The M1911 pistol

Wherever wars were fought

The M1911A1 is an American Icon because it was approved after a competition as the U.S. military's handgun of choice in early 1911. A series of improvements were made in the 1920s, based on suggestions of men who used it in World War I, but the basic design remained unchanged. It remained the combat handgun until the 1980s, when it was replaced by the Beretta 9 mm. Some special ops units still use the M1911A1 however.

Daniel

James Mchener

This man wrote some of the most-read and most-pertinent fiction of the 20th Century. He inspired a generation of Americans, including me, to explore the world and see the wonders it has to offer. He instilled a sense of history into us, and made us think. His novels have a piece of reality to them that few have.

Nancy

John Steinbeck

This man wrote some of the most-read and most-pertinent fiction of the 20th Century. He was honored by a Nobel Prize, and inspired a generation of Americans, including me, to explore this country and see the wonders it has to offer. He instilled a sense of history and social injustice into us, and made us think.

Nancy

Orson Wells

Wisconsin

War of the Worlds on radio in 1938 was just what this country needed. Add to that Citizen Kane and you have a genius in the American sense--original and good, darn good!

Paul

Unisphere - New York's World's Fair

New York, NY (Flushing Meadows

Symbol of the last great world's fair in theUS (Knoxville and New Orleans were much smaller in scale.) The end of the age of innocence. A reminder that the US should be bidding for 2020's world's fair -- it has been a generation.

Michael

-John Wayne

The United States of America

John Wayne, in his numerous movie roles, epitomized the "American Spirit". Whether it was his role as an American cowboy, a member of the military, or an average citizen, people around the world understood, when he was seen, what was embodied in the word, "American". He stood tall, he spoke straight, and his honor was above reproach. No other American personage was so readily recognized around the world has he was. He is not just an American Icon; he will always remain an "American Treasure".

Sharon

Sesame Street

New York, NY

Sesame Street changed children's television and shaped how generations of kids saw the world and each other. Herb Scannell and Geri Laybourne (current and former Presidents of Nickelodeon) have both said there'd be no Nickelodeon without the pioneering work of Jim Henson and CTW. Seen in hundreds of countries, Sesame Street's messages of respect, unity, love, diversity and hilarious comedy that's always in tune with pop culture (see my clip!), it's gone beyond its borders and become a worldwide phenomenon.

Jennifer

Heinz Ketchup

Pittsburgh, PA

More than hot dogs, hamburgers or french fries alone, ketchup is the iconic American food. In particular Heinz. Some people love it to extremes and out it on everything. Some people (terrorists probably) refuse to eat it. But if it's a known iconic American food somebody probably slathers it with Heinz Ketchup.

Thomas

Post Office

San Pedro, CA (or Alameda Street, LA)

Although this is a low-brow novel full of truth and the ridiculous comedy of a work life; I think it is nothing short of heroic and absolutely American. A life long writer and worker at dumb jobs, Bukowski wrote Post Office at age 50 in 3 weeks after quiting his last dumb job at the post office. The novel established Charles Bukowski as a serious American and internationally loved author.

Rhett

Humphrey Bogart (or Casablanca)

Hollywood

In Casablanca, Bogart represents the heroic, selfless ideal, overcoming his cynicism and pain to finally join the cause. This appeal to a higher calling has inspired generations of college students and is in keeping with the American tradition going back to Huck and Jim or Natty Bumpo and Chingachcook. He's the lone hero who final gives in to his better side.

Gary

Peter, Paul, and Mary

Started via the NYC folk scene of early 1960's

Peter, Paul, and Mary demontrated to the world America's embracing heart and introspective conscience at its best. They represented a calm, salient spot beween the beat and psycodelic generations. They have had over fifty years in that world spotlight.

Tom

Fight Club

Paper Street

Yeah Fight Club. It's raw violent setting is a backdrop for a film about rebellion and identity. It's as if Marlon Brando in The Wild One (another good American Icon) was rewritten as an anthem for the disaffected in modern times.

It rebels against everything: social norms, the American Dream, even being part of a revolution; Tyler Durden, the film's lead even rebels against himself. It's really not about fighting. It's about living dangerously on the edge, and in essence living free. A great line that underplays much of the story is: It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.

And what could be more American than freedom.

David Fincher's adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel gives the film an even edgier quality than the novel. It's tightly written, brilliantly performed. It has some of the best visuals of any film, bar none. I still think it's Brad Pitt's and Edward Norton's best work. It's a cult hit phenom.

I originally saw the film when in debuted at a midnight show with 2 friends. After the movie, we talked about it the parking lot for 2 hours. It's that good.

Michael

Santa Claus

North Pole

There are couple iconic American versions of this character. There is the Coke ad, the Miracle on 34th St. figure and the claymation figure of the Rudolph television special. The most significant may be that of "A Visit from Saint Nicholas", the poem attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. Possibly the best known piece of poetry in America, this poem's elf is a melting pot of European traditions (Krampus, Belsnickle, St. Niicholas, Father Christmas). He's also strikingly optimistic and materialistic (compare with Hoffman's more moral, spiritual and surreal Nutcracker of the previous decade), he is, in a word, American.

Stefan Dreisbach-Williams

The Big Sleep -- novel (1939) & film (1946 version)

Los Angeles, CA

Chandler's novel -- in a popular and accessible genre -- exposes the endemic corruption and pessimism lurking beneath the shiny surfaces of American optimism. The 1946 film version maintains the same dark comic ambiance and transmutes the quest of the solo knight-detective into a dark romantic comedy -- personified by Bogart and Bacall. Following closely on the heels of the novel, the film proved that murder and comedy could inhabit the same plane, and, more importantly, that movies could be freed from plot -- as long as emotion and atmosphere are coherent.

Roger

The Spirit of St. Louis (Charles Lindbergh)

Washington, D.C. (Air & Space Museum)

I think the Spirit of St. Louis is a truly remarkable piece of aviation history and machinery. A one of kind, barely tested, single engine aircraft flies straight from the manufacturers plant in San Diego to New York (via St. Louis), and then a mere few weeks later, is flown for more than 33 straight hours across the Atlantic Ocean, non-stop, New York City to Paris by a lone 25 year old boy with no form of modern navigational or communication equipment guided by a simple compass, the stars and luck, in May of 1927.

Joseph Cator

Victor Mouse Trap

Lititz,PA

LOOK AT IT!
The logo- Beautiful, bold use of typographic negative space and strong color..
Engineering- Powerful and effective use of spring and leverage in an efficient economic use of natural materials
IT WORKS!

Leonard

Golden Gate Bridge

SF,CA

The bridge is a place of joy and sorrow
A place of new opportunities and sometimes a tragic end
It is symbolic of the yin and yang of the american dream

It is a beautiful poem of hope and a concrete symbol of modernity

kirk pappas

Mount Rushmore

Keystone, SD

What can be more American and iconic than the faces? I'm surprised nobody has suggested it yet.

Paul

Route 66

All across America

Route 66 is the quintessential icon that travels through the heartland of America. Chicago, St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Barstow, Los Angles. It was the route for refugees from the Dust Bowl and for Desi & Lucy when they traveled from New York to California on I Love Lucy. And, it had its own television show.

Patrick

Robert Heinlein

in books in every city

Science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein's works predicted many advances we use every day such as the cell phone, computer assisted drafting programs, waterbeds, and ATM's. His series of books for the juvenile market influenced the views of a generation of boys about society, technology.

Philip Shinn