Though the U.S. is not even 250 years old, history textbooks already must omit a great deal. Here are in-depth looks at a few of the most fascinating and less flattering events and scenes that took place on American soil.

America's Forgotten History

Jeopardy!

American history - relatively speaking, there's not that much of it, right? As far as the timeline of world civilizations goes, the United States is pretty young. Maybe that's why a lot of people really enjoy learning <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-american-eras/jacob-shelton">American history</a> in school. It's accessible, and the names and events are familiar.&nbsp;Well, that's what we thought, but then we looked at all the different questions (or answers, depending on how technical you want to get) about US history that appear on Jeopardy! and realized there's a whole lot more than what was in our textbooks. The number of things <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/jeopardy-questions-that-stumped-best-players/damon-davis">Jeopardy! questions</a> brought to light about the history of the US are truly remarkable.&nbsp;Here's a selection of questions about American history that have been asked on Jeopardy! that make all of those history tests we took in school look easy. What do you think?&nbsp;

FKA Pushable Teams

Srch

Exclude All in One Blocks

WH Team

Google News

Apple News

Format

SEO Excluded

Tag Wizard

SEO Content Team

Archive Ignore

Pre-2024 'Tier 3'

Do Not Delete - Account

Do Not Delete - Quality Filters

Revite - Discover

Discover

Hard 'Jeopardy!' Questions About American History That Baffled Everyone

General

The 22 Hardest 'Jeopardy!' Questions About American History, Ranked

Melissa Sartore

From the early inhabitants of the original 13 colonies, to the pioneers who moved West and South as America expanded, there was one common problem when it came to establishing new settlements: What would they name their city?Some US cities and towns were named after a founder, a nearby geological feature, or a place the settlers had come from, but <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-american-small-towns/noah-henry">others</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-american-town-names/laura-allan">had very unusual names.</a>And the city or town could end up being renamed, sometimes multiple times. Here are the stories about how some US cities got their original monikers, and the reason(s) why the name ended up being changed.

Top Tier

Tier 1

Ranker Prime

Trending on Ranker

instream

Archive Future Social

Do Not Delete - Cleaned

US Cities That Changed Their Names, And The Surprising Reasons Why

City/Town

US Cities That Changed Their Names

TGWrites

Everything you didn't know about the so-called leaders of the free world, from their favorite foods to their pets' names.

U.S. Presidents

History

The death of a president is always a big deal, whether it is unexpected - such as John F. Kennedy&#39;s assassination - or predictable, like Ronald Reagan&#39;s death after suffering from Alzheimer&#39;s disease for ten years. While former presidents always get the full memorial Monty, the death of a sitting president can cause political upheaval as the successor takes the reigns. But just how many US presidents have died? Sure, you probably have a rough idea, but do you know the circumstances of their deaths and the legacy they left behind?&nbsp;

Looking to the past is crucial to understanding the present. And knowing how all the US presidents died - especially the ones that died in office - can shed some light on our current political situation. In total, 39 US presidents have passed on. Keep reading to learn about all the US president deaths that have happened since the inception of our country.

cleanup_exclude

Weird American History

Death & Injury

primis_weirdhistory

How All The Departed US Presidents Have Died

US President

How All the Departed US Presidents Have Died

Mel Judson

Are you already an expert in everything America? Great! No need to read about these fascinating facts and important events that have shaped the U.S. as we know it today.

US History You Should Know

Fort Knox US Bullion Depository Kentucky

Located in Kentucky, Fort Knox is a United States Army base which&nbsp;houses most of the US&#39;s gold reserves. One of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-break-ins/megan-summers" target="_blank">most&nbsp;secure</a> and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/inaccessible-places/kellen-perry" target="_blank">inaccessible places</a> in the world, the facility once held the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.&nbsp;

Only one president has ever been inside -&nbsp;and the US Mint remains largely mum on the contents of the vault -&nbsp;making Fort Knox a hotbed for conspiracy theories. Many&nbsp;question the amount of gold that supposedly exists in the vault,&nbsp;and wonder what else hides within the building&#39;s&nbsp;walls. So, what&#39;s really inside Fort Knox? The public may never know.

instagram_posted

dfp_policy_violation

Fort Knox Is So Mysterious And Heavily Guarded, Only One US President Has Ever Been Inside

Fort Knox Is More Mysterious Than You Think

Only One President Has Ever Been Inside Fort Knox... Why Is It The Most Mysterious, Heavily Guarded Place In America?

