taxes are special fees charged by a government on the people who live in a country state or city these fees help pay for public services like police road and bridge repair and public schools in the united states people have to pay national state and local taxes income tax is a tax applied to how much money a person earns in a year there are both federal and state income taxes these have to be paid every year by april 15th there are special forms the internal revenue service irs the government agency in charge of collecting taxes ask people to fill out there are tax credits that people with low income college students and parents can get
these credits could mean actually getting money back from the government this money is called a tax refund people can get both a federal and state tax refund anyone who works has to be taxed regardless of the immigration status not paying income taxes could mean a fine or even jail time payroll taxes are taxes that are taken right out of a person's paycheck there are federal and state payroll taxes these include social security and medicare taxes social security taxes pay for the retirement and disability benefits received by millions of americans each year medicare taxes pay for the federal health insurance program that covers the elderly and the disabled people who own houses pay property taxes the amount paid depends on how much the property is worth
this tax is usually paid once a year the sales tax is a tax almost everyone pays sales tax is a specific extra percentage charge on nearly all purchases everything from soap to furniture has a sales tax attached when bought the amount of the sales tax is different across states and cities health insurance is one way to pay for health care health care includes visits to the doctor prescription medication and emergency services people can pay for medicine and her visits directly in cash or they can use health insurance health insurance usually means you pay less for these services there are different types of health insurance and some jobs companies offer health insurance plans as part of a benefits package
individuals can also buy health insurance the elderly and disabled can get government-run health insurance through programs like medicaid and medicare there are many different health insurance companies or plans each health plan has a set of doctors. they work with once a person picks a plan they pay a premium. which is a fixed amount of money every month? once in a plan a person picks a doctor they want to see from that plan that doctor is the person's primary care provider obamacare or the affordable care act is a recently passed law that makes it easier for people to get health insurance the law requires all americans have health insurance by 2014
those that do not get health insurance by the end of the year will have to pay fine in the form of extra tax when they file for their income taxes through obamacare people can still get insurance through their jobs privately or through medicaid and medicare they can also buy health insurance through state marketplaces. where people can get help choosing your plan based on their income and health care needs these marketplaces also create an easier way to compare what different plans offer if people cannot afford to pay health insurance they may qualify for government programs that offer free health insurance like medicaid medicare or phalloidin a special program called the children's health insurance program chip immigration in the united states is a complicated and controversial issue
since the founding of the country people have come from different countries in search of a better life and opportunities immigration laws. however are always changing and are complicated this leads to many people coming into the u.s.. without proper legal status while some people call immigrants who come and stay in the us without proper papers illegals many consider this term offensive the more acceptable term is undocumented since they do not have the correct legal documents it is estimated that there are more than 11 million undocumented people in the united states while some people will say there is no reason for immigrants to be undocumented in the u.s. there are limits on the amount of green cards or legal permanent resident cards people from certain countries can get there are also long waiting lists up to 14 years in some cases for people coming from certain countries to apply for legal status in the us
additionally there are a limited number of our visas or permits for people coming into the us with manual labor skills millions of undocumented people have been deported or sent back to their country of origin under president obama in 2013 the us senate passed an immigration reform bill the law adds extra border security along the us-mexico border and also makes it easier for immigrants to become citizens the bill which also has to be approved by the house of representatives has not yet been presented or voted on by congress because of this many are asking president obama to take action to protect some of the undocumented many of whom have been in the us for many years and have children that are us citizens the american community college system is a place for second chances community college our two-year schools at thrived in california after the end of world war two
many american military personnel were returning to civilian life after their service to their country some of these young people decided not to go to college after high school so that they could serve their country during that time of need when they returned many of them turned to the community college system in california to continue their education the united states government introduced the gi bill at the time giving returning servicemen and women educational benefits to help them get back to school soon community colleges and new school districts began appearing throughout the country community college helped ease returning military personnel back into college life it was a low cost less stressful alternative to going back to a four-year university
today community colleges attract students from all parts of the world in california a large population of students comes from asia and latin america these schools provide a second chance to international students who have experienced difficulties attending college in their native countries american students who may have not done well academically in high school and they're not enter a university can turn to community college for a second chance to community colleges providing much-needed resource for all these students for our military personnel international students and high school students alike are all welcome what are the best things about community colleges is that they accept anyone at anytime? this means people who have not found what they want to do in life can try more than one area of study
if they don't like one course of study they can always try something else that is the beauty of community colleges these days many people attend community colleges with plans to transfer to a four-year college or university to get a bachelor's degree it's kind of like a stepping stone there are many reasons why people do this one reason is that some community colleges have transfer agreements with private and state colleges and university that guarantee admission even if a community college doesn't have the agreement of a guaranteed spot in a four-year college it has articulation agreements with four-year schools these agreements tell you exactly what classes a student in a community college needs to take in order to be able to transfer these agreements make sure that students don't waste time taking classes that won't transfer most of these classes one needs to take before transferring or general education classes like math and english
another reason why many students start their undergraduate degree at a community college is a financial one a four-year college or university is much more expensive than a two-year college this is especially true for immigrant students who don't qualify for financial aid loans or scholarships? also community colleges tend to offer more evening classes so it can accommodate people who will have to work while attending school they are also a good option for older students with families who need a more flexible schedule while taking care of children community colleges also tend to be commuter schools meaning people don't have to live on a campus in dorms attending a community college means you can still live at home with your parents, which can save the family a huge amount of money if a student didn't do well in high school it community college would provide him or her with another opportunity to enter a four-year university community colleges offer many classes to help students develop their math and writing skills
when you attend a four-year college you are expected to have those skills already community college will prepare students to successfully graduate from a four-year school most children in the u.s.. begin school at age 5 when they go to kindergarten. this is the beginning of elementary or primary school most children stay in elementary schools, so they are about 11 years old elementary schools are divided by grades the youngest children begin in kindergarten at age five and then go to first grade second grade and so on most elementary schools go up to fifth or sixth grade the focus of an elementary school is basic academic and socialization skills
