That's okay. On the 10th anniversary of our first-ever list of "100 great things about America," the editorial staff at Fortune is once again here to help you remember the people, places, things, and ideas that make the United States worth celebrating (even if a few more of us could stand to wear face masks). As with our prior lists, there are only a few rules. The first: We claim no ranking or exclusivity to this list, so spare us the kvetching when you weigh in at feedback@fortune.com. The second: Deceased folks are disbarred—simple as that. Finally, we suspended our usual "no repeats" rule since our annual observation of this Fortune tradition has been a bit spotty. (One too many cold ones, we're afraid.) Who and what made this year's list? Read on to find out. 1.) Basketball Invented out of thin air (by a Canadian!) in America, now the most popular sport in China. 2.) Coffee to go Whether you prefer yours Frappuccino-style (a.k.a. “a sheet cake in a cup”), or as a flat white over ice, America has all the options covered. And no matter your rush, you can always get it to go and take it with you--which is, after all, when you need coffee the most. 3.) Athleisure Because Americans invented—and reinvented—casual dressing. 4.) SpaceX Founder and CEO Elon Musk may have grown up in South Africa, but his Los Angeles–area space company has American astronauts blasting off for space exploration from American soil again. 5.) Drive-in movie theaters Who knew we'd need them more than ever in 2020? For movies, graduations, and now even live concerts, drive-ins are the (socially distanced) way to go. 6.) Rap music Built in America, it quickly took over the world. Rap is popular music. 7.) Baseball caps Baseball is fine. Baseball hats? Amazing. 8.) BBQ Carolina vinegar or Memphis-style sweet sauce. Pulled pork or beef brisket. Dallas or Kansas City. We love to argue about it. We love to eat it. And it’s all-American. 9.) Beyoncé The most powerful force in music today. 10.) Domestic beer Get out of here with your imports. Whether you prefer a taste of the Rockies or something more hop-ular, only American brew will do. 11.) Big-box stores Not all good to be sure, but great for stocking up during, say, a pandemic. 12.) Blueberries Low in calories and high in antioxidants, these super-healthy berries are native to North America. The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of them. And they’re delicious in muffins and smoothies. Pretty great. 13.) Free ice water (at restaurants) In the U.S., restaurants almost uniformly give you endless cold water in large glasses. That's the dream. 14.) Prestige TV Cinema may have originated in Europe, but it took American cinematic genius to create The Wire, Mad Men, The Sopranos, and the other series that have arguably topped film when it comes to storytelling power. 15.) The dollar The world's reserve currency has given Americans access to immense cheap capital and helped finance our sometimes profligate public spending. But thanks to decades of steady hands on the tiller, the dollar has also given the world a stable, trusted medium of exchange, smoothing the rails for globalization and making everyone richer—including millions of regular people worldwide for whom cash dollars are a valued shelter from unstable local currencies. 16.) The iPhone Apple's ubiquitous device that kicked off the smartphone revolution may be manufactured abroad but it was, and still is, "Designed in California." 17.) Santa Claus Sure, Kris Kringle has roots in most of Western Christendom, but the modern incarnation of Saint Nick comes from the 19th-century New York scholar Clement Clarke Moore. 18.) Sandwiches Muffulettas. Hot browns. Cheesesteaks. Reubens. Patty melts. Turkey clubs. Travel around the world—or not; thanks, coronavirus—and it's clear that the U.S. of A. has a clear edge when it comes to the alchemy Hbetween two pieces of bread. Brits invented sandwiches; Americans perfected them. 19.) Immigrants From the kitchens of New York City’s best restaurants to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, you don’t have to look far to see the immeasurable contributions that immigrants make to life in the United States. 20.) The Census Everyone in the U.S. has a chance to get counted, and therefore determine congressional representation and federal funding. And it’s happening now. 21.) The blues |