1. Las Vegas
   Los Angeles
2. San Francisco
   San Diego

The Hollywood sign went up in 1923 to promote land for sale, and it originally said "HOLLYWOODLAND." It became such an attraction it was left up and has since become an iconic symbol of America. The sign has been vandalized, restored and at the center of controversy.

1. Kathy Griffin
   Joan Rivers
2. Ellen DeGeneres
   Jane Lynch

Ellen DeGeneres has hosted her own talk show since 2003, and before that, she was the star of her own sitcom called "Ellen." In 1997 she famously came out as gay on the cover of Time magazine. She's gone on to become one of America's most popular celebrities.

1. Wisconsin
   Maine
2. Iowa
   Minnesota

Wisconsin treats its cheese as seriously as France treats its baguettes. The state requires all commercial cheese to be produced under licensed supervision, the only state with such a requirement, and produces close to 3 billion pounds of cheese per year.

1. Antelope Canyon
   Bryce Canyon
2. Grand Canyon
   Columbia River Gorge

The Grand Canyon spreads 18 miles wide at its widest points and runs for 277 miles in Arizona. It's not the deepest canyon in the world, but is one of the most famous. More than 6 million people visited the site in 2018.

1. New York
   Arizona
2. Florida
   California

The McDonald's golden arches are one of the most recognizable logos in the world, but in Sedona, AZ, the McDonald's golden arches are turquoise blue. City ordinances prevent companies from erecting structures that take away from the beauty of the natural landscape.

1. Golden eagle
   Barn owl
2. Bald eagle
   Peregrine falcon

The bald eagle and American bison are both recognized as national animals of America. The eagle can be seen on federal and state seals all over the country and was first used in 1782. It was inspired by the use of gold eagles in the Roman Republic.

1. New York City
   Los Angeles
2. Miami
   Chicago

Chicago sits under NYC and LA as the third most populous city in America. The "windy city" nickname could have originated for many different reasons, but most people associate it with the cold and windy weather of Chicago. Chicago isn't the windiest city in the country.

1. Texas
   Virginia
2. Massachusetts
   Ohio

Eight U.S. presidents were born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson. Seven presidents were born in Ohio and five have been from New York.

1. Long Island
   Ellis Island
2. Staten Island
   Liberty Island

The Statue of Liberty was gifted to America from France to commemorate the alliance between the two countries during the American Revolution. It was dedicated in 1886 and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.

1. Tiffany Yellow diamond
   Cullinan diamond
2. Hope diamond
   Uncle Sam diamond

The Uncle Sam diamond was discovered in Arkansas in 1924 in an area that is today known as the Crater of Diamonds State Park. Tourists regularly visit the park in search of diamonds. The Uncle Sam diamond weighed more than 40 carats.

1. Kobe Bryant
   LeBron James
2. Michael Jordan
   Magic Johnson

Michael Jordan played most of his career for the Chicago Bulls and won six championships with the franchise over the span of eight years. He won three in a row at the beginning of the '90s, played baseball for a season, and then returned and won another three in a row before retiring.

1. Ham and cheese
   Cheesesteak
2. Peanut butter and jelly
   Lobster roll

Aside from being known for cheesesteak sandwiches, Philadelphia was the capital of America for about 10 years and is home to Independence Hall, where the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence were passed.

1. El Tatio
   Beowawe
2. Castle Geyser
   Old Faithful

Old Faithful isn't the largest geyser in the country or even the largest in Yellowstone, but it's one of the most predictable in the world, giving it its nickname. It has erupted more than 1 million times since 2000, at least once every two hours.

1. Grizzly bear
   Whitetail deer
2. Beaver
   Bison

President Obama designated the American bison the national mammal of America in 2016. The bison is the first national mammal of the country and can be found in all 50 states. It's been a symbol of the country since its earliest days.

1. Boston
   Denver
2. Seattle
   Detroit

Detroit is known for many things, most notably Motown and motor cars. It became known as The Motor City after Henry Ford perfected his assembly line in the city. Detroit is also home to the oldest surviving soda in America, Vernor's Ginger Ale, which was invented in 1866.

1. Saguaro
   Prickly pear
2. Cereus
   San Pedro cactus

These cacti are sacred symbols on the west coast and are only found growing wild in southern Arizona and parts of California. They are protected plants, and it's illegal to damage them in any way. A saguaro can take 100 years to reach adulthood and live for more than 200 years.

1. Buffalo Bayou
   Death Valley
2. Terrebonne Basin
   Thunder Basin

The hottest ever recorded temperature registered 134.1 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley, California. A temperature of 129.2 was recorded in the area in 2013, and in 1972, a ground temperature above 200 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded.

1. George Washington Bridge
   Bixby Creek Bridge
2. Golden Gate Bridge
   Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The Golden Gate National Recreational Area is one of the most visited parks in the country and home to the world-famous bridge. Millions of people cross the bridge every year, and the toll starts at $5 and increases according to the axles on your vehicle. Cyclists and pedestrians cross free.

1. Robert De Niro
   Al Pacino
2. Daniel Day-Lewis
   Tom Hanks

Hanks has close to 100 acting credits to his name and has been a Hollywood icon for decades. He won his second Best Actor Oscar for his most famous role, Forrest Gump, and has portrayed a wide range of lovable characters, including Sheriff Woody of the "Toy Story" series.

1. Corn
   Wheat
2. Potatoes
   Rice

America produces more corn than any other country on the planet, and Iowa has led the nation in corn production for the past four decades. Despite this, Olivia, MN has called itself the "Corn Capital of the World" since 1973.