mostly children learn how to read write count add subtract multiply and divide students also learn the rules of english grammar spelling and vocabulary children also learn basic shelter studies or history science art and music skills and participate in gym or physical education in elementary schools children also learn how to follow directions share and work in groups students usually stay in one classroom all day with one teacher who stays with them throughout the year students may leave the classroom to visit the school library the school gym and attend special science art and music classes students also usually leave the classroom for lunch and recess for lunch students sit at tables separated by grade in a large cafeteria
recess is usually half an hour when children go into a yard to play the typical school day starts at about 8:00 in the morning and ends at about 3:00 p.m. students go to school from monday to friday and have the weekends off elementary school teachers are licensed by the state or they work they have to graduate from college or even graduate school taking special classes in early childhood and elementary education before teachers can be in a classroom with students the to pass a background check and take an exam once a child finishes fifth or sixth grade in elementary school they graduate and go on to middle school or junior high school this school is a separate building or a set of buildings. no students in middle school are between the ages of 10 and 14
the great system continues in middle school middle school usually starts with 6th or 7th grade and ends with 8th grade while they are less common some elementary school's go from kindergarten to eighth grade most students are assigned a middle school based on where they live however there are charter private and specialized public middle schools that have an application process the purpose of middle school is to provide transition period between elementary school and high school middle school prepares students for high school life and middle school students don't stay in one classroom all day with one teacher students can change classrooms for different subjects and have different teachers for each subject in middle school some students may even be able to choose some of their own classes
called electives there is a sect core of classes that all students have to take these include english math science and social studies or history classes gym or physical education classes are also required a common feature of middle school is a homeroom which is a classroom students visit at a scheduled time once a day or once a week a homeroom teacher takes attendance and makes announcements of things students need to know the homeroom also, helps students feel like there is one common place and one common teacher. they see regularly this is to help with the transition from elementary school to secondary school once a student finishes middle school
they have your graduation ceremony and go to a high school assigned to them or a high school they picked after middle or junior high school u.s.. students. go to high school going to school is free in the united states including high schools students do not need to pay tuitions or even textbooks and lunches are free of course we are talking about public schools if parents choose to send their kids to private schools. they need to pay very expensive tuitions high school is the last four years of school that students in the us are required to attend by law high school students are grades it begins at ninth grade and finishes with 12th grade some high schools even public high schools have admission exams or an application process public schools admit students based on where they live in order to successfully complete high school
students have to complete a series of core classes including math english science history a foreign language and gym or physical education students usually can also choose to take electives or specialized courses in a subject that interests them some high schools in the us have exit exams and students are required to pass in addition to completing their course in order to graduate and earn a high school diploma a law called a no child left behind act requires high schools that get federal money to make students take a standardized exam every year a high school diploma is required for students who want to continue on to college and is considered a minimum requirement for any jobs high school classes are designed to prepare students for college some high schools offer specialized skills so that the students can find their work after graduation without going to college
those are called vocational high schools in high school some students have the opportunity to take advanced placement classes these are college level classes if the students pass an exam after taking ap classes they can get college credit in high school students move from class to class throughout the school day not every parent looks forward to the day when their child goes off to school in fact some parents are not sending their students to school at all instead they are choosing to teach the children at home. this is called homeschooling parents caregivers or private tutors educate children individually at home or instead send them off to be formally educated in public or private schools in the us only about three percent of the children are home-schooled
there are many reasons why some parents choose to home-school one reason is that some parents do not feel the children are safe in school because of bullying and growing trend of police in school other parents want their children education to be based on their religion or moral leaves yet other parents feel like the education in school is not good enough homeschooling is also seen as a choice for families that live in rural areas and families that travel like actors there are many different ways to home-school and homeschooling allows parents to customize lessons based on their children's needs families can purchase textbooks to use or create their own materials some parents who follow a philosophy called unschooling which allows a child to determine when and how they want to learn based on their natural curiosity?
some worry that homeschooling means students won't have opportunities to socialize to answer this concern some families have created cooperatives where a group of homeschool students will learn and play together and participate in activities that would normally happen in school like field trips and prom being homeschooled doesn't mean a student cannot go to college most colleges accept homeschooled students it is important however for parents and students to create a portfolio or proof of what has been learned when parents send their children to school often. they don't know what happens day to day
parents rely on what their children tell them about what they are doing and what they are learning? generally schools will host parent-teacher conferences at least twice a year parent-teacher conferences are short meetings between parents and their children's teachers usually parent-teacher conferences are held when teachers give out a students grades for the term the parent-teacher conferences give teachers an opportunity to let parents know how their child is doing a teacher will let a parent know the students drinks and bring to the parents attention any problems with grades or behavior the meetings also offer parents the opportunity to ask questions and see what their child is learning when it is almost time for parent-teacher conferences the school will send parents a note and usually give them an appointment time there are appointments during the day and in the evening
evening appointments are used for parents who work during the day parent-teacher conferences do not last very long normally, they do not last longer than 10 minutes this is why it is important for parents to make sure they arrive at their appointments on time and come prepared with questions if a parent needs more than 10 minutes. he or she should tried to schedule another meeting with the teacher keeping a teacher for more than 10 minutes when there are parents waiting is disrespectful? most children do not go along with the parents in the meetings this allows both the parent and teacher to talk honestly about the child's progress without making the child feel bad
usually a teacher will offer advice to the parent on how to support their child's education public school is available for kids from kindergarten through twelfth grade free of charge however many families choose to pay for the children's primary and secondary education by sending them to private schools there are many different types of private schools and many different reasons why parents send their kids there some private schools are military type, and yet others are boarding schools. where students live on campus some private schools are affiliated with a certain religion these schools teach a specific beliefs and traditions as well as regular academic subjects there are schools run by catholics protestants