US History

There are numerous holidays in the United States celebrated annually. Holidays that are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/obscure-local-holidays-united-states/melissa-sartore">local and obscure</a> may receive little to no attention outside of a small group. National and federal holidays can lead to a day off of work or some other much-anticipated acknowledgment but are usually days with no mail and the closure of business and government offices across the country.Knowing when holidays are celebrated is engrained in the American psyche. The reasons specific <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/holiday-dates/brenden-donnelly">holiday dates are chosen</a> are important and often unrealized, as are the actual meanings behind the biggest American holidays.Why do Americans celebrate Memorial Day and Veterans Day? What's the difference? And what's the significance of Juneteenth? How does a country with a divide between church and state afford holiday status to Christmas?&nbsp;These are all questions that deserve to be answered.

watchworthy_social

Images Audited

Traffic Team

Social beg 2024

Holiday Meanings: What The Biggest American Holidays Actually Mean

American Holiday Meanings: Every Major US Holiday, Explained

A deep look at the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

Alcohol Through the Ages

Food History

Wise prophet&nbsp;Homer Simpson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUVwR0rw5fk" target="_blank">famously described alcohol</a> as &quot;the cause of and solution to all of life's problems&quot; and it turns out he's kind of right.&nbsp;Alcohol isn't just a mostly overpriced social lubricant at best (and horribly destructive and addictive poison at worst);&nbsp;&nbsp;it actually played a huge role in the daily routine of almost every man, woman,&nbsp;and child in early America.&nbsp;&nbsp;The drinking habits in early America shaped the country into what it is today, for better or for worse. Take a look back in time with this list and check out all of the old laws, resourceful criminals, and fearless leaders that changed our boozy history.&nbsp;

Substance Abuse

Meta Exclude

Xbox Exclude

Target Sales Exclude 10/22

The True Story Behind America's History with Alcohol

10 Fascinating Facts About Early American Booze Consumption

Rachel Souerbry

Historical Facts

People have inhabited the Americas for thousands of years. Native American history&nbsp;is just as complex, fascinating, and surprising as any other story about the past, even if it isn&#39;t as widely known.

Indigenous folks across North and South America have made their mark on the world in a variety of ways, ranging from <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-why-did-the-mayans-build-pyramids/bailey-benningfield" target="_blank">Mayan pyramids</a> to advanced surgical techniques and popular sports that have stood the test of time. Indeed, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/early-1900s-native-american-photos/chwang?ref=collections_page" target="_blank">Native American communities</a> stretch over two continents, and no two are the same. They all have their own culture, traditions, and accomplishments that are worth remembering.

Though Native American tribes and communities are unique in their own way, they also have one important thing in common: Their histories have been shaped by colonialism, as European empires, the United States of America, and other new nation-states violently encroached on their land and disrupted their communities. Indigenous communities haven&#39;t only been targeted by colonialism; they&#39;ve also shaped the histories of empires.

Native American history is more than a story of tragedy, however - it&#39;s also a story of ingenuity, innovation, and compassion. So read on and vote up the facts about Native American history that are new to you.

Finished Forever

15 Facts We Just Learned About Native American History

15 Facts About Native American History We Just Learned

Setareh Janda

There are<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/origins-of-easter/emily-mast"> holidays for just about everything</a> nowadays, from National Hot Dog Day to Super Mario Day. However, there are only 11 federally-recognized holidays in the United States (plus one more in a year with a presidential election).&nbsp;The oldest holidays on this list were ratified more than 150 years ago, while the newest is just a few years old. While you're likely familiar with most of the holidays on this list, do you know where they came from? How they came to be?&nbsp;While some holidays represent celebrations of people or events, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/christian-holidays-with-pagan-origins/ryan-sargent">others were born</a> out of darker origins. Who knew that Labor Day came to be after dozens of deaths from strikes and riots? And while some of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-of-valentines-day/tracey-graham">America's holidays</a> can be controversial, some groups are working to change how we view and think about these days rooted in centuries of tradition.&nbsp;

Archive Social Timely

How Holidays In The United States Actually Came To Be

The Real History Of Holidays In The U.S.

Emily Pogue

Wild Facts

Discussing politics is a daunting task at best, and the second inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2025 far from cooled the political waters. There has been endless discourse about his inauguration, particularly Elon Musk's “Roman salute” that many have equated to fascism. With all this discourse going on, it's a reminder of shocking moments from inaugurations past.For instance, Andrew Jackson invited 20,000 guests to a party at the White House that ended in a drunken brawl. Then there's Nixon's second inauguration, which led to dead pigeons lining his presidential parade route. Some believe William Henry Harrison's inaugural speech led to his untimely death one month after taking office.In the list below, we break down the most notable, odd, and notorious events that took place at and around presidential inaugurations.