1. Tongass National Forest
   Everglades National Park
2. Cibola National Forest
   Sierra National Forest

The Everglades is one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet because it consists of several ecosystems. It's home to the American crocodile, American alligator and Florida panther, and it's technically a really slow flowing river.

1. Blue Ridge Parkway
   Route 66
2. Pacific Coast Highway
   U.S. Highway 1

Route 66 was created in 1926, but less than 1,000 miles of road were paved that year. It took until 1937 for the entire highway to be paved, and in 1985 it was officially removed from all U.S. maps. Today it's a network of roads that run through several states and stretch half the country.

1. Kewpie Mayonnaise
   Miracle Whip
2. Sir Kensington's Classic Mayonnaise
   Duke's Mayonnaise

Duke's Mayo isn't the most popular in the country, but it's commonly considered the choice of mayo in many southern states. It was founded in South Carolina in 1917 and went international in 2017. It's known for its tangy taste.

1. California
   Hawaii
2. Alaska
   Florida

Alaska isn't the first place most people think of when they think of beaches, but it has the most beach in America. It has more than 6,000 miles of coastline, which is five times more than Florida. Hawaii has 750 miles of coastline.

1. Abraham Lincoln
   Andrew Johnson
2. James Buchanan
   Ulysses S. Grant

Although Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation often gets credited for ending slavery, it was the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment that actually did so. It was passed in January of 1865 and ratified in December of that year. Lincoln was assassinated eight months earlier.

1. Washington Monument
   Lincoln Memorial
2. WWII Memorial
   Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The National Mall spans between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument stands in the middle. As soon as Lincoln was assassinated, talks of erecting a memorial began. The Lincoln Memorial opened to the public in 1922.

1. Maria Sharapova
   Serena Williams
2. Monica Seles
   Venus Williams

Serena Williams is often considered the greatest female tennis player of all time. As of 2019, she's won more grand slams than any other current player, male or female, and isn't set on retiring any time soon.

1. Dogfish Head
   Rainier Beer
2. Sierra Nevada
   Yuengling

The first American to scale Mt. Everest in 1963 brought a can of Rainier Beer with him. The climber, Jim Whittaker, is a Seattle native and spoke about the journey at length. The brew has been a Seattle favorite for decades.

1. Yosemite National Park
   Olympic National Park
2. Great Smoky Mountain National Park
   Yellowstone National Park

The Smoky Mountains sit on the Tennessee-North Carolina border and they're regularly seen smothered in blue fog, giving them the "Smoky Mountain" nickname. More than 11 million people visit the park each year.

1. October 31st
   January 1st
2. July 4th
   December 25th

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence to go on to the U.S. presidency. They both died on the same exact day: July 4, 1826. One other president, James Monroe, died on July Fourth, and Calvin Coolidge is the only president born on that day.

1. Boston
   Atlanta
2. Miami
   New Orleans

New Orleans was founded in the early 18th century but its nickname didn't come until centuries later. It isn't known how the nickname came to be. Legend says the term was coined in the 1960s to contrast the hectic lifestyle of N.Y.C. (aka The Big Apple).

1. Bea Arthur
   Betty White
2. Debbie Reynolds
   Meg Wyllie

Betty White became famous starring in hit sitcoms of the '70s and '80s and became prominent again in the 2010s after a popular Snickers commercial. Her career began in 1939, and she just voiced a character in 2019's "Toy Story 4."

1. Princeton University
   Yale University
2. Harvard University
   University of Pennsylvania

There were nine colonial colleges to educate citizens of the Thirteen Colonies and Harvard University was the first one, established in 1636. Seven of the original nine went on to form today's Ivy League, and Rutgers and the College of William and Mary went on to become public universities. Cornell (the 8th Ivy) was created after the Civil War.

1. Mount Denali
   Mauna Kea
2. Mt. Everst
   K2

Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world, standing more than 29,000 feet high, but Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller. It stands 13,000 feet high and extends 20,000 feet underneath the sea. It totals 33,000 feet tall, making it the world's tallest.

1. Alfred Hitchcock
   Martin Scorsese
2. George Lucas
   Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is the highest-grossing director in American cinema history. His movies have grossed more than $10 billion worldwide and are some of the most popular ever made. He also has three Academy Award wins for his work.

1. Florida
   Georgia
2. Maine
   Alabama

Key lime pie is a rather new dessert and originated out of the Florida Keys in the early 20th century. It is named for the Key limes that are used in the pie and grow naturally in the Florida Keys. In 2006 it became the official pie of Florida.

1. Mount Olympus
   Mt. Denali
2. Mount Sanford
   Killington Peak

Mount Denali is also known as Mt. McKinley, and it's not just the highest peak in America. It's the highest peak in all of North America and sits in Alaska. The mountain was first noted during expeditions in the late 1700s.

1. Bourbon
   Wheat
2. Rye
   Cotton

The U.S. government recognizes bourbon as one of America's most distinctive products, and the state of Kentucky produces about 95% of the world's bourbon. Kentucky climate is suited for bourbon production like Scotland's climate is suited for scotch.

1. Mountain Dew
   Fanta
2. Dr Pepper
   Sprite

Although Dr Pepper is regularly noted as the oldest soft drink brand in America, Vernors Ginger Ale was produced about 20 years earlier in Detroit. Dr Pepper was invented by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, TX in 1885.

1. Philadelphia
   New York City
2. Boston
   Washington, D.C.

New York is the most populous city in the country with more than 8.6 million residents. It's also one of the most popular cities in the world and along with London, sits at the top of the global index of Alpha cities.