jewish people muslims and orthodox christians there are also private schools that specialize in teaching disabled students some parents choose private schools because they feel that they offer a better education and public schools others choose private schools because they offer a different type of curriculum waldorf schools for example only let children play and use items made of natural materials private schools are also called independent schools or non state schools because they are not run by local state or national governments, they can pick up what students go to their schools they do this through admission examinations and interviews there is often an admissions application some private schools accept anyone who can pay tuition or money to send their children there some schools charge up to forty-five thousand a year
private schools charge tuition because they do not get any money collected from local state and national taxes some private schools offer a limited number of scholarships to help pay for school many of these scholarships are need-based meaning for students who can't afford the tuition other scholarships are after for students with very good grades or for students that have a talent in a sport or art california is the largest state in the united states of america it is home to more than 10% of the country's total population it also has a large education system in the country the college and university system is divided into four parts those parts are the university of california system the california state university system the community college system and private institutions the uc system has more than
230,000 students at its 10 campuses it is considered the more prestigious system in the state it includes top universities like uc berkeley on the university of california in los angeles ucla both schools ranked in the top 25 universities in the country with berkeley in the top 10 a degree from the uc system is highly sought and the academic standards are higher than the other systems. they are also more expensive california state universities count 23 universities and systems it is diversify system that includes two polytechnic universities and a maritime university these schools offer vocational and maritime education but also offer traditional academic programs the system's enrollment approximately 450,000 students with about 45,000 faculty members the california community college system is the largest systems of higher education in the state and
the world it boasts 112 campuses and serves approximately 2.4 million students it offers transfer degrees vocational training and associate's degree programs california is also home to a large number of privately owned and operated schools these schools have no ties to the state school system but some doest have transfer students from community colleges the most normal and prestigious schools in the state are stanford university in palo alto and the university of southern, california in los angeles driving in the u.s.. can be confusing. not just because of all its rules and laws that drivers must follow but also because of driving customs many people in the us are really dependent on their cars to get to work and school in fact most american workers spend an hour driving to work each day in
order to drive in the us you have to go through your local department of motor vehicles first and take your written test to get your learner's permit if you pass this test you can practice dri so you can pass a road test and get your license the department of motor vehicles or dmv has free booklets you can go and get to study for your learner's permit you can also access the information online and even take your practice written exam to prepare for the road test you can have a friend teach you to drive or pay to take classes at a driving school you cannot however practice driving by yourself if you are caught driving with only a learner's permit you can get into trouble with the law once you get your driver's license in one state you can use it drive in all united states wherever you drive you will see signs posted along the road indicating the speed limit these numbers are not a suggestion
generally you can drive faster on a highway than on local streets local police use special equipment to detect your speed if they detect you are speeding or driving over the speed limit police can stop you and give you a ticket you will have to pay a fine and some of the fines are more than $100 the lines painted on the road are not just to keep cars in their lanes they send a message for example a solid double yellow line means that it is against the law to pass another car here each new year's day the city of pasadena in california was his celebration to welcome the year with a series of events that includes the rose parade the parade takes place in the center of the city on colorado boulevard and features numerous floats marching bands equestrian teams celebrities and honorees
it is the most popular parade in the country it has spawned several other new year's day parades throughout the country in miami it's the orange bowl parade in new orleans. it is a sugar bowl parade in arizona. it's called a fiesta bowl parade however the rose parade is the oldest and best parade many people like to camp out in tents or steaming bags the night before to get the best locations to view the rose parade to brave the cold weather some people bring portable heaters to keep them warm it can get into the low 40s at night in pasadena during the winter so many people dress warm for the occasion food is another big feature at the pre parade celebration on new year's eve people bring their portable grills to cook their favorite outdoor meals right on the sidewalk the rich aroma of grilling food fills the night air and most people are willing to share their food with other overnight campers
it is fun to sample a different dishes from other grillers as night turns into morning. there's still electricity in the air people are excited about the start of the parade which begins at 8:00 a.m.. sharp the floats are beautifully decorated in flowers while the dancers and other performers dress in colorful costumes some of which are made just for the parade the marching band comes from nearby cities high schools and colleges. it is considered a great honor to participate in the rose parade the self-portrait is nothing new painters and photographers have always used themselves as subjects today however almost everyone walks around with the camera in his or her pocket this is because most cell phones have cameras on them
the fact that most people have cell phone cameras with them all the time has led to the rise of the selfie a selfie is a self-portrait usually taken with a cell phone since the pictures are usually taken on a cell phone many people tend to share these photographs with friends and even strangers on different social networking websites some of the popular social networking platforms people use to share selfies include instagram snapchat and facebook people usually take selfies when they are engaged in normal day-to-day activities they take selfies or their commutes to work or school people take selfies of themselves eating other people take selfies to show what they are wearing or whom they are hanging out with the most common way to take a selfie is by holding a cell phone at arm's length
some people take selfies by taking a picture of their reflection in the mirror in these pictures you can usually see the phone or the person who is taking a picture with selfie-sticking using mirror are often taking any bathroom, which some people think is offensive the bathroom is a very private place not a place to take pictures some people think that selfies are a sign that people are becoming vain or superficial it is not often that people take pictures of themselves that make them look bad when people take pictures of themselves dvd-r trying to present themselves in the best light however some people use selfies to show what they really look like
some people are trying to challenge stereotypes of what makes someone attractive in us cities like new york and los angeles many people live in small apartments despite not having homes with big yards some apartment dwellers seek the companionship that domesticated animals like dogs and cats offer some people feel that having a pet even in a small space is good for teaching children responsibility however many landlords forbid tenants from having pets specifically cats and dogs because it will damage the animals can do to carpets some landlords even forbid birds because of the noise they make many landlords charge an extra fee known as a pet deposit to tenants who wants to keep the pets this is to pay for repairs or cleaning caused by the pet many times apartment dwellers will choose animals like fish
hermit crabs guinea pigs or hamsters that make little noise little mess and won't chew up the furniture other people keep lizards as pets since they don't require much space and can be kept in small cages or tanks another benefit of these smaller pets is that they don't need to be walked however some people who live in apartments have pets that are not so ordinary some of these less than ordinary pets include mammals like hedgehogs amphibians like frogs and spiders like tarantulas not all axalta pects are legal, though in order to maintain public safety some cities and states have laws banning specific animals as pets new york city for example bans people from keeping ferrets snapping turtles pythons and scorpions as pets it seems unlikely that a family would have a polar bear named fluffy or a whale named bubbles as a pet
