1

Barack Obama

Image: History in HD

We’ll begin with our most recent Laureate President. You’ll quickly notice that many U.S. Presidents have made it to this list, which seems only fitting considering their paramount efforts in maintaining world peace.

In this regard, President Obama is no exception, and in 2009 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

2

Al Gore

Image: Markus Spiske

The only American Vice President on this list, Al Gore, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his "efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change." Gore has been a long-time advocate for fighting climate change, and his endeavors were featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth .

Nowadays, Al Gore continues to educate the world about environmentalism and the perils of climate change. In 2021, he addressed the United Nations during their Climate Change Conference.

3

Martin Luther King Jr.

Image: Unseen Histories

No other figure represents the fight for Civil Rights in America as Martin Luther King Jr. does. In 1964, Reverend King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American population."

King, who was 35 years old at the time, became the youngest Peace Prize recipient in history. This title is now held by Malala Yousafzai, who was awarded the Prize at 17 years of age, in 2014.

4

Richard P. Feynman

Image: Zoltan Tasi

From his bongo playing to his iconic studying technique, American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman has become a pop culture icon. In 1965, Feynman received the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Julian Schwinger and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga "for their fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics."

While Feynman was by no means the first (nor will be the last) American Nobel-winning physicist, his recognition is still remembered fondly by the scientific community. With the money from the award, Feynman and his wife purchased a beach house in Baja California, Mexico.

5

Bob Dylan

Image: weston m

Bob Dylan is known as "The Voice of a Generation" and with good reason: his songs of protest and insightful lyrics have inspired generations of Americans for almost 70 years. Dylan is truly a renaissance man, being an accomplished musician, painter, and, perhaps more importantly for this list, writer.

In 2016, Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." Fellow American musician (and die-hard Bob Dylan fan) Patti Smith performed a heartfelt rendition of his classic song "A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall" during his Nobel ceremony.

6

Jimmy Carter

Image: Library of Congress

At almost 100 years of age, Jimmy Carter’s life has been filled with outstanding achievements and awards. In that sense, it is rather remarkable that our 39th President’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded almost 20 years after he left the White House.

In 2002, President Carter received the Peace Prize for "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts." His award mostly acknowledged his work with the Carter Center and their exceptional work in defending and promoting human rights around the world.

7

Ernest Hemingway

Image: Annie Lang

"Beige" prose master and iconic American author Ernest Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Literature Prize in 1954 for his "mastery of the art of narrative". The Nobel Foundation specially cited Hemingway’s then most recent novel, The Old Man and the Sea , as a contributing factor in their decision.

At the time of his award, Hemingway was recuperating from an airplane accident and didn’t travel to Stockholm to receive the award. He did, however, send a speech to be read at the ceremony, in which he stated that "Writing, at its best, is a lonely life."

8

John Forbes Nash

Image: Roman Mager

American mathematician John Forbes Nash was brought into the spotlight thanks to the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind , in which Nash was portrayed by Russell Crowe. Thanks to this movie, the whole world was able to learn about Nash’s troubled but extraordinary life and the amazing theories that earned him a Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994.

Nash is mostly remembered for his groundbreaking contributions to the mathematical field known as "game theory." He was awarded the prize alongside John Harsanyi and Reinhard Selten "for their pioneering analysis of equilibria in the theory of non-cooperative games."

9

Toni Morrison

Image: Isaac N.

American novelist Toni Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 when she was 62 years of age. A few years earlier, Morrison received the Pulitzer Prize for her groundbreaking 1988 novel Beloved , which was instrumental in her Nobel nomination.

The Nobel Foundation acknowledged Morrison’s extraordinary talent, recognizing her as a writer "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality."

10

Theodore Roosevelt Jr.

Image: Library of Congress

We’ll end this article with the very first American to win a Nobel Prize. Our 26th President received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906, in recognition of his tremendous and successful efforts in ending the Russo-Japanese War.

Roosevelt was not only the first American but also the very first statesman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. While at the time this award was deemed controversial, ultimately the Nobel Foundation decided to acknowledge Roosevelt’s "role in bringing to an end the bloody war recently waged between two of the world's great powers, Japan and Russia."

1

Higgledy-piggledy

Image: Peter Herrmann

Imagine a table full of random objects, all jumbled together, with no categories whatsoever. Chaotic, right? Well, that’s exactly what "higgledy-piggledy" means. Can you figure it out from context?

When things got all mixed up or disorganized , folks in the Wild West would call it "higgledy-piggledy." This playful phrase was used to describe chaos or confusion. But it’s not only about a mess of objects, a pile of papers sort of mess, it could also be a situation that got out of hand.

