1

Snickers

Image: Joshua Fernandez

We’ll start this article with an absolute classic. In the 1930s, Mars came up with a now-iconic candy bar packed with peanuts and covered in delicious chocolate. When it came the time to name it, inspiration came from an unlikely source: Snickers are named after the Mars family's favorite horse.

Snickers quickly became a global icon, becoming available in grocery stores and supermarkets worldwide. Nowadays, they come in a huge variety of flavors, including white and milk chocolate, as well as in different products like ice cream.

2

Hershey’s chocolate bar

Image: Janne Simoes

Known as "The Great American Chocolate Bar" , the Hershey’s bar is truly an American tradition. It was first sold in 1900, making it one of the oldest chocolate bars in the United States. However, they continue to be a delicious treat long past their one-hundredth anniversary.

This chocolate bar’s origin is rather interesting. In 1893, Milton Hershey visited the Chicago World’s Fair, where he was impressed with the chocolate manufacturing machinery displayed by the German delegation. The following year, he founded the Hershey Chocolate Company, which developed its own kind of chocolate products.

3

Twizzlers

Image: Filip Mroz

Let’s step away from the chocolatey goodness of our previous entries (don’t worry, there’s a lot more chocolate to go on), and focus on the delightful "Twist You Can't Resist". Twizzlers are one of the most unique candies out there: Their distinctive flavor and fun shape truly set them apart from other products in the market.

You might be surprised to learn that Twizzlers are made by one of the oldest confectioneries in the country: Young and Smylie, the company behind their creation, was founded as far back as 1845. Another fun fact is that, while only their black flavor contains ingredients from the licorice plants, Twizzlers as a whole are considered licorice-type candy.

4

M&Ms

Image: Christopher Ott

Many surveys state that M&Ms are the most popular candy in America. And, to be honest, anyone who has tried these brightly colored pieces of chocolate confectionary probably agrees. With their classic slogan "the milk chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hand", M&Ms have been a beloved part of American life since 1941.

Just as cherished as M&Ms themselves are their iconic mascots, which are anthropomorphized pieces of candy. These colorful "spokescandies" have been the company’s representatives since the ‘90s, and have grown to be considered icons of American pop culture.

5

Jelly Belly

Image: Patrick Fore

Choosing a single brand of jelly beans to include in this article was no easy task, but we ultimately decided to give Jelly Belly this spot. After all, they were famously the most beloved snack of Ronald Reagan, and share a long and fun history with our 40th President.

This love story began in the 1960s when Reagan decided to quit smoking and turned to jelly beans as a replacement. By the time he reached the White House, Jelly Belly had become the de-facto presidential snack: A jar filled with jelly beans was regularly seen on the president’s desk.

6

Baby Ruth

Image: Ric Matkowski

No one can deny that Baby Ruth is a popular product: This delicious nougat-filled candy bar has been around since 1920. However, did you know that they were originally called "Kandy Kakes"? Not only that, there’s a small controversy related to the current name we know and love.

According to the Curtiss Candy Company, the name "Baby Ruth" was inspired by Ruth Cleveland , daughter of President Grover Cleveland. However, it doesn’t take a keen observer to realize that this is particularly similar to the name of baseball legend Babe Ruth, whose fame was skyrocketing in the 1920s. "The Sultan of Swat" even sued the candy company for using his name, but ultimately lost the case.

7

Candy corn

Image: Debby Hudson

This is perhaps the most polarizing piece of candy on this list. With its distinctive shape and bright colors, Candy Corn is either beloved or hated. In any case, it is one of the most popular candies during Halloween, becoming synonymous with this festivity.

Candy Corn is also one of the oldest candies in America, having been produced since the 1880s by the Wunderle Candy Company. It was originally known as " Chicken Feed " because of its resemblance to corn kernels used to feed poultry.

8

Sour Patch Kids

Image: Vinicius Amano

We’ve been mostly focusing on sweet products so far, so let’s take a small jump in the opposite direction. Sour Patch Kids, known for their slogan "Sour Then Sweet" , are famous for their initial tart and sharp taste that gradually gives way to a sweeter flavor. The contrast of both sensations is what makes this soft candy so iconic, which has been standing strong for almost 40 years.

