fans. The major teams compete in the NBA (National Basketball Association), and the best players, such as Michael Jordan, compete in the yearly All-Star Game. This is where a team representing the East Coast meets a team representing the West Coast! Basketball's beginnings were quite humble. In 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian professor, decided to create a game that relied not just on strength but on skill, too. Using old peach baskets as hoops, the objective was to throw a ball into the hoop to score points. Gradually, he created rules, and basketball was born! From very basic beginnings, basketball has become a glamorous sport that Americans truly love!

Elvis Presley was the most successful American singer of all time. Elvis, better-known as 'the King,' was discovered in the early 1950s, and started recording for Sun Records. He was not an immediate success for Sun, but his unique style of music won many admirers. Blending blues, country and Tin Pan Alley ballads, his music became known as 'rockabilly.' Colonel Tom Parker, who usually managed country musicians, became Elvis' manager in 1955, and made him a star. Elvis became an icon for America's youth, and dominated the charts. When he was drafted into the army in 1958, a nation believed it had lost its favorite star. His return in 1960 proved this wrong. He continued hitting the charts, and made more than thirty movies! He defied the critics with a final No. 1 hit, 'Suspicious Minds,' in 1969. Elvis died in 1977, but his legend lives on, and his following is as large as ever! He remains one of the largest influences on modern music.

Steven Spielberg has directed some of the most popular American movies. Born in 1946, Spielberg fell in love with movies early on. He wrote his first film script when he was twelve. Eight years later, his short film, 'Amblin',' was shown at the Atlanta Film Festival. This attention won Spielberg a contract as a TV director with Universal-MCA. He worked on series including 'Columbo.' The director's first feature film was 'The Sugarland Express.' Released in 1974, this movie won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay. Many successful movies followed, including 'Jaws,' 'E.T.,' 'Jurassic Park' and the Indiana Jones series. In 1993, Spielberg won his first Best Picture Oscar for his World War II story 'Schindler's List.' In 1994, Spielberg formed DreamWorks with two partners. This company produces films, TV shows, video games, computer software and music. Movies produced by DreamWorks include 'Saving Private Ryan.' Today, the talented Spielberg is one of the big names in the U.S. movie industry.

The Blues is a musical style created by African Americans. The Blues has its roots in the Mississippi Delta region. Its origins go back to the 'field hollers' slaves sung while working in huge cotton fields. Reflective of the extreme suffering slaves endured throughout the South, field hollers eventually developed into both spirituals (church music) and the Blues. These songs sung by slaves, and later prison work crews, were slowly to evolve into narratives accompanied by the banjo. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the distinct musical style that was to be known as the Blues had come into being. As African-American workers traveled looking for work, the Blues traveled with them. Its popularity increased quickly. In 1912, the 'Father of the Blues,' W.C. Handy, wrote the famous song 'Memphis Blues.' The music industry started to take notice. Blues singers such as John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf took the Blues to a worldwide audience, and it has greatly influenced modern music. From the hardships of the cotton fields to the world stage, the Blues belongs to African Americans.

The Great Depression was an economic disaster that began in 1929. A year earlier, Herbert Hoover had been elected President, promising an end to poverty. However, when the stock market crashed in October 1929, the American economy experienced its biggest downturn ever. The market crash resulted in a domino effect that left millions poor and unemployed. Indeed, by 1932, one in four Americans was unemployed, and in Cleveland, 50% of the population could not find work. Hoover's policies were designed to improve the situation, but only made it worse. In an attempt to slow down imports and stimulate domestic production, he raised import taxes. However, when other countries raised theirs in response, exports dipped and the American economy suffered even more. In 1932, Herbert Hoover had clearly failed in his attempts to reverse the decline in America's fortunes. The Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1932 election by a landslide, and took office a year later.

The 1990s were dominated by one man: President William Jefferson Clinton. Bill Clinton became President of the United States in 1993, beating George Bush Senior. His election slogan was: 'It's the economy, stupid.' Voters were not immediately impressed, and the Democrats lost the Congressional elections in 1994. However, Clinton pushed ahead with budget and welfare reforms, and became the first democratic President to be re-elected since Franklin D. Roosevelt. Scandal followed scandal, and in 1998, Clinton became the second President ever, after Andrew Johnson, to be impeached. Clinton always bounced back from difficult situations. This earned him the Wild-West-style nickname 'The Comeback Kid'! Towards the end of his tenure, Clinton had turned national deficit into surplus, had created 22 million jobs, and could boast the world's strongest economy. He also helped change the core of American foreign policy in the '90s, putting economic and diplomatic solutions ahead of military ones. He is regarded as a charismatic and successful President.

Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980, and became one of the most popular Presidents ever. The defeat of Jimmy Carter signaled the start of a more conservative era in American politics. Reagan, a former film star and TV personality, inherited an economy in recession. He applied rightwing policies in order to reverse this. He delivered tax cuts, deregulated the economy and reduced social welfare programs. Military spending increased enormously, largely due to the controversial 'Star-Wars' defense program. National debt rose to $4 trillion during Reagan's presidency. However, by the time he was re-elected in 1984, inflation had stopped rising, and American confidence was at an all-time high. On the international scene, Reagan will always be remembered for helping improve U.S.-Soviet relations. As the Cold War ended, he referred to Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev as his 'friend.' When Reagan was replaced by Vice President George Bush in 1988, America was undoubtedly more confident, more powerful, and many Americans were certainly richer!

From Ford to General Motors, the American automobile industry has a long history! The industry began to grow at the start of the 20th century. In 1900, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first President to ride in a car. However, for security, a horse-drawn carriage followed at all times, and people believed he was extremely brave! Attitudes changed quickly, and Henry Ford kick-started the industry in 1914. He started to mass-produce cars using assembly lines. In 1900, only 4,100 cars were sold across the U.S., but in 1915, almost one million were sold! Ford's 'Model T' became the industrial success story of the era. The industry was focused in Detroit, Michigan, and it was here that the Cadillac Automobile Company was created. This was bought by General Motors, which became a dominant industry force in the 1920s. Although today's automobile industry is very different from that of Theodore Roosevelt's day, Ford and General Motors continue to dominate the market.

In Silicon Valley, apricot and prune orchards have been replaced by computer and Internet technology companies. Silicon Valley, otherwise known as the Santa Clara Valley, is in California. Prunes and apricots are not as common as they once were, because this valley has been taken over by companies creating computer hardware and Internet technology. There are over three thousand high-tech companies in Silicon Valley, many of which are very new! One of the oldest companies in Silicon Valley was started in 1939. William Hewlett and David Packard were students at the nearby Stanford University. Their professor, Fred Terman, encouraged them to start their own business. The resulting company, Hewlett-Packard, now employs over 100,000 people across the world, and is one of Silicon Valley's many success stories! While the soil in Silicon Valley may be good for growing fruit, today it is the companies in the valley that are bearing fruit!

The dollar is the currency used in the United States. It is also the name of the currency in countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The dollar was introduced into the U.S. in 1792, and bills were first put into circulation in 1861. The word 'dollar' originates from the German word 'Thaler.' It was created in the German town of Joachimsthal, and was the German currency until it was replaced by the Deutschmark in 1873. Before 1792, the U.S. had many different currencies. In fact, in North Carolina in the 1770s, there were seventeen different forms of legal tender. These were all based on the British monetary system of pounds, shillings and pence. However, other currencies involved fur, rice and tobacco. Tobacco was used as currency in Virginia for over two hundred years! Americans refer to dollars as 'bucks,' and money as 'dough.' Today, the American dollar is one of the strongest currencies in the world.