It’s believed to be of British origin, but it found a way to cross the pond and make its way into the American frontier lingo. The repeating sound of the words adds to the sense of disorder – kind of like a tongue-twister that reflects the state of things.

2

Bag of nails

Image: Blake Emge

Don’t take this too literally—it gets gross quickly. But when it comes to the meaning, it’s highly relatable. Ever had one of those days where nothing seems to go right ? The Wild West had a term for that: "bag of nails."

When things were in complete disarray, those personal situations that quickly escalated into chaos, they were described as a bag of nails.

Imagine spilling a bag of nails everywhere, gross at first, but then it’s also messy, frustrating, and hard to clean up.

The origin of the term is not very clear, but it paints a vivid picture of total disorder. If you are having a bag-of-nails kind of day, it’s time to take a deep breath and try again tomorrow!

3

Toad strangler

Image: Mike Kotsch

One curious thing about this phrase, originally from the South, is that in every variation it refers to the same animal in the same situation. For example, "frog choker."

In any case, when the rain came down so hard it could "drown a toad," you were in the middle of a "toad strangler."

This funny phrase (although it may not be so funny for the poor toad) was used to describe a heavy downpour , the kind that left everything soaked and muddy. In a land where the weather could change in an instant, such storms were both a blessing and a nuisance. Now, if you come to think about the mud, this wasn’t so funny for the people either!

4

Barkin' at a knot

Image: Robert Gramner

You could get the meaning of this phrase by simply picturing a dog barking at a not. What’s the first thought that crosses your mind? "What on Earth is that dog doing?" Well, that’s pretty much the gist of the expression.

In Wild West lingo, if you were "barkin' at a knot," it meant you were trying to do something impossible or wasting time on a rather pointless task .

This term comes from the image of a dog barking at a tree knot: the dog thinks the knot is a threat, but all the barking gets them nowhere.

It was used on the frontier to describe situations where people were expending effort for no reward. But it can be used today to talk, don’t you think? Time to move on, partner!

5

Leaky mouth

Image: Vitolda Klein

From the gross to the nonsensical and straight into the literal, in the Wild West, if someone had a "leaky mouth," it meant they couldn’t keep their lips sealed, that they talked too much, and, more often than not, spilled secrets. We all know someone like this!

Gossipers were everywhere back then, (and this is still the case!), and having a leaky mouth was definitely not a compliment, as you can imagine. People who shared too much information or spread rumors were seen as troublemakers, which made sense considering the number of outlaws around!

We may not have those kinds of outlaws anymore, but the leaky-mouthed ones are still around!

6

Raisin' sand

Image: Richard Lee

You may have heard the expression "to raise Cain," and if that’s the case, you can guess what this expression means!

When someone was causing trouble or creating a disturbance, they were basically "raisin' sand." You know the type—the kind of person who can’t sit still for a second, the kind that is always kicking up a storm of dust; mischief in every step they take. Well, this expression is about them.

Frontier towns had their fair share of rowdy folks, and raising sand could mean anything from a loud argument to a full-blown fight. And we’ve all seen enough Western movies to know how that usually ended!

7

High-falutin'

Image: Senya Mitin

Pretentious, fancy people have existed since the beginning of times. No society has escaped the "highfalutin’" sort of folks who are always bragging about. Can you guess what it means?

"Highfalutin" or "high-falutin’" referred to people in the Wild West who were acting overly fancy or pompous , and it was not precisely a compliment.

This term was used to poke fun at people who were full of themselves or trying too hard to appear important. The origin of the phrase is a bit hazy, but there seems to be consensus to believe the phrase is a combination of "high" and "fluting" which means having ornamental grooves. Either way, if you were labeled high-falutin’, it was time to dial it down a notch.

8

Guttersnipe

Image: Amsterdam City Archives

Kids on the street trying to survive are not just a thing of today; there have always been cases of children abandoned to their own fate. Back in the Wild West, "guttersnipe" was the term used to describe a homeless kid who was trying to make it on the streets.

These kids were scrappy survivors, navigating the rough streets much like birds picking through the gutters for food.

Dating back to the 1850s, the word became highly popular thanks to Mark Twain’s descriptions in his novels, and it stuck. Had you heard it before?

9

Four-flusher

Image: Klim Musalimov

Oh, who hasn’t had a fun game night with the family that didn’t end quite like one imagined? Suddenly, everyone is arguing over the rules of the game just because there was one four-flasher who couldn’t resist the temptation to cheat!

In the Wild West, a "four-flusher" was someone who tried to cheat their way to victory , and also someone who resorted to bluffing to win a game.