new york city has specific laws banning these wild animals from residences these laws exist for a good reason in 2003 a man and a man had an apartment was discovered to have a 350 pound bengal tiger as a pet a wake is when people go to a dc's person's home or a funeral parlor to pay their last respects a funeral parlor is a place where the preparation of the corpse for burial takes place part of the preparation can be dressing the deceased doing their makeup and placing them in a coffin for people to see some people do have a closed casket week where you can't see the dead person some people are not even choosing coffins for their daily departed loved ones in the united states more and more families are choosing nuts that have tradition waiks
there is a recent trend of people having non-traditional wings with the deceased person pole is doing something they love doing when they were alive? for example a family in new orleans had their dead loved one posed at a table with a cigarette between her fingers and they can appear one funeral home in puerto rico has become famous for its non-traditional wakes it all started in 2008 when a family asked for either dead loved ones to be propped up against the wall of their home for the week when a paramedic died his family had his dead body in the driver's seat of an ambulance
another family had a man propped up in a fake boxing ring for his wake one dead man was posed on top of his motorcycle recently a grandmother was posed sitting in her rocking chair these non-traditional winks had their critics though some people think they are disrespectful they think of a death as a solemn and sad occasion not a time to pose the dead as if they were toys fans feel it helps them remember the dead as they were when they were alive it is very common to see homeless people on the streets of los angeles this is a problem that has persisted in the city since the beginning of the 20th century back in that time
california was known for offering many job opportunities in farming and many young men were hopping on trains from all over the country to arrive in los angeles unfortunately many of those men often ended up finding themselves without a job a place to stay or even food to eat to help these people many churches began to establish shelters in the area of los angeles that would eventually become downtown even as the farm landscape changed to a big-city environment these shelters remained a refuge for many individuals that found themselves homeless in the area nowadays the homeless population of los angeles is made up of much more than just young men looking for work many economic and social changes have resulted in both men and women of all ages turning to the streets of los angeles some of them, are there as a result of substance abuse that has left them moneyless and jobless
others are veterans from various wars that cannot find the resources to get their normal lines additionally many of these people suffer from mental disabilities that limit them from finding a job or being accepted in the rest of society since there are a lot of different causes that lead to homelessness it is easy to see why finding solutions to helping all of the homeless people is so difficult although there are many programs that focus on providing the homeless food daily it is much harder to find programs they try to assist the homeless in finding jobs and stable housing in order to finally find a solution that will effectively help decrease the number of homeless people in the city a lot more individualized attention must be placed on individuals based on their physical and mental health and circumstance
some of the everyday heroes in the united states are the country's paramedics these young men and women are usually the first people who respond to medical emergencies suffered by citizens paramedics must complete a very extensive physical training program that is designed to weed out those who cannot make the cut a paramedic must be in a fit condition and be mentally strong to perform his or her duties in the face of danger many of these heroes must endure life-threatening situation when responding to emergencies paramedics are usually attached to a county or city fire department but there are also some private paramedic organizations in southern, california
there are two primary schools for pattern marin they are ucla's daniel freeman paramedic program and the paramedic training institute both of these schools provide candidates for the los angeles county and city fire department's to become a paramedic for a county or city organization candidates must also pass a psychological screening and a physical training program some of the equipment paramedics carry is very specialized they carry basic and advanced life support gear such as forcible entry tools so they can reach people in peril saws to cut through obstacles and other emergency equipment paramedics provide a valuable service to the communities they serve they must be certified in the cardiopulmonary resuscitation
techniques or cpr and be trained to handle all situations some paramedics are trained to respond to what is called mass casualty incidents these emergencies occur when there is a tragic events such as september 11 2001 attacks on the country and other emergencies like earthquakes mudslides or floods paramedics can also be sent to emergency situations by citizens who call the 911 emergency phone number one of the darkest days in american history was september 11 2001 this is a day that will live in infamy for most americans it was the most tragic day in the history of the country since december 7 1941 when the japanese attacked pearl harbor?
september 11th was a day muslim extremists hijacked four commercial airliners in an attempt to destroy the american spirit by slamming those chits into four buildings three of the four jets reached their targets while one was stopped by a group of everyday heroes who gave their lives for their country in the early morning hours on 9/11 american airlines flight 11 slams to the north tower of the world trade center in new york city a few minutes later flight 175 also an american airlines flight structured, south tower both suicide attacks brought the towers down panada immediately it took time for the extreme heat from the burning jet field to weaken the towers to their eventual collapse at about the same time
american airlines flight 77 crashed into the pentagon which is a government building in the country's capital, washington dc the fourth flight united airlines flight 93 was also headed for the capital city most people think its target was either the capitol building or the white house the president's home a group of brave passengers upon hearing the news of what has happened in the country decided to take down the giant airplane even though they knew they would not survive they stormed the cockpit and took the controls from the hijackers the plane flew out of control crashing into a field in the state of pennsylvania where all passengers were killed? in all more than three thousand americans lost their lives on that day
but the american spirit was not suppressed those responsible for the attacks were quickly dealt with and the country soon began its journey to recovery september 11 2001 a day america will never forget america is known as the land of opportunity where one could achieve anything they put their mind to? no matter who they are thousands of people immigrated to the united states every year from different parts of the world to have access to these kinds of opportunities this is what is known as the american dream one of the many reasons america is such a great country is a diversity you see all around america is one big melting pot of citizens from different backgrounds
america is at home to many of the world's top colleges and universities the california institute of technology is a top world ranked college that focuses highly on science and engineering it is located in the city of pasadena harvard university is another top world ranked college that you might be familiar with the buildings at harvard date all the way back to the year 1636 making harvard the oldest university in the united states it is located in the state of massachusetts university of california los angeles is another institute worthy of recognition
located next to hollywood ucla has distinguished itself as a prestigious and selective university due to the number of people who apply for admission throughout the united states the universities mentioned are but a few of the many other excellent schools that make the united states so outstanding america is also known for being at the forefront of freedom and equality although our history may be contradictory to these ideals we have progressed and now live in the land of equal opportunity whether you wish to become a doctor a lawyer or a librarian america is the best place to be had to achieve these dreams the fourth of july is the united states celebration of its independence from england is a day the declaration of independence was adopted by the new country's forefathers and is a national holiday
it has been celebrated every year since 1776 americans hold this day as one of the most revered holidays in the country independence day celebrations include fireworks shows that are held by various organizations throughout the country the shows are held at stadiums recreational parks and private homes additionally many businesses have giveaways and special discounts for all residents on this day the fireworks shows are best at stadiums where they attract a large number of people this is a recent change in the way americans celebrate the day in the past most people brought their own fireworks from vendors who sell their goods and supermarket parking lots the reason many cities no longer allow the sales or use of fireworks is because of the fire hazards they pose
