Happy Birthday, America [50 Pics]

D.I.Y. 'Zines Before the Internet, this is how go-getters blogged. One World Trade Center A big "F*ck You" to the dicks that were responsible for 9/11. Ian MacKaye Indie punk icon, still sticking to his guns and has never wavered from his beliefs. David Lynch The most inventive director America's got. Subtle genius. Vans The only shoe that defines youth--straight outta Anaheim, 1966. Spans ever genre. Twinkies Born in 1930 by Chicago's James Dewar. A staple in every kid's diet at one time or another. Billy Murray There are no words to describe Bill's awesomeness. He could start a religion and we'd all join. The Beastie Boys & Run-DMC Together forever. Everyone Serving With Kids Back Home Unless you've done it, you'll never know how bad it sucks. Sarah Silverman Jerry Lewis is a dick for saying there aren't any funny chicks. Navy SEALs Responsible for killing Osama Bin Laden. Nice. Allison Stokke, Pole Vaulter Yes, still. The Microwave Oven Introduced to the public in 1947, snacking was never the same again. Michael Jordan The greatest athlete ever. Lebron James will never even get close. John Hughes The man who perfected the angsty teen movie genre. No adult got it like John. In-N-Out Burger Making other fast food taste like fast food since 1948. The Fender Thinline Guitar The Gibson Les Paul is fine, but Fender's tone is the aural equivalent of a cooing baby angel. Two-Buck Chuck Yeah, a bottle of Charles Shaw is about $3.50 now, but you won't find a tastier wine in California. The Guys Who Maintain New York's Skyscrapers What, you're gonna do it? Captain Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger Sky ninja. The Electromechanical Vibrator, 1902 Amirite, ladies? Madonna (1983 to 1992 Only) Understand how boring the Billboard charts were before her first LP. The Remote Control Zenith introduced the first remote in 1950, it was called "Lazy Bones." Nuff said. Andy Warhol Made you look at art in a completely different way. Dennis Hopper Specifically his photography of 1960s Americana. The modern Norman Rockwell. TiVo Introduced to the world in '99 by Jim Barton and Mike Ramsay. I bet they hated commercials as much as I did. Every Protestor In The 1969 Stonewall Riots Willing to get their faces bashed in for love. The Ford Mustang Fastback Greatest muscle car ever made. Bettie Page Single-handedly introduced America to light bondage. The Roller Derby Formed in Chicago around 1935. Just go to a match and you'll see what I mean. Levi's 501 Jeans Born in the 1890s in San Francisco. They've trancended everything since. Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut writes his greatest piece of work in 1969. Flawless. Charles Bronson Yeah, Clint Eastwood is a bad ass, but Bronson was just a gritty vigilante. Bill Clinton If America is a lady, Bill's two terms was its eight-year orgasm. The Zippo Lighter If you're gonna smoke to look cool, don't half-ass it with a Bic. You go Zippo. Clerks By Kevin Smith Love it or hate it (or him), but Smith turned the indie movie industry on its ass with this one. Prom Night When every girl is a princess and every guy hopes to get into that princess' chiffon gown. Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pizza might have been invented elsewhere, but Chicago perfected it in 1943. Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones You ever take a coast-to-coast flight without a pair? George Costanza Finally, a slacker that the rest of us slackers could look up to. Happy Hour You bet your sweet ass Happy Hour started in America. I'd be dead without this invention. The Beer Bong No backyard kegger is complete without one. Feels so good when it hits the lips. Iggy Pop The Godfather of Punk. Bare-bones rock, no filter. A dirty by-product of Detroit. Charles and Ray Eames Anything and everything this husband and wife design team did was f*cking perfection. That is all. Duct Tape Johnson & Johnson developed it in 1942 for use in World War II. And now, this... Kate Upton The anti-waif. Stan Lee Reimagined a world with technicolor superheroes. He's finally considered a god. The Ramones If America has a house band, it's The Ramones. Simple, hard, poppy, beautiful. Dave Grohl The most awesome person in rock and roll. The guy you wanna share a beer with. Submitted by: littlemissqt (1-25), eugenius (25-50)

It`s just 50 of the greatest American things that make the United States so bad ass, no big deal.