1

Chuck Berry

Image: Provincial Archives of Alberta

Let’s begin with the man known as the "Father of Rock and Roll." To label Chuck Berry as a pioneer would definitively misrepresent the legacy of this amazing musician; Berry was almost solely responsible for introducing the key elements that would eventually define rock music.

Songs like "Maybellene," "Roll Over Beethoven," and "Johnny B. Goode" influenced countless musicians through the ages. Legendary artists like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones famously covered some of his songs, while Bob Dylan once defined Berry as "the Shakespeare of Rock n’ Roll."

2

Bruce Springsteen

Image: Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez

Up next, we have a boss that anyone would love to have in their office. Bruce Springsteen is undoubtedly one of New Jersey’s favorite sons. Known as "The Boss," Springsteen has dazzled the American public since his first album in 1973, earning a myriad of awards and recognitions in the process, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Known for his insane charisma and distinctive voice, Springsteen has performed with his iconic "E Street" band since 1972. Rolling Stone magazine has described him as "the embodiment of rock and roll" and included him in its list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."

3

Jimi Hendrix

Image: Aditya Wardhana

Can the ‘60s be summarized by one musician? Many believe they can even summarized by one performance: Jimi Hendrix’s jaw-dropping rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock. In a way, this legendary guitarist embodies the innovation and freedom that characterize this era, but make no mistake: Hendrix’s contributions to rock and roll can’t be limited to a single decade. Suffice it to say that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame considers him to be "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music."

Born in Seattle, Hendrix showed interest in music from an early age. He bought his first guitar at age 15 and practiced daily, imitating the styles of blues musicians like B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf. While he sadly passed away at age 27, his legacy continues to live on in every single one of his amazing songs.

4

Elvis Presley

Image: Clem Onojeghuo

Chuck Berry might have been the "Father of Rock and Roll," but Elvis Presley was this genre’s undisputed "King." This musician’s legacy is as timeless and eternal as his songs are, earning him a well-deserved spot among America’s most beloved pop culture icons. Just think of all the countless Elvis impersonators around the world to realize how iconic Elvis’s music and style were.

Elvis received his first guitar at the age of 7. Little did anyone know that this birthday gift would be the first step in a meteoric musical career. From his amazing dance moves to his unbelievable charisma, Elvis will forever be remembered as an American icon.

5

Tom Petty

Image: Samuel Ramos

In the 1980s, when Tom Petty joined the musical supergroup "The Traveling Wilburys," he stood shoulder to shoulder with juggernauts like Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison. While Petty was relatively a newcomer when he joined what many believe to be the biggest supergroup in history, time would prove that he had what it takes to become one of the most memorable rock stars in history.

According to the man himself, Petty’s love for rock 'n' roll first started when he met Elvis Presley at age 10. This love for music would eventually lead him to form his most iconic band, "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers," with which he performed for almost 40 years.

6

Jon Bon Jovi

Image: Simon Weisser

It takes talent to make your last name synonymous with rock 'n' roll, but John Francis Bongiovi Jr., better known as Jon Bon Jovi , was able to turn his last name into the name of one of the most groundbreaking bands of the ‘80s.

Born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Jon formed Bon Jovi when he was still in his teens, quickly rising to fame and becoming an undisputed rock star. While he is still very much active in music, he has also built a very successful acting career, appearing in TV shows like Sex and the City and The West Wing .

7

Jim Morrison

Image: Markus Spiske

Take it to the world of rock 'n' roll to produce a nickname like "the Lizard King" to describe one of the most emblematic vocalists of the '70s. Regardless of whether there was someone who could pull off such a strange nickname, it was Jim Morrison . In fact, this singer chose the nickname himself, as it perfectly described both his fascination with reptiles and Native American culture.

Morrison’s deep voice and magnetic persona were among the main reasons behind The Doors' rise to prominence, quickly making them the first American band to achieve eight consecutive Gold LPs. While his life was unfortunately cut short at the age of 27, his songs, poetry, and journals will forever celebrate the Lizard King’s legacy.

8

Prince

Image: DJ Johnson

Prince's first live band was called "The Revolution," and we believe that this is one of the most aptly named bands in history. After all, this Minneapolis-born musician brought forward a revolutionary and fresh take on music, fashion, and art in general. Known for his amazing falsetto voice and flamboyant persona, Prince is considered to this day one of the very best musicians in history.

You would think that such a flashy and daring musician would take a more ostentatious stage name, but Prince Rogers Nelson performed under his first name throughout his entire career. Actually, that’s not entirely true: while in the midst of a contractual dispute, he performed as " The Artist Formerly Known as Prince " for approximately a decade.

9

Steven Tyler

Image: Matt Botsford

Steven Tyler might have the nickname that every rock singer probably covets: known as "the Demon of Screamin’," Aerosmith’s frontman is recognized for his powerful voice and vast vocal range.