this is why large professional celebrations as stadiums and parks have become popular in recent years of course many people still celebrate at home, though there are some cities. where sales and use of fireworks are still legal and many americans take full advantage of this another fourth of july tradition is the backyard barbecue? the holiday occurs in the middle of the summer and americans love to grill outdoors to avoid the heat inside the house hamburgers and hot dogs are the food of choice but steaks are also prepared often. there is nothing better than a great american meal and a cold drink celebrating the fourth of july it is a popular holiday, and it is one that has great meaning to most americans
the united states government is composed of three major sections it is based on the constitution of the united states of america that was put into effect in may 1789 the three parts of the us government are the executive legislative and judicial branches? each branch works independent of the other two and each has its own responsibilities this system is in place to ensure that no branch can carry more power than the other this is called separation of powers which was written into the constitution the executive branch is the branch that most americans are familiar with it includes the president of the united states the vice president and the cabinet
the president is the leader of the country and is the commander-in-chief two of the us military the vice president is second-in-command and will act as a president if the president dies resigns, or is removed from office the cabinet acts as agents of the u.s.. president and carry out the duties they are interested with the legislative branch of the government consists of the house of representatives and the senate together they form the con which can levy and collect taxes mint money and establish federal courts it can also declare war and raise and support the army navy and air force to protect the country the house of representatives has 435 members and the senate consists of 100 senators with two from each of the states any legislation or new law must be approved by both the house of representatives and the senate
the judicial branch is interested to apply the laws created by the legislative branch of the government it has the power to create lower courts under the supreme court of the united states it works closely with state courts although. they are separate christmas observed on december 25th is a christian holiday that celebrates the birth of jesus christ christians of different denominations go to church on christmas many catholics go to midnight mass in the united states however the holiday has a much more secular tone and is celebrated throughout the country many people regardless of their religion put up and decorated christmas tree
the tree can be a real evergreen or it can be artificial tree lights strings tinsel and even popcorn can be used to decorate a christmas tree on the top of the tree is a star or an angel the decorations are usually red and green the purpose of a christmas tree is to have a central location to place gifts according to legend a jolly fat man with a beard named santa claus leaves presents under the tree children in the u.s.. often write lists of things they want santa to bring them many parents bring their children to shopping malls across the country to tell a man dressed as santa what they want these children are often also photographed with the mall santa as a keepsake
on christmas eve many children leave milk and cookies for santa of course it is the parents that buy the gifts from the wish lists and even eat the cookies and drink the milk on christmas day children usually wake up early and run to the tree, so they can see what santa brought them adults can also exchange gifts this time people don't just decorate a tree at christmas many also elaborately decorate their homes with lights some of the displays are even synchronized to christmas songs called carols originally these songs were religious, but now they are about the spirit of the season new year's day officially begins as soon as people yell happy new year at midnight
most people continue partying well after midnight into the wee hours of the first day of the new year in fact many new year's parties include breakfast or brunch sometimes at the stroke of midnight there will be fireworks and couples often kiss one of the most famous new year's celebrations takes place in new york city's times square where a huge cut crystal ball drops at midnight in front of millions of people standing in the cold many more millions watch on television some groups call polar bear clubs jump into the cold ocean water on new year's day as a literal way to start the new year fresh new year's day january 1st is a national holiday in the united states this means that schools
banks government offices and post offices are closed given how much people tend to drink alcohol new year's eve many people wake up on new year's day with a hangover the national holiday is a good day to recover since many people go out partying with their friends on new year's eve many people use new year's day to visit family members new year's day is also when many people start on their new year's resolutions a resolution is a promise to change your lifestyle habit the most common resolution is to lose weight many people also join gyms as part of their resolutions on new year's day there are also parades such as the tournament of roses parade in pasadena, california
where all the floats are made of different colored roses and they compete for awards? many people also watch college and professional football games including the rose bowl, which is also held in pasadena, california the third monday in january is an american federal holiday martin luther king jr.. day it falls near the birthday of the civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968 king a minister became known for non violently protesting the treatment of african-americans in the united states and the laws that discriminate against blacks specifically king protests segregation that separated blacks and whites in public restrooms public pools public schools on buses and at restaurants
king led many marches in the united states especially in the south where segregation was especially practiced and enforced and in washington dc his march on washington, dc was perhaps the most famous one or he gave the i have a dream speech on martin luther king jr. day federal state and local offices are closed including public schools and post offices on the holiday many people participate in marches and vigils remembering dr. king others use a day as a day of service and volunteer in their community by cleaning up garbage in a local park or serving food to the homeless
however the holiday was controversial some states didn't wanted honor dr. king and tried to rename the holiday or combine the day with another holiday only two other people have a u.s.. national holiday christopher columbus and george, washington martin luther king jr. day became a holiday in 1983 after pressure from civil rights activists and marches similar to the ones king used to lead efforts to create a king holiday began the same year king was killed the first state to recognize king day as a holiday was, illinois the last day to recognize the holiday was, arizona valentine's day february 14th is a holiday that celebrates love and friendship in the united states most people think of it as a romantic day to show the one you love how much you care by purchasing cards and gifts
valentine's day is also an extremely commercial holiday people spend money on flowers balloons chocolate stuffed animals and jewelry people also go out for expensive dinners valentine's day is even celebrated by schoolchildren who give thank-you cards to their teachers some high schools have valentine's day dances classmates give each other little cards these cards can be purchased at any store with famous cartoon characters it is considered much more thoughtful to have kids make handmade cards to give to their friends and teachers valentine's day is also a great day to announce your love to someone like a secret crush
some people even get married on valentine's day however, you don't have to be in love to share in the festivities you can say happy valentine's day to friends and coworkers valentine's day is not an official holiday though in the u.s.. meaning government offices and schools are open as usual the date used to be the celebration of a saint named valentine who allegedly saved a young girl's life it wasn't until the middle ages that romance somehow got mixed in with a date and lovers would send each other handwritten love notes back, then you couldn't just go to the store and buy a card the way you can now you know valentine's day is around the corner when stores begin to decorate with red and pink hearts and the symbol of cupid a winged ancient roman god said to strike the hearts of people with his arrow