Created in the 1970s, Sour Patch Kids were originally named "Mars Men". However, by 1985 the product was rebranded to the name we now know, possibly to capitalize on the popularity of the Cabbage Patch Kids, an extremely popular toy at the time.

9

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Image: Heather Barnes

We would like to take a moment to honor the innovator who realized that peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven : Whoever you are, good sir or madam, we salute you. And while we can’t celebrate this anonymous hero, we can thank the man who brought us the quintessential pairing of these ingredients: H. B. Reese, creator of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

In 1928, the H.B. Reese Candy Company started selling their peanut butter cups, at the time known as " Penny Cups " since they were sold for one cent. Reese, who formerly worked at a Hershey dairy farm, used Hershey chocolate in all his products. By the 1960s, the company merged with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation, which continues to produce these delicious cups.

10

Milk duds

Image: Moritz Kindler

Milk Duds are truly living proof that mistakes can lead to wonderful opportunities. These delicious pieces of chocolate candy are known for their irregular shape , which is a direct result of a lucky accident.

In 1928, Hoffman and Company of Chicago attempted to create a perfectly spherical chocolate-covered candy but failed in every attempt to achieve this shape. These failed attempts were called "duds", which is a term used to describe a device or equipment that failed to work as intended. Over time, these duds inspired the name of this product and eventually evolved to become our beloved Milk Duds.

1

Logging workers

Loggers cut down trees for lumber, paper, and everything in between, often deep in remote forests using chainsaws and heavy equipment. It takes real physical stamina, sharp judgment, and constant awareness of your surroundings . A tree can fall the wrong way, equipment can jam, or a loose branch can drop from above.

Picture a veteran logger yelling "timber!" only for the wind to shift at the last second. Makes your worst office mishap look pretty tame by comparison.

2

Fishing and hunting workers

Commercial fishing and hunting crews work far from shore, sometimes for weeks, hauling in their catch through brutal weather. It takes endurance, boat-handling skills, and a tolerance for isolation most of us can't imagine. Storms, rogue waves, and equipment failures can turn routine into catastrophe fast .

Next time you order fish at a restaurant, spare a thought for the crew who braved the open ocean for it.

3

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

These pilots fly small planes and helicopters for cargo runs, aerial surveys, medevac flights, or crop-dusting: jobs far removed from a typical airline cockpit . It demands precision flying, split-second decisions, and calm under pressure . Mechanical failure, sudden weather, or a rough landing strip can spell disaster.

4

Roofers

Roofers install and repair the roofs over our heads, balancing on slanted, sometimes slick surfaces in blazing heat or biting cold. The job demands balance, full-body strength, and total focus: one careless step is all it takes . Falls remain the biggest danger, especially without a proper harness.

Picture a roofer shingling a two-story house on a windy afternoon, steadying himself as a gust hits. Next time you gripe about cleaning gutters, remember someone does this all day, 30 feet up.

5

Refuse and recyclable material collectors

Garbage and recycling collectors keep neighborhoods running, riding trucks and lifting bins before most of us are even awake. It takes strength, stamina, and constant vigilance around fast-moving traffic and heavy machinery . Accidents often happen when a distracted driver doesn't see them, or a limb gets caught in equipment.

It's a job we rarely think about… until the week the bins don't get emptied.

6

Structural iron and steel workers

Ironworkers assemble the steel skeletons of skyscrapers and bridges, walking beams hundreds of feet up with only a harness for company. The job demands "nerves of steel" plus balance and precise coordination. A missed clip, a gust of wind, or a dropped tool can be fatal .

7

Truck drivers

Truck drivers haul goods across the country, spending long hours behind the wheel through every kind of weather and traffic. The job demands discipline, endurance, and staying sharp on empty highways at 2 a.m. Fatigue, distracted drivers, and rough road conditions cause countless accidents .

Imagine a trucker fighting drowsiness on a dark interstate, energy drink in hand, still hours from the next rest stop. It's worth remembering: nearly everything in your house got there because someone pushed through exhaustion to deliver it.