Finished Upkeep Timely

The 10 Wildest Things That Really Happened At Presidential Inaugurations

Patrick Thornton

Lists about some of the most extraordinary women who made history, forever changing the world and how we see it.

Well-Behaved Women

Lists about the first ladies who have reached America's highest status (for women) — being married to the President — from Martha Washington to Hillary Clinton to Melania Trump. 

FLOTUS: America's Mom

Who are those people who lived in the White House, making appearances and speeches and promises and mistakes? To understand them, you must get to know the spouses, children, and even siblings of U.S. Presidents, past and present. 

The First Family

Julia Gardiner Tyler

Before the revolutionary Eleanor Roosevelt or the glamorous Jackie O, there was Julia Gardiner Tyler, the second wife of President John Tyler. Despite the fact she became First Lady in the 1800s -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/different-waves-of-feminism-and-what-they-mean/rylee_en">a stifling and oppressive era for women</a> - Julia Gardiner Tyler was bold, brazen, and fabulous. The wild side of Tyler's young bride was much gossiped about, but rather than letting the headlines dictate her life, Tyler dictated the headlines. She branded herself into the first celebrity First Lady through her opulent and dramatic lifestyle. She was the opposite of modesty in a time where women were meant to be modest to the core.&nbsp;Wild stories about Julia Gardiner Tyler make her one of the most scandalous first ladies in history. She was a strong, independent woman who did what she wanted when she wanted. These facts about Julia Gardiner Tyler and her unconventional life might make her story even more interesting that that of her husband.&nbsp;

longtail_search

16 Facts About Julia Tyler, The Most Controversial First Lady of the 1800s

16 Facts About Julia Gardiner Tyler, A Scandalous First Lady

Elle Tharp

Military

If you grew up in the United States, you probably learned the United States Customary System (USCS) for weights and measures. USCS terms like inches, feet, pounds, and miles are derived from the British Imperial System, steeped in a long history of application and use. Any introduction to the metric system may have muddied the measurement waters, adding unfamiliar words and awkward conversions to your school day.

While Americans continue to use the USCS, most of the world has shifted to the metric system. The metric system, or International System of Units (SI), was introduced in France <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/rise-and-fall-of-the-lavoisiers/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">during the late 18th century</a> and includes seven foundational units of measurement, the most common of which include meters and kilograms. SI has, according to its proponents, more utility and universality than other systems, making it the preferred system for weights and measures across the globe.

If this is true, why does the United States&nbsp;remain&nbsp;one of the few countries not to use the metric system as its primary system of measurement?&nbsp;The reasons Americans don&#39;t use the metric system are complicated, combining political and economic considerations with nationalist pride, but if you look closely, you can see the influence of SI in the United States. Whether or not this will eventually come full-scale remains to be seen, but here&#39;s what has shaped the use of the metric system in the United States so far.

The Actual Reasons Everywhere Except The US Has Adopted The Metric System

Why Don't Americans Use the Metric System?

The Actual Reasons Why The US Hasn't Adopted The Metric System

Lists about the indigenous people and cultures native to modern day Canada and the United States. 

Native America

Interesting

In 1856, a 19-year-old girl named Olive Oatman caused a big stir in Arizona. The daughter of white settlers who were&nbsp;murdered on their way to California, she emerged from years of being a captive of the Mohave tribe with a striking and distinctive blue tattoo on her chin. So who was Olive Oatman, and how did she come to live with the Mohave? Her story is one of extreme tragedy that also captures&nbsp;the incredible strength of the human spirit.

The American public was fascinated by Olivia Oatman, and the stories of&nbsp;her time as a captive continue to spark interest to this day.&nbsp;Her journey from&nbsp;desert pioneer to <a href="https://historydaily.org/olive-oatman-the-girl-with-the-blue-tattoo" target="_blank">orphaned Native American captive</a> left lasting marks on her that went much deeper than a tattoo; it was said that she carried around a Mohave staple, a jar of hazelnuts, for the rest of her life to remind her of her experiences.

Genre

Nerd Audience

Apple TV Sales Exclude 5/23

The Fascinating Story Behind The Girl With The Mohave Tattoo

The True Story of Olive Oatman, The Pioneer Girl With The Face Tattoo

Lists about the history and quirks of America's highest office.