now it seems cupid goes straight after your wallet because you will also see many more jewelry ads as valentine's day approaches st. patrick's day march 17th is a christian religious holiday that celebrates the patron saint of ireland according to the legend saint patrick drove all the snakes out of ireland saint patrick's day has also become especially in the united states a day to celebrate irish culture in major cities across the country like in new york and boston there are parades and festivals people were green and decorate with shamrocks a type of three leaf clover some people were button or t-shirts that say kiss me. i'm irish in the u.s.. st. patrick's day is not a legal holiday meaning government offices and schools are open the biggest and oldest parade takes place in new york city
it actually began about 250 years ago before the us was even its own country every year thousands gather along the famous fifth avenue to watch hundreds of irish step dancer. z' and backed by players march irish step-dancing is done in groups or solo dancers perform complicated moves with their feet and legs while keeping their upper body stiff the parade has also been a source of controversy because the parade is associated with the catholic church in new york city gay and lesbian organizations have not been allowed to march many people protest the parade or boycott it st. patrick's day has also become associated with drinking a lot of alcohol specifically beer
one drink that is often seen around the holiday is green beer. this is really just regular beer with green food coloring many people feel like the holiday celebrates stereotypes about the irish like the myth that they all like to drink and get drunk others complain that the holiday has become too focused on drinking with public drunkenness as a problem in major cities around the holiday passover is a jewish holiday her members and celebrates the liberation from ancient egyptian slavery as described in the old testament of the bible it is traditionally celebrated in the spring and lasts about a week according to the story in the bible god punished ancient egypt with ten plagues the last plague killed egyptian firstborn males jewish people were told to mark their doors with the lambs blood so that god would know to pass over these houses and not kill any firstborn males inside this is where the name of the holiday passover comes from
after this last plague the egyptian king knows as the pharaoh agreed to release the ancient jews from bondage the bible story also says that the jewish people left their homes in such a rush after they were freed that they didn't have time to wait for the bread to rise this is why the commemorative passover meal jewish people eat matzah bread without yeast also known as unleavened the matzo and other foods are eaten at a special meal called a cedar these are very specific rituals that happen at the cedar meal these rituals are all in book called the hagaddah inside the haggadah is also the story of the jewish exodus from egypt
during the cedar meals parts of the haggadah are read aloud the first part of the meal is a blessing over wine the second part of the meal is washing of the hands the third part of the meal is when someone dips some sort of vegetable in salt water and then eats the vegetable the vegetable symbolizes the humble origins of the jewish people the water symbolizes their tears the fourth part of the meal is when three pieces of matzah are broken easter is a christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of the death of jesus christ as told in the bible christians are found in church on easter some christians participate in an easter vigil or nighttime, mass sometimes held by candlelight
easter is never on a set date it is observed on a sunday between the end of march and the end of april the exact date is calculated based on a different calendar many public schools in the us have a week-long vacation around easter time sometimes this break is called easter or spring break in the united states easter is also celebrated as a secular holiday it is associated with the beginning of spring and symbolized by bunnies flowers and dyed eggs many children in the u.s.. believe in a fictional character called the easter bunny according to the myth the easter bunny leaves baskets full of candy for children
sometimes these baskets are hidden and the children have to find them on easter sunday morning candy that is usually inside underneath a basket can include chocolate in the shape of bunnies or chicks jellybeans and marshmallows another activity associated with easter is an easter egg hunt according to popular mythology the easter bunny hides painted eggs and children needs to find them while real eggs used to be used now. it is common to use plastic eggs filled with candy there are usually public easter egg hunts in park across the country the white house even hosts an easter egg hunt another easter tradition associated with easter is dying real eggs and different usually pastel colors like bright pink blue and yellow in
new york city people take to fifth avenue to participate in the easter parade the easter parade isn't a parade with marching bands and floats people walk up and down fifth avenue showing off elaborately decorated hats or easter bunnies mother's day is a holiday that celebrates and honors mothers in the united states it is celebrated on the second sunday in may it became an official holiday in the country at the start of the 20th century as a way to honor mothers whose sons had died in war? the holiday is celebrated in a number of ways people give mothers gifts like flowers cards and jewelry to thank them for all their hard work a
popular symbol of the holiday is the carnation this is because when the holiday first began in the us people were encouraged to wear a red carnation if their mother was alive or a white carnation if their mother was that many people take their mothers out for a special meal in fact mother's day is most popular day in the us for people to go out and eat and it is estimated that people spend billions on meals and gifts mother's day is also the most popular day to make long-distance calls in the us it is the second most popular gift-giving day after christmas since his establishment
mother's day has been criticized for becoming highly commercialized in fact the founder of the u.s. holiday anna jarvis began protesting the holiday and was even arrested for disturbing the peace for demonstrating jarvis's own mother started the campaign to establish in mother's holiday during the american civil war mothers are not the only people celebrated on this day all mother figures including grandmothers great-grandmother's stepmothers and foster mothers are honored on the holiday in schools many student make special gifts including handmade cards while widely-recognized mother's day is not a federal holiday many other countries around the world have their own versions of mother's day
father's day is a holiday observed in the united states to honor fathers fatherhood and other parental figures like grandfather's stepfathers and uncles it is observed on a third sunday in june in the early 20th century there was a mining accident in west virginia that killed almost 400 men a push for a day to remember the men killed who were mostly husbands and fathers was a start of a push for a national holiday this was in 1908 it wasn't until 1972 however that father's day was recognized by law as a national holiday this is due in part to the fact that people were resistant to what they saw as another overly intended holiday meant to just make people spend money
it wasn't seen as a way to remember the dead or to honor living fathers and father figures people weren't entirely wrong organizations representing men's clothing manufacturers putting a lot of money for the holiday to become popular like mother's day. it indeed is a holiday that has become highly commercialized there are greeting cards to mark the day and stores advertised gifts for dad these gifts traditionally include electronics ties and tools in schools children often make cards and other gifts father's day is not a federal holiday even though it is widely celebrated some of the ways father's day is celebrated is with meals especially barbecues since the holiday falls at the beginning of the summer
amore au lait is a united states holiday to remember the men and women who have died while serving in the armed forces the armed forces include all branches of the us military those branches are army navy marines air force and coast guard memorial day is a federal holiday, which means government offices banks post offices and schools are closed memorial day is always observed on the last monday of may and mario day has its roots in u.s.. civil war when a holiday decker raishin day was established to honor both union and confederate soldiers who died on decoration day people used to decorate the graves of deceased soldiers with flags and flowers the name memorial day became more widely used after world war two in the late 1940s
however the holiday was an officially called memorial day until in 1967 memorial day is commemorated by ceremonies in cemeteries across the country the most well-known one is held in arlington national cemetery near, washington dc arlington is a military cemetery meaning only military personnel are buried there volunteers place u.s.. flags on military graves at arlington and other national cemeteries there are also parade in honor of fallen service people held in different towns and cities another memorial day tradition is flying the us flag at half-staff until noon meaning it is flown at half its normal height this is considered a sign of mourning the flag is raised to its full height after noon as
