America's 250th
The USPS issued a special set of 8 stamps earlier this month for the 100th anniversary of this iconic American roadway that was featured in Pixar's Cars.
Route 66
"-gate" entered the scandal lexicon 50 years ago in the aftermath of this presidency-ending scandal
Watergate
The oldest annual marathon is held in this city home to Dunkin' and famous for its 1919 molasses flood
Boston
July 2023: At Sioux City, IA's free annual Saturday in the Park festival, I saw this legendary funk/R&B/soul band give an electric performance of songs from their deep discography, including "Fantasy", "Let's Groove", and their signature song named after a month of the year.
Earth, Wind, & Fire
Lincoln Riley is currently the head football coach at this Big Ten school
USC
The US was a trailblazer in conservation with the 1872 establishment of Yellowstone, the oldest national park in the world.
This state is home to a leading 9 national parks, including 3rd oldest Natl. Park Yosemite.
California
From 2007-2015 the NFL dealt with multiple scandals involving cheating allegations, including one with the New Orleans Saints and 2 with the New England Patriots. Name 2 of these 3 scandals.
Bountygate, Spygate, Deflategate
In the late 2000's and early 2010's growing up, my dad and I enjoyed watching this elite running back known for his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson
July 2022: This rapper known for his "1738" callsign and "royal" trap hit gave a disappointing performance and left the stage after 20 min. Thankfully this was at a free music festival…
Fetty Wap
The 2012 historical drama Lincoln was directed and produced by this filmmaker known for classics like E.T., Jaws, and Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg
This army general and future president became a national hero after the Battle of New Orleans, the last major engagement of the War of 1812
Andrew Jackson
Timothée Chalamet recently faced backlash for his comments in an interview that these two art forms are dying and that "nobody cares about them anymore"
ballet, opera
Introduced in the 1920s, these appliances are household necessities and the topic of an early prank call joke
Refrigerator
August 2022: This southern rock trio known for their massive beards performed in Lincoln, NE. My brother and I got moved to a front-row section since there were still lots of empty seats. To the Pine Bowl employees: "I Thank You"
ZZ Top
Located in Lincoln, the Nebraska State Legislature's governing structure is unique among all 50 states in this way
Unicameral
Under laws by this name, American settlers traveled west to acquire public land and start their own farms, mostly in the late 1800's to early 1900's
Homestead Acts
In 2015 this automaker became embroiled in scandal after it was revealed that certain engine models had been programmed to activate their emissions controls only during EPA lab testing.
Volkswagen ("Dieselgate")
Steven King's The Running Man, a dystopian thriller about a televised manhunt, has been adapted into film twice: first in 1987 starring this legendary action star and again in 2025 starring this actor known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick. [Needs both actors]
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Glen Powell
March 2022: My friend and I saw this band at the CHI Center in Omaha. Started in 1990, this alternative/progressive metal band with a one-word name performed old and new songs, including "The Pot" and "Pneuma" (they didn't play "Schism" unfortunately). Their songs frequently use odd time signatures and technical drumming.
Tool
For decades until it was discontinued in 2020, Lincoln Motor Company's flagship model was this luxury car with a name reminiscent of a large landmass
Continental
Launched almost 50 years ago, NASA still maintains contact with these space probes that carry gold-plated records, but be patient--the radio signal takes about 24 hours to reach Earth.
Voyager (1 and 2)
This author wrote a classic American novel in which a Puritan woman who has a daughter out of wedlock is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A'
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Last weekend on Saturday Night Live, 83-year-old Paul McCartney performed this famous Wings song that contains three distinct musical sections and was the title track to their 1973 album
Band on the Run
October 2023: In Des Moines, IA I saw an incredible performance from Brian Setzer, who was the guitarist for this '80s band that briefly returned rockabilly to the mainstream with their signature song "Rock This Town". My seat was right next to three Japanese men with full rockabilly fits--leather jackets, big pompadours, and '50s aura.
The Stray Cats
We've all played with Lincoln Logs before, but I bet you didn't know that they were invented by the second son of this iconic American architect, known for pioneering the Prairie School movement and his philosophy of organic architecture.
Frank Lloyd Wright