1

Nuestra Señora de Atocha (Our Lady of Atocha)

Image: NOAA

A ship that sank off the coast of the Florida Keys in 1622, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha is, to this day, the most valuable shipwreck ever recovered. Originally bound from Havana, Cuba to Spain, the Atocha was loaded with a large treasure, ranging from copper and gems to gold and indigo from the Spanish colonies.

But, shortly after launching from port, a major hurricane caught the ship and destroyed the Atocha , which sank 56 feet beneath the surface. In 1985, treasure hunters rediscovered the wreck off the coast of the Florida Keys. Currently holding a Guinness World Record for its recovered value, the Atocha is a continual treasure trove for divers and fortune hunters alike.

2

SS Republic

Image: Vlad Tchompalov

A ship that served both the US and Confederate governments, the SS Republic sank in 1865 during a hurricane off the coast of Georgia. After the Civil War, the Republic carried passengers and cargo from New York to New Orleans. On October 20, 1865, a hurricane off the coast of Georgia damaged the ship, which sank around four in the afternoon.

As a result of the sinking, the cargo was lost with the ship until 2003, when a commercial archaeology company rediscovered the wreck approximately 100 miles from Savannah, Georgia. About a third of the coins that were on board the ship have been recovered, and are now valued at over USD 75 million.

3

The Whydah Gally

Image: NOAA

The Whydah Gally was intended for service in the British Empire before it was captured by the infamous pirate Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy. As Bellamy and his crew approached the Massachusetts coast the weather turned, creating a violent nor’easter cyclone. The ship capsized and its cargo, 144-man crew, and captain were consequently thrust into the sea.

In 1984, underwater archaeologist Barry Clifford discovered the Whydah Gally. Since its rediscovery, many artifacts have been retrieved from the ship, including the ship’s bell , inscribed with the words: "THE WHYDAH GALLY 1716." This helped authenticate the Whydah as the first pirate shipwreck to ever be found and confirmed.

4

SS Central America

Image: Giuseppe Murabito

The SS Central America was an American sidewheel steamer that operated between the East Coast and Central America. In September 1857, carrying 477 passengers, 101 crewmembers, 38,000 pieces of mail, and 30,000 pounds of gold harvested during the California Gold Rush to New York City, the Central America was engulfed by a Category 2 hurricane.

At the time of the boat’s sinking, over 400 people were still on board, making it the most deadly of any American commercial boat disaster. The gold on board was also lost. In 1988, explorer Tommy Gregory Thompson found the ship, and up to three tons of gold were excavated, leading to long legal battles that have continued to the present day.

5

SS Georgiana

Image: Jason Mavrommatis

The SS Georgiana was a Confederate steamer. Built in Scotland, the ship sailed its maiden voyage in 1863 to Charleston, South Carolina, where it was expected to be outfitted by Confederate soldiers. However, the Georgiana was not armed with any guns on its first journey and approached its destination on March 19, 1863, with minimal defense.

A member of a Union blockade alerted the nearby battleship USS Wissahickon , which shot and pierced both sides of the ship’s hull. Captain Davidson, signaled a surrender to the Union blockade before beaching the boat. Before the beached ship could be boarded Davidson purposefully sank the boat, before escaping to land with his entire crew. Found on March 19, 1965, the Georgiana was lost for exactly 102 years before its discovery.

6

Edmund Fitzgerald

Image: Nott Peera

Arguably one of the most famous shipwrecks in American history , the Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship on the Great Lakes until 1971. The freighter was fatally wrecked on Lake Superior during the winter of 1975, with all her crew losing their lives.

The exact cause of the sinking, with no outward signs of severe damage, is still heavily debated. The prominent theories include the vessel running aground or suffering damage during the storm. A U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft discovered the wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald in November 1975, 15 miles west of Deadman’s Cove, Ontario.

7

Carl D. Bradley

Image: Sandra Seitamaa

The SS Carl D. Bradley , a Great Lakes freighter built in 1927, was popularly known as the "Queen of the Lakes" because it was the longest and largest freighter on the Great Lakes at the time. In 1957, it collided with another vessel , the MV White Rose , causing damage to the hull.

It was caught in a storm in November of the same year and sank in Lake Michigan, killing 33 of the 35 crew members. The sinking was caused by structural damage caused by the poor choice of steel used in its construction. The wreck, lying 360 feet under the water, was discovered in 1959 by the Army Corps of Engineers.

8

Lady Elgin

Image: ALDO DE PASCALE

The Lady Elgin was a wooden-hulled steamship built in 1851 that served on the Great Lakes as a passenger ship. On September 6, 1860, while returning from Chicago, the vessel sank in an unfortunate accident.

While facing a strong gale, it was rammed by the schooner Augusta of Oswego and, due to the damages caused by the collision, the vessel sank sometime later, resulting in the death of more than 300 people. Though the exact number remains unknown since the manifest was lost during the accident, it remains one of the worst shipwrecks in the region.

9

SS Eastland

Image: Anton Repponen

The SS Eastland was a Chicago-based passenger ship , used for tours. On 24 July 1915, the ship rolled over onto its side while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. In total, 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was the largest loss of life from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.

