1

87 steps

Image: Ryan Stone

In case you haven't counted them, there are exactly 87 steps leading up to the Lincoln Memorial. But why does that number matter? Although the National Park Service says it wasn’t intentional, many people connect it to the opening line of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: "Four score and seven years ago..." Coincidentally, 87 is also the number of years between the moment he delivered the speech and the monument’s dedication. Pretty incredible, right?

2

Hidden underground chamber

Image: Kdwk Leung

The Lincoln Memorial is more than what you see at first glance; there’s an entire hidden world beneath it. That’s right! Underground lies a large chamber built as part of the monument’s foundation. Giant concrete columns support the structure above, and there are also narrow corridors where workers once walked. You can even find graffiti and markings left by those builders in the early 1900s. Although the public can’t visit this space yet, the National Park Service has said it hopes to open it in the future.

3

A pyramid?

Image: Andrew Backhouse

Can you imagine a giant pyramid rising over the landscape of Washington, DC? It’s hard to picture, but it could have happened. Among the many design proposals for the Lincoln Memorial were some extravagant ideas, including a huge pyramid. In the end, the Greek temple design we know today won out.

4

The typo

Image: Andre Schofield

To err is human, and the Lincoln Memorial is no exception. As you may know, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address are engraved on the interior walls. But the carver made a small mistake when transcribing the Second Inaugural Address, writing "euture" instead of "future" in the line "high hopes for the future." Although the error was corrected, people say that if you look closely enough, you can still see it.

5

Lincoln's friends made it happen

Image: Casey Horner

For years, several proposals to build a memorial to Abraham Lincoln failed in Congress. Fortunately, Senator Shelby Collum and Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon joined forces to get the final bill approved. These men had known Lincoln and felt that a memorial to Honest Abe was both fitting and necessary.

6

Who is Thomas Jefferson looking at?

Image: J. Amill Santiago

It’s well known that the statue of Thomas Jefferson inside his memorial faces north toward the White House and the Washington Monument. But there’s another interesting interpretation. Also to the north is the statue of Alexander Hamilton on the south side of the US Treasury Building. Since Jefferson and Hamilton were once colleagues who later became political rivals, some like to imagine that Jefferson’s bronze likeness is keeping a cautious, almost "watchful eye" on Hamilton.

7

FDR specifically requested the Jefferson Memorial

Image: Rafik

Since the early 20th century, there had been talk of building a memorial to honor Thomas Jefferson. But nothing moved forward until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933. An admirer of Jefferson, FDR pushed tirelessly for the project until Congress approved it. But he was not only the one who requested it; he even delivered the dedication speech when the memorial was completed in 1943.

8

10,000 pounds

Image: Michael Kranewitter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

We all know Jefferson was a great man, but do you know how big his statue is? It stands around 19 feet tall and weighs an astonishing 10,000 pounds; that’s a lot of bronze! Originally, the statue was a painted plaster model because, when it was dedicated in 1943, metal shortages from World War II made bronze unavailable. Four years later, in 1947, the bronze statue we see today was installed.

9

Once a popular beach

Image: Amelia Cui

Before becoming the site of the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin Beach was a popular beach in Washington. That's right; at the beginning of the 20th century, the area was used for swimming, boating, and picnics. This, coupled with the need to cut down some cherry blossom trees for construction, sparked controversy and turned some people against the project.

10

Created by a landfill

Image: Sharosh Rajasekher

Before the Jefferson Memorial could be built, the area had to be transformed. The Tidal Basin was originally shallow and surrounded by marshland, so workers filled it with material dredged from the Potomac River to create a stable foundation. Definitely a big effort.

1

Bison

Image: Alex Moliski

We’ll begin with the national mammal of the United States. Actually, that might be a bit reductive: the bison is not just a national symbol, but it has also been chosen as representative by a plethora of institutions, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, the University of Colorado, and several Great Plains states.

Since the end of the 19th century, indiscriminate hunting made the bison an extremely endangered species: By 1884, only 325 bison remained in the country. Luckily, thanks to the hard work of several conservation agencies, that number has gradually increased over the years, reaching a population of 500,000 bison by 2017.

2

Prairie dog

Image: Moritz Kindler

Here’s a question for any biologist reading this article: Why, pray tell, are prairie dogs not called "prairie squirrels"? While these mammals possess little to no dog-like features, they are definitely a close relative of squirrels. In fact, they belong to the same family. Food for thought, right?