Tyler has been at the helm of Aerosmith since its beginning in Boston in the early ‘70s, producing such hits as "Dream On" and "Walk This Way." While the band is currently on hiatus due to Steven injuring his vocal cords, Aerosmith still hopes to return to performing soon.

10

Kurt Cobain

Image: Panos Sakalakis

The '90s introduced the world to a new take on rock music: for many, grunge was the quintessential sound of this decade, characterized by its raw and angry tone. In that sense, there’s no band that represents the '90s better than Nirvana, and this legacy is in no small part due to Kurt Cobain.

Known for his scruffy yet powerful voice, Cobain led this iconic trio since its inception in 1987. While his untimely death deprived the world of his incredible talent, his legacy still lives on in amazing songs like "Smells like Teen Spirit" and "Come as You Are."

1

Money Materials

Image: Jorge Salvador

We call them paper bills, but do they undergo the same process as any other paper? Naturally, they don’t. U.S. bills are mainly made of two materials: 75% of their composition is cotton and the 25% left is linen. Besides, they have randomly disbursed red and blue security fibers embedded in the paper.

This special blend is made by only one company in America and that is Crane & Co . The company, based in Massachusetts patented this special blend and it has been the sole provider of paper for currency since 1879.

2

Origin of the U.S. dollar symbol

Image: Paris Bilal

The dollar sign is a matter of debate. One line or two across a capital S, the symbol is today a worldwide sign for money, but where does it come from?

Even if there are several theories as to where the U.S. dollar symbol comes from, all of them agree that it was derived from the Spanish peso . When the time came, and the new nation needed its own currency, the basis was that of the Spanish coinage, which was the most common currency in the colonies before the country’s independence.

The adoption of the sign was made official in 1785, and today, the United States is not the only country that uses this symbol, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand do too!

3

Who appears on the bills?

Image: AR

Having your face forever stamped on the little piece of paper that rules the world should be a milestone in your career, right? However, there were certain rules as to who qualifies to be granted this honor .

Probably, the most surprising, yet the most logical one is that no living person can be portrayed in American currency. Since the Founding Fathers considered it unpatriotic to be portrayed while alive, this was first a tradition and then made official in an Act of Congress in 1866 .

However, contrary to popular belief, this honor is not only reserved for presidents! Anyone who contributes to the nation can be portrayed.

4

Folding Papers

Image: Emilio Takas

Bills come and go all the time. We take them out of our pockets and put them in our purses only to take them out again a few hours later and give them to the shop assistant. For a life that busy, we can only hope the paper is tough enough , right?

Well, as a matter of fact, it is. Compared to regular paper, which can only be folded 400 times before it breaks, money paper can be folded up to 8,000 times before it breaks .

It's not that you’re going to try it out and see, but you can rest assured: Fold your bills away, they can handle it!

5

Damaged Goods

Image: Jp Valery

Even if they can be folded that many times, the life of bills is limited, not to mention accidents happen. Who hasn’t sent a bill to the washing machine by chance?

So, what happens when a bill is damaged? Well, at least 50% of it has to be clearly identifiable for the bank to replace it , otherwise, you’ll just lose your money. You don’t feel like folding them much now, right?

On the other hand, and mainly due to time damage, at least 70% of the new bills are used to replace old bills . These bills, once taken out of circulation are shredded and sent to companies that can recycle them!

6

Security Features

Image: Colin Watts

Counterfeiting has been a problem ever since paper money was created and statistics about which countries counterfeited most of the money are simply shocking. But we won’t get into that.

What we will say is that thanks to technological advancement, the U.S. bill is getting harder and harder to counterfeit. In modern bills, there are at least six security features which are: UV security ribbon, raised printing, microprinting, 3D security ribbon, color-shifting ink, and traditional watermarks. Do you pay attention to them?

7

U.S. Coins

Image: Kenny Eliason

Coin production in America is in charge of the U.S. Mint and there are four production facilities across the country. They are located in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point.

It is estimated that every year the Mint produces about 16 trillion coins which are valued at over $1.09 billion dollars. What is truly impressive is that Americans throw away an estimated 62 million dollars worth of coins every day!

They may not be worth much alone but don’t throw them away, all of them together can make you rich!

8

Green Ink

Image: maria pagan

Have you ever wondered why the U.S. dollar bills were green? It is not about design or aesthetics, even if we think they look pretty.

The decision to use green ink was a matter of security, in order to prevent counterfeiting. Back then, black and white ink made it easier to create photographic fakes. For that reason, green was the color of choice, and, when paper money was standardized in 1929, it had great acceptance due to the positive connotations of the color . Do you like it?

9

Andrew Jackson’s Take on Paper Money

Image: Elsa Olofsson

Every denomination has an important figure stamped on the front. In the case of the 20-dollar bill, Andrew Jackson was the chosen one.

Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and, even if it is not a rule that only presidents can be portrayed, his contributions gained him this honor.

Ironically, Jackson was not in favor of using paper money. For him, only gold and silver coins should have remained legal tender. After learning this, one can only assume he wouldn’t be so happy to be the face of the 20-dollar bill, right?

10

Facelifts and redesigns

Image: Kenny Eliason

One of the ways of keeping paper money safe and hard to counterfeit is by giving the bills new designs.

New faces were expected to appear in future bills, but, in the meantime, the changes always had to do with the proportions of the elements within each denomination. Bigger faces, rearrangement of the signatures, stuff like that.

Now, these changes and facelifts haven’t reached all the bills. 1-dollar bills haven’t been changed or redesigned ever since 1929. Why is that? Because it is not worth the trouble for criminals to counterfeit. One dollar won’t take them too far!

1

Ancient roots

Image: Miguel Teirlinck

Believe it or not, what we call Halloween began more than 2,000 years ago. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, held from October 31 to November 1 in what is now Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Britain, marked the shift from the harvest season to the dark days of winter. The Celts believed that, on that night, the boundary between the living and the dead grew dangerously thin. Spirits could slip through that barrier... both benevolent and darker ones.

2

Why scary costumes?

Image: JOHN BEARBY IMAGES

If the spirits of the dead were roaming the earth, what would you do? The Celts had a clever solution: they disguised themselves with animal skins and masks to look frightening and protect themselves from any spirits that might not have the best intentions. The hope was that ghosts would either mistake them for one of their own or be scared off entirely. Over time, the tradition evolved, but its roots remained; just look at all the little witches, skeletons, and other spooky costumes we see on Halloween today.

3

There's a reason for black and orange

Image: Gary Fultz

Orange and black take over homes and streets every Halloween, but why? The answer goes back to the Celtic festival of Samhain as well. Orange symbolized the end of autumn and fallen leaves, while black represented the darkness of the long winter nights ahead.

4

Witches weren’t always seen as scary

Image: Halanna Halila

Witches have been part of Halloween lore for ages. Countless stories cast them as spooky figures with flying broomsticks, pointed hats, and bubbling potions. But it wasn’t always this way. Among the Celts, many practices now labeled as "witchcraft" were connected to healing, spirituality, and nature, and weren’t seen as evil at all; that association came much later with the spread of Christianity. In fact, the English word "witch" is often linked to the Old English wicca (masculine) and wicce (feminine), meaning "wise one."

5

Trick-or-treating origins

Image: Robin Jonathan Deutsch

In addition to dressing up to protect themselves, the Celts also left treats on their doorsteps to appease wandering spirits. Over the centuries, that custom changed and spread. By medieval times in Europe, people—especially children—would go door to door during this season, offering prayers for departed souls or performing small songs and jokes in exchange for food or treats. This tradition, known as "souling" or "guising," eventually inspired the trick-or-treating we know today.

6

Scary tricks

Image: Nick Fewings

In the recent past, the "tricks" in trick-or-treating were no joke—they could be genuinely frightening. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Halloween was known far more for mischief than for candy. Kids pulled off pranks like tying doors shut or slamming windows to make homeowners think their houses were haunted. Scary? Yes. Fun? Definitely.

7

In the past, they weren't pumpkins

Image: Igor Omilaev

Pumpkins may be the stars of Halloween décor today, but they weren’t always the first pick. The tradition of carving Halloween lanterns also began in Ireland and Scotland, but not with pumpkins. In the old days, people carved turnips, beets, and other root vegetables. When Irish immigrants arrived in the United States in the 19th century, they found that pumpkins were bigger, softer, and far easier to carve, so pumpkins quickly replaced the turnips.

8

Halloween, SC

Image: Joseph Corl

Today, Americans put a lot of effort into Halloween celebrations. But perhaps no one embraces it more than the residents of Conway, SC, who made headlines for a bold decision. In 2022, the city officially adopted the monikers "City of Halloween" and "Halloween, SC" for the month of October. Although "Conway" remains its legal name year-round, the town uses the spooky nickname during the holiday season to attract visitors eager to experience its larger-than-life celebrations and decorations.

9

Parents also have their "tricks"

Image: Tolgahan Akbulut

Although trick-or-treating is mostly for kids, parents definitely get in on the fun. According to a 2019 survey, 74% of parents admitted to stealing a few pieces of their children’s candy. And honestly, who can blame them? A pumpkin bucket overflowing with sweets is hard to resist.

10

Paranormal full moon

Image: Ganapathy Kumar

Celebrating Halloween under a full moon has a special charm, as that lunar phase has long been linked to heightened paranormal activity. But this coincidence is rare: a full moon on Halloween only happens about every 18–19 years. The last full moon during Halloween was in 2020, and according to forecasts, we won’t see another until 2039.