[ Intro | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 75-100 ]
26. Ben & Jerry's
The only thing better than its AmeriCone Dream is the "flavor graveyard" on its website.
27. Bose noise-canceling headphones
It took a Massachusetts company to make ignoring your neighbor on an airplane socially acceptable.
28. Self-stick stamps
Our tongues are rejoicing.
29. The Boeing 747
The most popular commercial aircraft in history.
30. Warren Buffett
Even after Sokolgate, he's still the Oracle, and friend to the likes of No. 23 -- and No. 33.
31. Summer Friday hours
"Out at 3 p.m." -- sometimes meaning "out after lunch."
32. Poland Spring
Better than Perrier.
33. LeBron James
Will America's biggest loser become a sympathetic figure? The story of next season ...
34. GPS
Invented by engineers at MIT. Which is where, exactly?
35. Daily deal websites
Discounted things to try, eat, and buy are just a click away.
36. Friday Night Lights
The book, the TV series, and the cult of Coach Taylor.
37. Budweiser beer
No, not Bud Light. Budweiser. Now Belgian-owned, but still all-American.
38. "American Pie" By Don McLean
"Drove my Chevy to the levee" -- the laziest rhyme ever that works.
39. Jay-Z
From rapper to Roc-A-Fella.
40. Louisville Slugger bats
Trusted by pros, softball leagues, and homeowners concerned about intruders.
41. Kevin Spacey voicing Honda commercials
And no one even knowing.
42. Zappos
All hail the king of free shipping ... both ways.
43. Oscar Mayer hot dogs
The Weiner that has managed to retain its dignity.
44. SEC football
'Bama, LSU, Auburn, and even Vandy -- the league to watch, every year.
45. TMZ
Everyone's first stop for gossip (but you don't read it ... right?).
46. Music festivals
From Bonnaroo to Coachella, you're never too old to go.
47. Glee
You should be watching, if just for Jane Lynch.
48. Hank Aaron
Before Hank Paulson, the original Hammerin' Hank -- a home-run king without an asterisk.
49. James Taylor
Even if you're not crazy about his voice, a great American songwriter.
50. Tom Brady
The model-marryin', best-lookin', best-tossin' quarterback in the country.
[The list: Intro | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 75-100 ]
[ Intro | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 75-100 ]
76. Diners
Stainless steel, swivel counter stools, and breakfast anytime.
77. Old Spice
Those quirky ads brought it back into the public eye, but the iconic red stick has been sweetening your scent since 1938.
78. Disneyland/Disney World
Parents and kids simply say they're "going to Disney."
79. Philly cheesesteaks
Pat's, Geno's -- or Jim's. Often imitated, never duplicated.
80. Xerox PARC
The Silicon Valley lab where Ethernet and laser printing MORE
[ Intro | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 75-100 ]
1. Opportunity
We live in the land of it. It's knocking. And all the other adages -- all true.
2. The Interstate Highway System.
Road trip! Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson, Chevy Chase -- and you.
3. The Sears Tower
Naming rights are well and good, but the Willis Tower is still Sears (SHLD) to us -- and still the nation's tallest building.
4. Wal-Mart employees in Joplin, MORE
Jul 1, 2011 5:00 AM ET
[ Intro | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 75-100 ]
51. NASCAR
Red states, blue states, and a season that lasts ten months a year. Truly America's sport.
52. The Great Gatsby
Did anyone not read this in high school? A remake of the movie is in the works starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway.
53. Gatorade
From the University of Florida to national hangover beverage -- okay, it's a sports MORE
Sometimes it's easy to overlook our country's glory. For the second year running, we present 100 outstanding things about the U.S.A.
By Andy Serwer, managing editor
FORTUNE -- Though our affection for America is a year-round phenomenon, summer seems to make the heart and mind grow even fonder. Holidays contribute to this: Memorial Day ushers in the season, followed soon after by our Uncle Sam's favorite, July Fourth. Getting out into the MORE
Jul 1, 2011 5:00 AM ET