The American Presidency

Explainer

The health of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst">US Presidents</a> is a well-kept secret, especially while they&rsquo;re in office.&nbsp;The public is on a need-to-know basis, and, generally speaking, the government doesn&#39;t&nbsp;think the public needs to know at all &ndash; especially when it comes to presidents&#39; illnesses.&nbsp;From George Washington to Teddy Roosevelt to Barack Obama, presidents have suffered from various ailments before, during, and after holding their positions. Considering how unwell some of these guys were, it&#39;s amazing they accomplished anything at all during their <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/us-president-first-100-days/stephanroget" target="_blank">first 100 days in office</a>.

Some presidents were pretty healthy from a young age;&nbsp;others were sickly during their whole lives, and others were plagued with maladies on and off &ndash;&nbsp;no actual instances of plague, though, luckily. However, some of these presidential ailments might just surprise you.

temp_ab_tag

Every U.S. President &amp; Every Medical Problem They've Ever Had

Person

All The Medical Ailments Of Every US President

Fun facts and interesting trivia to know about religious beliefs and practices around the world.

Cultural  Differences

It’s easy to assume that whatever customs, systems, processes, and general facts of life you’re accustomed to are the “norm.” However, as soon as you venture out of your home country or region, it becomes extremely apparent that not everything you do or have at home is the norm elsewhere. For Americans, this means coming&nbsp;across <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/why-dont-americans-use-bidets/genevieve-carlton">a bidet</a> on a French vacation, or having a tip refused at a restaurant, or being forced to make sense of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/why-dont-americans-use-metric-system/melissa-sartore">the metric system</a> can come as a shock to the system.The truth is, the US does many things differently from the rest of the world. From minor differences like&nbsp;an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/why-american-flags-everywhere-in-united-states/megan-summers">obsession with the American flag,</a> to major ones with political or economic implications, like the use of a sales tax instead of value-added tax, or the refusal to recognize the International Criminal Court’s authority, the US is unique in a number of ways. Below you’ll find many things Americans do differently from the rest of the world - and why.

All The Things The US Does Differently From The Rest Of The World

Why America Does Things Differently Than Other Countries

Garri Chaverst

These United States came <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-revolutionary-facts/melissa-sartore">from humble beginnings in 1776</a>, where founding fathers in funny wigs signed a document forming the country. Since then, America has had many highs and many lows, from incredible, groundbreaking moments like the moon landing and women's suffrage, to the bitter and violent battles waged over race and systemic oppression. Considering it all, the good and the bad, when was the nation actually at its best?We've provided each decade's peak achievements, major moments, and presidents. How you define the best is up to you. It could be a time with a cultural spirit you connect with, or one with new technologies you found the most beneficial.&nbsp;As you vote, remember this: Each decade had its good and bad, triumphs as well as tragedies. A vote up certainly does not condone the “bad” that happened in that decade, just as a vote down does not ignore the good.

Tier 2

What Decade Did America Peak?

Lists about the brilliant and fascinating men who led the American Revolution and created the documents that established these United States of America.

Our Founding Fathers

The Founding Fathers certainly studied their history, drawing upon influences from ancient Rome to John Locke to help create their fledgling country.&nbsp;Yet&nbsp;the ideas the Founding Fathers got from Native Americans hardly ever receive due credit from historians, though their democratic procedures largely shaped the democracy Americans know today. As the European settlers waged centuries of war against the “savages” in the Americas while&nbsp;stealing their land and slaughtering innocent people, they also ripped off their ideas. Whose ideas were the Founding Fathers influenced by? The most influential group was the Iroquois, who created the <a href="https://ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/" target="_blank">first participatory democracy</a> in North America.&nbsp;The Native influence on the Founding Fathers provided them with numerous ideas about democracy and politics, and is probably something you never knew about <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/lies-about-the-founding-of-america/stephanroget" target="_blank">America's founding</a>. Native Americans&nbsp;shaped&nbsp;the Founding Fathers' conception of a successful republic and even the symbols of a new nation. Yet, in the end, they remain shut out of history books in favor of the Magna Carta and ancient Greeks. But no longer will the influence of the Iroquois people be pushed to the side of American history.

"All American" Ideas The Founding Fathers Actually Took From Native Americans

"All American" Ideas The Founding Fathers Completely Ripped Off From Native Americans

Genevieve Carlton

US History lists at Ranker - The ultimate source for hundreds of US History lists and rankings