a sign that the military will rise up despite the loss there is also a national memorial day concert that takes place on the lawn of the us capitol memorial day is also known as the unofficial start of the summer season many beaches and pools open up for memorial day weekend many people also host barbecues on memorial day weekend labor day observed on the first monday of september it is a holiday meant to honor the contributions both economic and social of us workers it has been an official federal holiday since 1894 meaning that government offices including post offices and schools are closed it is also widely thought that labor day was created as an alternative holiday - mayday mayday
especially in the eighteen hundreds had become a protest day when workers marched to demand better rights and working conditions there were often strikes that ended in violence at the time the us government was afraid that mayday was being led by communists and was having a bad influence on workers some people feel september was also chosen since there are no holidays between 4th of july and thanksgiving in november on labor day there are usually parades in major cities around the country politicians and labor leaders make speeches and hold press conferences labor day is also considered the unofficial end of summer many people celebrate labor date with trips to beaches picnics and barbecues many towns and cities host fireworks on this day many people also take their last summer vacations around this time
labor day is also the beginning of the professional and college football season in the u.s. labor day has also become an important retail holiday many stores have labor day sales to coincide with the start of the school year for many children in the us this means that many store workers while other holiday is being celebrated have to work long hours columbus day is observed on the second monday of october in the united states and in some other countries around the world for a long time it was observed on a specific date october 12th it is named after christopher columbus the italian sailor who led three spanish ships to claim new lands in 1492
there is even a child's poem remembering the date. it reads in 1492 columbus sailed the ocean blue some people say columbus discovered, north america although not everyone agrees with this interpretation for example columbus never landed in north america proper. he only got as far as to the islands in the caribbean see columbus day has been a federal holiday since 1937 government offices schools and post offices are closed many italians take the day as a day to celebrate their own ethnic heritage since columbus was born in genoa italy columbus is explorations however were conducted in the name of spain major cities like new york city and san francisco hosts large parades
some cities like new york city also hold a parade celebrating the hispanic or latino community not everyone thinks christopher columbus should be honored some states like south dakota. do not observe the holiday at all instead they call the day native american day or indigenous peoples day in hawaii the holiday is also known as landing day or discoverers day this is because european arrival in north america meant the loss of land and the lives were many native people many people hold protests or vigils on this day to remember the native americans that were killed or enslaved as a result of the european arrival another name for the holiday is dia de la raza, which translate into english as a day of the race
halloween is on october 31st it is also called all hallows eve or all saints eve this is because according to some the holiday has its roots in a christian holiday that remembers the dead others say the holiday has its roots in the ancient harvest season traditions of ireland in the us though the focus is less on memories of the dearly departed or agriculture it is about kids dressing up in scary costumes and going door to door asking for candy this is called trick-or-treating when children knock on the door of a house or ring the doorbell. they usually say trick or treat the trick part is a fake threat signaling that the kids will commit a prank if they aren't given something delicious homeowners then give the children candy raisins or some other food treat
many homeowners decorate their houses to prepare for the holiday and let kids know that they are participating and can ring the doorbell for candy traditional decorations often include jack-o'-lanterns, which are pumpkins with faces carved into them and candles inside cheka lanterns were thought to scare away evil spirits when halloween was first celebrated among the ancient christians also turnips not pumpkins were originally used people often decorate using colors black and orange halloween is not just for kids adults get in on the fun by attending costume parties. there are often contests who has the best costume there are also games bobbing for apples where people have to get an apple using only their teeth from a large bucket of water other people celebrate by scaring themselves by going to haunted houses homes where people dressed up as ghosts zombies and werewolves and jump out to frighten guests
people also tell scary stories watch horror movies veterans day is an official united states holiday observed on november 11th every year while memorial day remembers those who have died while serving in any other branches of the us armed forces? army navy marines and coast guard veterans day honors all members of the armed forces especially the living as a us federal holiday the government offices and schools are closed and most people have the day off from work banks are also closed if november 11 the falls on a sunday, then the holiday is observed on the following monday the holiday was first observed after world war one which ended on november 11th 1918 it was called armistice day, then and was more about celebrating the absence of war and honoring those that served in that one war
it didn't become known as veterans day until 1954 after world war two and the korean war where there were many more members of the armed forces? many restaurants offer free meals to veterans on the date there is always a special ceremony at arlington national military cemetery in washington dc this ceremony involves a wreath being placed over the grave of the unknown soldier many major cities also hold parades on this date the us flag is usually flown at half-mast as a remembrance to those soldiers who have died and many ceremonies observe a moment of silence for the same reason in canada the holiday is called remembrance day
one symbol of the day is the poppy flower? the red poppy flower is said to represent or be a symbol of the blood of the soldiers many people were or give out poppy flowers on the day hanukkah which can also be spelled as hanukkah is an eight-day jewish holiday it is known as the festival of lights which celebrates the dedication of ancient jewish temple in jerusalem? thousands of years ago according to the hebrew or jewish bible a miracle took place then a one day supply of oil miraculously lasted eight days the dates of hanukkah always change, but usually occur anywhere in late november to late december the main way people observe the holiday
by lighting a candle on the candelabra a special candle holder with space for nine candles on each of the eight nights the candelabra is called a menorah now there are also electric menorahs some people use oil lamps the ninth candle space is really higher than those on the others and is late on every night this ninth candle is there so that people can see the other candles. they are lighting so two lights are lit on the first night three on the second and so on some families have the head of the household light the candles other families share the responsibility the menorah is supposed to be places somewhere visible like in a window facing the street the candles are supposed to stay lit for at least 30 minutes after it gets dark
there are also special prayers people say an holy song sung when the candles are lit schools and government offices are open for hanukkah since the observances happen at night some families exchange gifts on each night of the holiday some foods traditionally eaten a hanukkah include latkes fried potato pancakes and donuts these and other fried foods are eaten because they are cooked in oil and remind people of the oil that lasted for eight nights children played with a special four-sided spinning top called a dreidel thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated by many people in the united states and canada in the united states it is celebrated on the fourth thursday in november and marks a start of the christmas season some people celebrate thanksgiving to remember the first harvest of the pilgrims and puritans
groups of people from england who emigrated to north america in the sixteen hundreds some people recreate the first thanksgiving and dress up as pilgrims puritans and the native americans who are said to have helped the new arrivals find food to survive the first winter most people however see thanksgiving as one day a year to reflect upon what they are thankful for some families will sit together and take turns saying aloud what they are thankful for an important part of thanksgiving is families coming together extended family members often travel long distances to share the day with their loved ones in the united states thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year? people travel in planes trains buses and cars to share a very special meal