After the disaster, the Eastland was salvaged and sold to the United States Navy which, after restorations and modifications, designated it a gunboat and renamed it USS Wilmette . It was used primarily as a training vessel on the Great Lakes and was scrapped after World War II.

10

Wyoming

Image: rashid

The largest wooden ship ever built , the Wyoming was a six-masted schooner built, completed in 1909 in Bath, Maine. It had a length of 450 ft from jib-boom tip to spanker boom tip.

Because of its extreme length and wood construction, the Wyoming tended to flex in heavy seas, which would cause the long planks to twist and buckle, allowing sea water to intrude into the vessel. For this reason, the Wyoming had to use pumps to keep itself relatively free of water. In March 1924, it foundered in heavy seas and sank with the loss of all hands.

1

Alaska – Into the Wild

Image: Joris Beugels

Surely a top choice! Into the Wild recounts the real and tragic story of Christopher McCandless, who ventured to the north Alaskan wilderness seeking freedom and self-discovery.

As thought-provoking as heart-breaking, this non-fiction by Jon Krakauer takes readers on a journey with vivid descriptions of Denali and the Stampede Trail.

2

Colorado – The Shining

Image: Luke Scarpino

Maybe not the most flattering, but consensus says that the most famous novel set in Colorado is Stephen King’s iconic The Shining .

After all, the story about troubled Jack Torrance and his family unravels inside the fictional Overlook Hotel, imagined as a high-altitude, secluded retreat in Colorado. King was inspired to write it after his stay at Stanley Hotel, in the same state.

3

Kansas – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Image: V

Is it fair? Most of the action in Frank L. Baum’s novel occurs in Oz, not Kansas. But the one famous line, made unforgettable by the movie, was enough to link The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to the state forever.

"Toto, I have a feeling we are not in Kansas anymore " and later on "There’s no place like home" have made people resolve that Kansas is underlying in the plot of the famous fantasy.

4

Louisiana – Interview with the Vampire

Image: Katelyn Greer

The luxurious vampires created by Anne Rice for Interview with the Vampire would not be the same if not draped in Louisiana’s gothic mystique. That’s why people defend this as the Pelican State’s most famous book.

From shadowy bayous to grand Creole mansions, the stories of Louis and Lestat redefined vampire lore and turned them into rock stars of literature.

5

Missouri - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Image: Lawrence Chismorie

Mischievous Tom Sawyer might be the quintessential American boy, and he certainly was from the Show-Me State.

Mark Twain's classic tale, set in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, follows Tom and his pals, Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher. Who could forget the iconic fence-painting scene or the thrilling cave exploration?

6

Georgia - Gone with the Wind

Image: Ника Алексеева

Frankly, we do give a damn about this sweeping epic set in Georgia during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gone with the Wind , tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong Southern belle.

From the grand plantation of Tara to the bustling streets of Atlanta, the novel paints a vivid portrait of a bygone and controversial era.

7

Vermont - Pollyanna

Image: Tuyen Vo

Sweet Pollyanna was voted the most famous novel set in Vermont, known for its picturesque landscapes and charming towns.

Eleanor H. Porter's children’s classic tells the story of an optimistic girl who invents a "glad game", which teaches herself and her neighbors to find joy in every situation.

8

Washington - Twilight

Image: Alex Moliski

The craze set on by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga was hard to miss. But few people remember that this vampire romance was distinctly set in Forks, Washington.

Unraveling in a misty, rainy city lined by looming forests, the series of novels lodged itself in the memory of millions of fans as an emblem of this northern state.

9

Texas - No Country for Old Men

Image: Damien Snyers

Another Pulitzer Prize-winner: No Country for Old Men is set in the desolate landscape of West Texas. This work by Cormac McCarthy was the first that many mentioned when asked about the state.

It follows a Vietnam veteran turned hunter, who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong. The film adaptation, directed by the Coen brothers, was also critically acclaimed, earning four Academy Awards and more fame to the title.

10

Oregon - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Image: Aleksandar Pasaric

Author Ken Kesey used to work the graveyard shift at a mental facility in California. But this did not stop him from setting One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in Oregon, where he grew up.

This powerful novel, a satire of the mental healthcare system, also became a multi-awarded film starring Jack Nicholson.

11

Alabama – To Kill a Mockingbird

Image: Brian Forsyth

Who could forget the story of Atticus Finch, the moral compass of Maycomb, Alabama? Harper Lee’s classic told from the perspective of young Scout Finch is a moving tale of justice and humanity.

Although Maycomb is fictional, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has enough renown to turn it into the most famous set in Alabama, even internationally.

12

New York - The Great Gatsby

Image: Billy Huynh

Surely New York state had many strong contenders —from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to The Catcher in the Rye . But the winner was F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby .

This iconic novel captures the glamour and excess of the Roaring Twenties, as well as a version of the American Dream gone awry. It’s not only New York’s most famous fiction , some have gone so far as to call it the quintessential American novel!