The phrase comes from poker, where a flush requires five cards of the same suit. A four-flusher, then, would be someone who tried to pass off four matching cards as a flush, hoping no one noticed. Outside of cards, the term grew to describe any liar, cheat, or fraud. If you were called a four-flusher, you were someone who couldn’t be trusted. And those were certainly not welcome in the typical Wild West saloons!

10

California widow

Image: gaspar zaldo

The term "widow" in this phrase is quite deceptive because the expression doesn’t refer to a woman whose husband has died. Instead, it referred to a woman whose husband had gone off to seek fortune, often in the California Gold Rush.

These women were left behind, sometimes for years, while their husbands pursued riches out West. Though they were still married, they were called "widows" because they were left to manage on their own.

It was a common term in the mid-1800s, as the Gold Rush drew many men away from their homes. For some women, this separation was temporary, but for others, their husbands never returned. Quite sad, huh?

1

Mr. T

Image: Richard R

If you were watching TV in the 1980s, you knew Mr. T. Actor Laurence Tureaud rose to fame as B.A. Baracus in the hit TV series The A-Team and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III .

In 2006, he starred in the TV Land reality show I Pity the Fool , named after his famous catchphrase.

2

Richard Dean Anderson

Image: Nipun Haldar

The man who sold a thousand Swiss Army knives— MacGyver himself, Richard Dean Anderson was a household name in the 1980s. He later became well-known to another set of fans for his role in the Stargate Atlantis series.

These days, Richard Dean Anderson occasionally appears in small roles. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which is dedicated to protecting marine life and raising public awareness about the dangers it faces.

3

Haley Joel Osment

Image: Laercio Cavalcanti

Remember the kid who said, " I see dead people " in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense ? That’s him—Haley Joel Osment. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at just 11 years old for that unforgettable performance.

Since then, Osment has grown up and taken on smaller roles in Tusk , Silicon Valley , and Future Man .

4

Jason Priestley

Image: David Vives

One of the most recognizable faces of the 1990s, Jason Priestley rose to fame through his role in the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 . Since then, he has taken on smaller roles and he recently starred in the Canadian TV series Private Eyes .

5

Emilio Estevez

Image: Taylor Brandon

Emilio Estevez chose to use his family’s real last name, Estevez, rather than the one adopted by his father, Martin Sheen , or his brother, Charlie Sheen . But still, people knew exactly who he was. In the 1980s and ’90s, his face was everywhere as a member of the Brat Pack, starring in The Breakfast Club , St. Elmo’s Fire , and The Outsiders .

Since then, he has taken on a few minor roles and maintained a lower profile.

6

Michael J. Fox

Image: Roger Ce

Despite stepping away from acting several years ago due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Michael J. Fox has remained a beloved public figure, thanks in no small part to his natural charisma and iconic role as _Back to the Future_’s Marty McFly . The Canadian star has since become a prominent advocate for Parkinson’s research and a cure.

7

Rick Moranis

Image: Erik Mclean

For a while, Rick Moranis was everywhere: Ghostbusters , Spaceballs , Little Shop of Horrors , Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , Parenthood ... But after becoming a widower in the 1990s, he shifted his focus to fatherhood and stepped away from the spotlight. Every few years, there’s talk of him making a comeback, and it appears that, finally, this may come true in the long-awaited sequel to Spaceballs . We can all hope, right?

8

Jane Fonda

Image: bruce mars

Jane Fonda rose to fame in the 1960s and ’70s through her work as an actress and model . In the 1980s, she released her first exercise video, which went on to become the most successful workout tape of all time.

Since then, she has appeared in several films and Broadway productions, while continuing her work in activism and philanthropy. In recent years, Fonda starred in the Netflix series, which ran for seven seasons, Grace and Frankie, with Lily Tomlin.

9

Talia Shire

Image: Nathz Guardia

A highly recognizable actress in the 1970s, Talia Shire played leading roles in The Godfather and Rocky , along with their sequels. Since then, she has continued acting in films, though mostly in smaller roles. In 2024, she appeared in Megalopolis , directed by her brother Francis Ford Coppola.

10

Daniel Day-Lewis

Image: Jez Timms

Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, has won three Academy Awards for Best Actor for his roles in My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012). He announced his retirement from acting in 2017. After thanking his collaborators, he quietly left the movie business to dedicate himself to learning the craft of cobbling .

However, in October 2024, he made a notable return to acting by starring in Anemone , a film directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, that has yet to be released.

11

Bridget Fonda

Image: Tore F

The second Fonda on our list is also the final entry: Bridget Fonda retired from Hollywood in 2002 to start a family with her husband, composer Danny Elfman. More than two decades later, Fonda has stated that she has no plans to return to the big screen. As she put it, "I don’t think [there’s any chance]. It’s too nice being a civilian."