In any case, prairie dogs are proof that an animal doesn’t have to be big to be important. All five species are considered keystone species to their environments, as their burrowing and mound-building help renew and revitalize the soil of their habitats. Not only that, they are extremely important components of the food chain, since they provide sustenance to many predators.

3

Alligator

Image: Matthew Essman

From the warm weather of the American South comes the only reptile on this list. Alligators are truly fascinating creatures: not only do they date back to the age of dinosaurs, but they can also only be found in 2 countries in the entire world—China and, of course, the United States.

While they are certainly deadly predators, don’t let their ferocity fool you: they rarely attack humans, and only when disturbed. Moreover, alligators are key species in maintaining their habitats, not just through population control, but also by encouraging plant diversity through the construction of alligator holes.

4

Grizzly bear

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

Anyone who has looked at a picture of a bear has probably thought in disbelief, "How can something that looks this adorable be so dangerous?" While this philosophical conundrum might be the reason that Teddy bears are so popular, the truth is that the grizzly bear is a perfect representative of the duality found in most of these large mammals: a combination of extreme cuteness with dangerous ferocity.

In that sense, we only need to take a look at the etymology of the grizzly bear to find the feral nature of this seemingly adorable creature. When Lewis and Clark first encountered these bears, they recorded their name as "grisley," which many believe comes from a Middle English word for "gruesome."

5

Gray wolf

Image: Anthony Sebbo

Many biologists consider the gray wolf the unsung hero of American wildlife. This majestic hunter is a keystone species in Yellowstone National Park, helping to maintain the elk and deer populations. And while it has notably appeared in many blankets and t-shirts, the gray wolf, sadly, has not been recognized as any state’s official mammal.

Originally, grey wolves’ range covered approximately two-thirds of America, but they can currently be found in the northern part of the country. Most notably, Alaska houses the largest wolf population in the country, with a number between 7,000 and 11,000 wolves roaming the state.

6

Turkey

Image: Tyler Jamieson Moulton

There’s an urban legend that states that Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey to be our national symbol. If the stories are true, there might very well be a universe in which this odd-looking bird represents Americans everywhere. And although we’ll take the bald eagle as a symbol any day of the week, there’s something to be said about the nobility of this game bird.

Unlike their domesticated counterparts, wild turkeys are more adept at flying. Although we may never see a majestic turkey soar through the skies, they are able to fly short distances of up to a quarter mile. What’s perhaps most impressive about these birds is their wide range of vocalizations, which may sound like a simple "gobble, gobble" to us, but convey numerous meanings to other turkeys.

7

Groundhog

Image: Andy Sanchez

Sure, Beverly Hills might be the home of Hollywood’s royalty, but the borough of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is home to one of America’s most famous stars. Since 1887, a groundhog by the name of Phil (Punxsutawney Phil, to be exact) has been the key figure in the town’s most famous tradition: "Groundhog Day," a celebration in which Phil predicts when will winter end.

While Punxsutawney Phil is perhaps America’s most famous groundhog, the truth is that these quirky rodents are one of America’s most recognizable animals. Interestingly, groundhogs are also known as "woodchucks," which is a rather baffling name, since these creatures are not known for chucking wood of any kind.

8

Florida panther

Image: Maheera Kulsoom

The alligator might be Florida’s most famous animal, but this large cat shouldn’t be overlooked. The Florida panther is the only cougar species living in the Eastern United States, with a worrying 200 individuals currently living in the Sunshine State.

This majestic cougar is a source of pride for many Floridians, and numerous conservation campaigns have been launched over the years to help protect its habitat. The Florida panther was named the state’s official animal in 1982, as well as being the namesake of the South Florida ice hockey team.

9

Roadrunner

Image: Anish Lakkapragada

Isn’t it strange not to see a coyote included in the title of this entry? We feel bad about separating this iconic pair, but we are sure you’ll agree that the roadrunner is an amazing bird in its own right, even becoming New Mexico’s official state bird in 1949.

Warner Bros. cartoons quickly capitalized on this bird’s most remarkable feature: its running speed. Roadrunners can reach speeds of up to 20 mph, which comes in great help for hunting and running away from predators (like a certain coyote).

10

Bald eagle

Image: Michael Jerrard

The bald eagle shares the title of "most instantly recognizable American symbol" with the American flag and Mount Rushmore. Its status sometimes makes us forget about the spectacular specimen hiding behind the American icon, so we thought it would be a good idea to close this article with a small tribute to our favorite bird of prey.

