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

12 years of all tweets

Image: Marten Bjork

If you were an active and public Twitter user between the years 2006 and 2017, guess what? Your words are preserved in the Library of Congress .

The platform’s first twelve years are contained in a digital collection meant as a historical record of a new communications channel. From 2018 onwards, the Library started acquiring only "particularly interesting" tweets.

2

Oddly specific movies, like "Shrek" or "Wall-E"

Image: Denise Jans

The Library preserves film culture through the National Film Registry and other collections.

Recent registry additions have included animated hits such as Shrek , while the Library’s preservation programs and official announcements explain why even mainstream animated features matter as cultural artifacts worth saving. The Registry also contains enduring classics such as Grease , Citizen Kane , and The Wizard of Oz .

3

Specific songs, like "Livin’ La Vida Loca"

Image: Bruno Guerrero

Music enters the Library’s life via the National Recording Registry and the Music Division. Ricky Martin’s "Livin’ La Vida Loca" is one of the recordings the Library has recognized for cultural impact; these entries help posterity understand what particular songs meant to listeners at the time.

Other anthems are also preserved in the collection, like Aretha Franklin’s " Respect " and Journey’s " Don’t Stop Believin. "

4

A moldy wedding cake

Image: gryzoon

A sliver of wedding cake from P.T. Barnum’s era spectacles survives in the Library of Congress’s Manuscript Division as a historical oddity. Donated in the 1950s, it now sits darkened with age and mold.

The cake came from the wedding of Charles Stratton, who was 25 years old and just 35 inches tall at the time. Stratton performed in Barnum’s shows under the name General Tom Thumb, delighting audiences with his song-and-dance routine.

5

A map of the Grand Canyon made of chocolate

Image: Steve Johnson

Yes, that is a real thing. The Geography and Map Division highlights a 1991 topographic map of the Grand Canyon molded in chocolate , made by the Chocolate Topographic Company.

6

What Lincoln was carrying when he died

Image: Engin Akyurt

The Library’s Treasures and related pages describe the modest, deeply human contents found on Abraham Lincoln after he was shot : a silk-lined wallet with newspaper clippings, a Confederate five-dollar bill kept as a curiosity, spectacles, a pocketknife, a handkerchief, and a watch fob, among other everyday items.

7

Locks of hair from Jefferson, Beethoven, and others

Image: benjamin lehman

Why not? The Library’s Manuscript and Music Divisions preserve numerous strands of hair attributed to notable figures : from presidents such as Thomas Jefferson to composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as other cultural icons including Walt Whitman, Clara Barton, and George Washington!

8

Thomas Jefferson’s vanilla ice cream recipe

Image: Colin Fearing

Among Jefferson’s papers, which the Library and Monticello both reproduce and discuss, is his handwritten vanilla ice cream recipe : cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla, frozen using ice and salt. A fundamental (and surprisingly delicious) document of history!

9

A precursor of the Monopoly Game (The Office Boy)

Image: Kathy Marsh

Monopoly’s genealogy includes several predecessors. Most famously, Elizabeth Magie’s 1904 The Landlord’s Game is the well-documented precursor.

Other commercial board games , such as Parker Brothers’ The Office Boy (an 1889 Horatio Alger–style career game), along with various moral and occupational boards, helped shape the emerging mass-market game industry that ultimately produced Monopoly .

1

The Wild West was wild

Life in the West certainly wasn’t as chaotic and unruly as Hollywood would have us believe. Most of the challenges experienced by the people were those of any settler in a distant place: hard labor, harsh weather conditions, loneliness, petty thefts, and uncertainty. Dangerous conflicts certainly arose, but they were not a daily occurrence.

2

Gold was easily found

Beginning in the year 1848, gold discoveries inspired a series of rushes that contributed to the Westward expansion, but fewer people actually became rich from the so-called boom. Gold in large quantities was rare to come by , and the overpopulation of prospectors diminished the chances of gathering enough gold to make the labor worth it. In addition to this, shopkeepers demanded outrageous food prices, which consumed the little wealth that prospectors managed to gather.

3

Wild West towns were lawless

While they had their fair share of gunmen and robbers, towns in the Wild West had lower violence rates than big cities . Following the law was essential for the new settlements to thrive, and public order was maintained through the joint effort of marshals, sheriffs, Army soldiers, and private citizens. While the bad reputation of some towns was justified, they were the exception rather than the norm.

4

There was endless free land for the taking

The West was vast, but it was certainly occupied . Thousands of Native Americans were forcefully displaced, confined to reservations, or forced to assimilate to make way for those arriving. Many settlers were not aware of, nor complicit in this injustice —especially immigrants coming from afar— but others believed they were entitled to the land, even at the cost of native lives.

5

Everyone owned a gun

Pistols and rifles have become synonymous with the Wild West, but they weren’t as common as one might think. While they were a useful protection on the range or while travelling, they were usually forbidden in town , so cowboys and travellers had to check them in the sheriff’s office upon arrival.

6

Settlers and Native Americans fought constantly

Native Americans who were not displaced or confined to reservations were not necessarily hostile towards settlers. In fact, many of them were open to coexistence and trade with communities that didn’t pose a threat . The majority of their confrontations were with government forces, usually as a result of broken treaties and empty promises.

7

Cowboy hats were the norm

Stetsons, or cowboy hats, might be the quintessential headgear of the modern cowboy, but they were not the standard in the Wild West. Bowler hats, Army caps, and Mexican-style sombreros were far more common choices at the time. In fact, the Stetson brand wasn’t established until 1865.

8

Violence was the main cause of death

The Wild West was not as unruly as it is portrayed, and the chances of dying in a duel or a highway robbery were not as high as one would imagine. The main cause of death was disease , either caused by the harsh circumstances, the lack of sanitary conditions, or the spread of viruses and infections before the advent of modern medicine.

9

The Pony Express was the main communication service

The Pony Express and its riders revolutionized communication in the Wild West. Beginning operations in 1860, it reduced the travel time of messages between the East and West coasts to about ten days . However, its existence was short-lived: After merely 18 months of operations, the company went bankrupt when a telegraph line was established.

10

Banks in the Wild West were easy targets for robbers

Movie westerns would have us believe that bank robberies were a daily occurrence in the Wild West, but nothing could be further from the truth. Though there were heists carried out by famous outlaws, bank robberies were far from common , and train and stagecoach robberies were more likely to happen.