8

Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers

Farmers and ranchers manage crops, livestock, and heavy machinery, often working alone across vast land from dawn to dusk. The work demands mechanical know-how, physical toughness, and quick thinking around unpredictable animals and equipmen t. Not to mention, tractor rollovers and machinery entanglements are constant threats.

9

Power line workers

Power line workers climb utility poles and towers to install and repair electrical lines, often in storms when outages need fixing fastest. The job requires technical training, physical fitness, and total respect for high-voltage electricity . One wrong move near a live wire can be lethal, and falls add another layer of danger.

Imagine a lineman restoring power mid-hurricane, rain pouring, wires sparking nearby. Next time your power comes back after an outage, remember someone braved the storm to make that happen.

10

First-line supervisors of construction workers

These supervisors oversee construction crews, coordinating schedules, safety protocols, and hands-on work across the whole site. The role demands leadership, sharp attention to detail, and a willingness to step into the same hazards as their crew. Falling debris, heavy equipment, and structural collapses put them at risk daily .

1

Kathleen Kennedy

Image: Thea Hdc

Kathleen Kennedy has been a part of many of the greatest movies of the last 35 years. She’s been involved with almost every Steven Spielberg movie since Raiders of the Lost Ark, but also Back to the Future, The Goonies, The Sixth Sense, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , to name a few. Also, she is the president of Lucasfilm following its sale to Disney.

2

Reed Hastings

Image: Jakob Owens

Netflix’s co-founder Reed Hastings is a big name in the entertainment business, helping distribute some of the world’s most-viewed television shows over the last years.

With a background in technology and software, Hastings capitalized on the changing media consumption behaviors and created something that took the media business by storm.

3

Bob Iger

Image: Clyde He

Quite probably the most influential person in Hollywood, Bob Iger presides over the industry’s largest and most influential entertainment business, the Disney brand. Add 21st Century Fox, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar , and a few other things, and you have a modern-day media empire.

4

Kevin Feige

Image: Brands&People

Arguably the most successful film producer of all time, Kevin Feige has championed the superhero cinematic universe that has swept over Hollywood in the last decades, whether you like it or not.

5

Dana Walden

Image: J. Schiemann

Dana Walden was a key figure in Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox TV , which she built into a powerhouse over two decades. She is also in charge of ABC Studios, ABC Entertainment, Freeform, and Hulu .

6

Oprah Winfrey

Image: Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov

A true household name, Oprah Winfrey is one of America’s most trusted stars . She also writes bestsellers, has her own cable network (OWN), and is involved in infinite ventures in the entertainment landscape.

7

J.J. Abrams

Image: Billy Freeman

The name behind some of the biggest blockbusters of the last 30 years, J.J. Abrams, is one of the most sought-after directors and producers in all of Hollywood. He is responsible for movies like Armageddon, several Mission: Impossible installments, and a couple of Star Wars films , to name a few.

8

Shonda Rhimes

Image: Jakob Owens

As the creator and showrunner of Grey’s Anatomy, Bridgerton, Scandal, Private Practice, How to Get Away with Murder , and many other series, Shonda Rhimes has been a strong presence in Hollywood since the early 2000s and has been featured multiple times in the Times 100 Most Influential People on the World list.

9

Steven Spielberg

Image: Mirko Fabian

Probably the person most of us would expect to be on this list, Steven Spielberg has shaped America and the world’s pop culture with some of the most successful and influential films ever made . His presence has been a force to be reckoned with and a strong influence in Hollywood since the mid-1970s.

10

James Cameron

Image: Kyle Loftus

The man behind blockbusters like Titanic, Terminator, and Avatar , among many others, has kept himself busy diving to the deepest point in the ocean, creating documentaries, series, producing, directing, writing, and more for a few decades now and his work is embedded in pop culture, in a similar way to Spielberg and our next entry.

11

Stephen King

Image: Vitalii Onyshchuk

The man responsible for some of the biggest film classics, not just in the horror genre but in many others as well, didn’t even intend to go into the movie business in the first place.

As one of America’s more successful contemporary writers, Stephen King has created stories that started as bestsellers and eventually found their way into Hollywood. From Carrie, Cujo, Pet Sematary, The Shining, to Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Stand By Me , and countless others, his stories are the basis for some of the biggest blockbusters that Hollywood has ever seen.