Let’s start with the obvious: the name "bald eagle" doesn’t come from any distinct lack of plumage, but rather from the old meaning of the word "bald," which used to stand for "white-headed." This distinction seems necessary because one of the most breathtaking aspects of this bird is the contrast of its feathers, which produces a stunning image when paired with its yellow beak. For a while, the status of the bald eagle was endangered until its population recovered thanks to conservation efforts.

1

Massachusetts

Image: Kaya Arro

A curious word in itself, Massachusetts originated from an Algonquian word meaning "large hill place." The term "Massachusett" was first recorded in 1616 as the name of a village near present-day Boston, and the English added an -s to signify the plural.

The name was applied to the bay, from which the Massachusetts Bay Company, founded in 1629, took its name. With the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, legislators officially adopted the name Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2

Michigan

Image: Aaron Burden

Another name with an Algonquian origin, like Massachusetts, Michigan comes from the word mishigama which means "big lake." The state was named after its chief geological feature: that large body of water to its west. After all, Michigan is in direct contact with four of the five Great Lakes.

When the area became a U.S. territory, the name Michigan was adopted as the name of the state. Michigan achieved statehood in 1837.

3

Montana

Image: Tim Stief

A name most likely derived from the either Spanish ( Montaña ) or Latin ( Montanus ) word for mountain, Montana was suggested by Rep. James M. Ashley of Ohio, who was a member of the House Committee on Territories. He recommended it in 1863 for the territory that would become Idaho. He liked the name so much that he recommended it again for a territory being organized in 1864.

The name Montana itself was first given in 1858 to a town in the Pike’s Peak gold region, which was at the time part of Kansas and is today part of Colorado. The town eventually died, though, when the gold ran out, but the name lived on.

4

Oklahoma

Image: Skyler Smith

The name Oklahoma was coined in 1866 by Allen Wright, a Choctaw chief and Presbyterian minister who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He combined two Choctaw words that, together, mean "Land of the Red People." Eventually, the name was adopted into the Choctaw-Chickasaw Treaty.

5

Pennsylvania

Image: Lera Kogan

In 1681, the English king Charles II gave a land grant to William Penn. The charter designated that the colony was to be called Pennsylvania, which was a combination of Penn’s name and the Latin " silva " (spelled " sylva " in the 17th century), meaning "forest." Therefore, Pennsylvania means " Penn’s forest ."

William Penn had originally suggested that the land be called New Wales, but since the charter was signed with Pennsylvania permanently inscribed, he declared that the name was in honor of his father.

6

Tennessee

Image: Brice Cooper

While the names of many states originate from descriptions, the name of Tennessee didn’t have any particular meaning when it was bestowed upon the Volunteer State. This name originally came from a Cherokee town called Tanasqui by the Spanish, and Tinnase by the English. But the Cherokees themselves didn’t associate any literal meaning with the word.

The name was also given to a stream near the town, and as English settlers moved downstream, they carried the name with them. Tennessee first appeared in that spelling as the name of a newly organized county in North Carolina in 1788, and it was eventually proposed and accepted by Congress as a state name in 1796.

7

Wyoming

Image: Kellie Klumb

The name of Wyoming originated from the Algonquian word meche-weami-ing , which meant " at the big flats. " It was originally applied to a valley in Pennsylvania and became well-known through Thomas Campbell’s epic 1809 poem "Gertrude of Wyoming," which was about a girl from Pennsylvania.

James Ashley, a member of the House Committee on Territories representing Ohio, suggested the name for a new territory in 1868.

8

Alaska

Image: Rod Long

The name Alaska is thought to come from the Aleut word aláxsxaq or aleyska , which translates to " an object to which the sea is directed ."

When Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867, the name Alaska was suggested by Senator Charles Sumner under the belief that it meant "great land," when in fact the word was simply what Aleuts used to refer to the mainland.

9

Connecticut

Image: Christopher Luther

Whoever thinks Connecticut sounds like a complicated word, should take a look at the Algonquian word from which it originated: Quinnehtukqut , which means " place beside the long tidal river. "

An English scribe probably inserted the second, silent "c" in the name into the word to form the more common "connect" section, as we know it today.

10

Idaho

Image: Clay Elliot

The name of the state of Idaho has at least two probable origins. On the one hand, it may be derived from the word Idahi , the Kiowa-Apache name for the Comanche, both of whom were known to have been in that area. On the other hand, it might have been fabricated by a mining lobbyist at a time when native-sounding names were popular.

When Colorado was being organized as a territory in 1860, the name Idaho was considered, but Congress chose Colorado instead. The name came up again in 1863 when territories farther north were being organized. Montana was first proposed for the new area, but the U.S. Senate decided to call it Idaho.