1

Punxsutawney Phil

Image: Steve Wrzeszczynski

Every February 2nd, the eyes of the nation turn to a small town in western Pennsylvania. That’s where Punxsutawney Phil, a weather-predicting groundhog , is roused from his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob to look for his shadow.

According to tradition, if he sees it, we get six more weeks of winter; if not, spring is just around the corner. The quirky ritual began in 1887 and has since grown into a full-blown celebration.

2

Balto

Image: Meg von Haartman

In the winter of 1925, a deadly diphtheria outbreak threatened the remote town of Nome, Alaska. It was the sturdy Siberian Husky Balto who helped deliver the lifesaving antitoxin across snow and blizzard conditions to Nome.

Although dozens of dogs and mushers contributed to what became known as the Great Race of Mercy , Balto was hailed as a national hero. He even received his own statue in New York’s Central Park just a year later—a monument that still stands today, inscribed with the words: "Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence."

3

Seaman (a.k.a. "Scannon")

Image: The New York Public Library

In 1803, explorer Meriwether Lewis purchased a Newfoundland dog for $20 and named him Seaman. The dog became a four-legged member of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition .

He accompanied the Corps of Discovery as they crossed the North American continent, helping with hunting, standing guard, and even surviving a wound from a beaver attack.

The funny bit is that for a long time it was believed that William Clark’s journals referred to the dog as "Scannon," but it might have been a dizzy transcription of his handwriting.

4

Smoky the War Dog

Image: Simona Jašauskytė

Found in a foxhole in New Guinea during World War II, Smoky was a Yorkshire Terrier weighing just four pounds—but her size turned out to be her superpower .

She was trained by her rescuer, Corporal William Wynne, and famously ran communication wires through a narrow pipe beneath an airstrip in Luzon, Philippines.

After the war, Smoky became one of the first recorded therapy dogs, visiting wounded soldiers and performing tricks to lift their spirits. Today, she is honored with memorials in both the U.S. and Australia.

5

Sergeant Reckless

Image: Irina Nakonechnaya

During the Korean War, a small Mongolian mare purchased by U.S. Marines for $250 and nicknamed Reckless made multiple trips through enemy fire to deliver ammunition and evacuate wounded soldiers, sometimes entirely on her own.

For her bravery, she was promoted to Staff Sergeant , awarded two Purple Hearts, and allowed to eat scrambled eggs, Coca-Cola, and beer with the troops. Today, statues in Virginia and California honor her legacy.

6

Cher Ami

Image: William Chen

In the chaos of World War I, a pigeon named Cher Ami saved nearly 200 men from the "Lost Battalion" by flying a crucial message across enemy lines —despite being shot, blinded in one eye, and wounded in her leg during the flight.

Her message arrived, artillery fire was redirected, and the soldiers were rescued. For her bravery, Cher Ami was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and was later taxidermied after her death. You can still visit her at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

7

Old Bob

Image: Philippe Oursel

Abraham Lincoln’s beloved driving horse , Old Bob, was a familiar sight in Springfield, Illinois, often seen trotting through town pulling the future president’s buggy.

But his most memorable appearance came in 1865, when he walked riderless and draped in a mourning blanket during Lincoln’s funeral procession. The image of the grieving horse moved the nation and was widely reproduced in illustrations and prints.

8

Pauline Wayne

Image: Susan van Bragt

Pauline Wayne, a Holstein cow, was the last cow to reside at the White House. Gifted to President William Howard Taft by a Wisconsin senator, Pauline grazed on the White House lawn and provided fresh milk for the First Family.

She even survived a brief brush with danger when she was mistakenly sent to a slaughterhouse during a train trip—but was rescued just in time.

9

Macaroni

Image: Sergej Karpow

When Lyndon B. Johnson gifted a pony to young Caroline Kennedy in the early 1960s, he probably didn’t expect Macaroni to become a national sensation—but that’s exactly what happened.

The little white Shetland pony often grazed on the White House lawn, delighting photographers and stealing the spotlight during Camelot-era press coverage. Macaroni received fan mail, appeared in Life magazine, and even inspired a song by folk legend Pete Seeger.

10

Old Abe

Image: Arnaud Padallé

Old Abe was a bald eagle who became the mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Perched on a shield-topped staff, he accompanied troops into battle, reportedly screaming whenever gunfire broke out.

He survived multiple campaigns and quickly gained legendary status, later appearing on military insignia and even on U.S. war bond posters in both World Wars.

11

Fala

Image: D_Theodora

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier, Fala, traveled with him on countless trips, had a press secretary, and even appeared in cartoons and newsreels.

One of the most famous White House pets in history , Fala was awarded a unique honor: he is the only presidential pet with a statue near his owner’s memorial in Washington, D.C.

12

Checkers

Image: SlimMars 13

In 1952, then–vice presidential candidate Richard Nixon gave a nationally broadcast speech defending himself against accusations of financial impropriety. His emotional turning point was declaring that he would keep one gift no matter what: a black-and-white cocker spaniel named Checkers, beloved by his daughters.

Some believe the heartfelt mention of the pet was inspired by the earlier success of Fala. The speech struck such a chord that it is still known today as "the Checkers speech."