thanksgiving dinner well most thanksgiving celebrations have in common is the food? on thanksgiving many families prepare large elaborate dinners to share with friends and loved ones many of these dinners use ingredients associated with the fall harvest like cranberries potatoes sweet potatoes corn and cranberries roast ricki is a traditional meat served. it is so common that some people call thanksgiving day turkey day the turkey is usually served with gravy and stuffing pies are usually served for dessert the most common pie serd are sweet potato apple pecan and pumpkin
thanksgiving and nosh is celebrated in the privacy of people's homes every year the president of the united states pardons a turkey saving it from becoming someone's meal in new york city macy's a department store holds a large parade with huge balloons of various cartoon characters floating down the street in the united states 43 states, washington, dc, porto rico and the us virgin islands all have their own lottery a lottery is used for states to raise money licensed stores sell numbered tickets or people can pay to choose their own numbers when you let a machine pick your numbers it is usually called a quick pick many people play lucky numbers numbers associated with birth dates or other important numbers to them the money earned from setting lottery tickets goes to pay for schools roads bridges and other public services
once a week or more a drawing is held where the numbers are randomly picked if your ticket has those numbers you could win a cash prize there are different types of lotteries such as powerball mega millions and lotto powerball and mega millions are known for their large payouts there are also instant lottery tickets that are scratch off cards the winnings sent to be less money, but they are extremely popular in the united states you can play the lottery or buy a ticket if you are 18 years or older if you win usually you have the option of being paid the entire amount in one lump sum or of being paid smaller mouths over a number of years
lottery winnings are taxable meaning the amount you actually get is smaller than the jackpot number people can buy lottery tickets or play the lottery at many convenience stores lotteries are also very popular since they advertise there are many television commercials radio commercials and billboards urging people to play lotteries have been controversial since they are essentially a form of legalized gambling there is concern that it can lead to people becoming addicted to gambling there are also illegal lottery games usually run by some form of organized crime some of the most majestic landscape views in california are the great, california redwood and sequoia trees
these trees can be seen up close at sequoia national park in the southern, sierra, nevada mountain range east of the city of visalia this central california region boasts more than 400,000 acres of natural beauty as uniquely californian the park is known as the land of the giants because of its beautiful trees the landscape features great mountains foothills deep canyons a large cavern system and of course the world's largest trees the park sits side-by-side with kings canyon national park in the stunning, san joaquin valley sequoia national park was officially established as a national park in the 1890s it features 14 camp sites that include picnic tables fire rings for outdoor cooking and food storage boxes
it is a great place for a family vacation with many of its campsites opening year-round but most of the popular attractions are its forests the ancient trees are some of the oldest living organisms on earth and draw millions of visitors worldwide redwood trees can reach heights of more than 375 feet they are also closely related to the giant sequoia trees and are often mistaken for each other they both are uniquely californian as they do not grow naturally in any other region in the world redwood trees live up to 2000 years and have branches that grow up to five feet in diameter its bark can grow up to twelve inches thick the giant sequoia trees can live up to an astonishing 3,000 years and ranches up to eight feet in diameter
its bark can grow to an amazing thickness of three feet both trees have dark brown bark and look very similar but the redwood thrives in coastal climate while the sequoia exists in a more mountainous area in either case they are a must-see california attraction there are many law enforcement agencies in the united states and especially in california some of the largest agencies in southern california are the los angeles police department and the los angeles county sheriff's department both of these police forces are some of the largest in the country they handle a full range of police duties ranging from traffic citations to murder rape and robbery cases there are also a number of smaller police agencies operating side-by-side with the lapd and la county sheriff's department cities such as monterey park had their own police force while smaller cities depend on the sheriff's department for their law enforcement needs
because of the unique nature of the state, california created the california highway patrol the chp as it is usually called is a police agency that is entrusted with patrolling the vast number of freeway mouths that exist in california the state was built during a time of great mobility after the advent of the personal vehicle because of this the state has more freeway mouths than any other state in the united states with the exception of texas however, california has the most licensed drivers and by far the most registered vehicles this made it necessary to create a police force dedicated to its highways chp officers are endowed with the same powers other police officers have however, they do not have crime investigation team for any offense other than traffic related crimes
whenever the chp first responds to a crime that is not traffic related its officers perform the same duties as a regular officer does it then turns investigations over to the lapd or sheriff's office depending on the location of the crime the chp has a long and storied history many young californians both male and female are attracted to the chp and enroll into its academy in sacramento the state's capital one of the most beautiful and recognizable, california landmarks is the golden gate bridge in the city of san francisco the bridge spencer, san francisco bay and is part of a network of five main bridges that cross the bay in the san francisco-oakland area the region with its bay has one of the most breathtaking views in the world and part of which is a historic golden gate bridge
it were has the most iconic and recognizable land park in the entire united states construction on their bridge began in 1933 while the country was deeply mired in the great depression many people think the bridge was in large part responsible for the country's economic recovery because of the number of workers employed the material used to build a bridge also contributed to the manufacturing distribution and transportation the bridge connects san francisco to the san francisco, peninsula in marin county through both, california state route 1 and nearest route 101 before the bridge was built the only way to get from one location to the other was to go around the bay or to take a ferry across construction of the bridge was controversial at the time many thought the project was simply too complex expensive and dangerous to build
the construction plan approved concentrated on safety for the workers who would be involved in the construction, and it worked well until february 17th 1937 remarkably only one worker had died up to that date but on that date a scaffolding collapsed killing ten men in the tragic accident the bridge was completed later that year and has been in use ever since it is one of california's great landmarks with people from all over the world drawn to see it one of the most historic and significant landmarks in the united states is a san francisco cable car system it is the world's only manually operated cable car system it is run by the san francisco municipal transportation agency
the system dates back to 1878 when the california street line first opened in all there are three lines currently operating in the city and boasts a fleet of 12 cable cars there used to be 23 lines and used throughout the city connecting the diverse communities that make up, san francisco the open-air cars are a major tourist attraction and are still used by san francisco commuters on a daily basis the simple recent cable cars were first used in the city was because of its landscape san francisco is very hilly which makes it impossible for municipal buses to scale the solution for this problem was the cable car these cars are literally pulled by a cable up and down the steep hills of the city
making it easier for people to get from one another city to the other there are two types of cars in use today single-ended cars and double-ended cars the single-ended cars have open sited sections with seats that face outward to the street the rear section of these cars is enclosed with seats facing the interior of the car these cars seat 29 passengers they travel in both directions by using a suitable base turntable that turns the car at the end of the line the double-ended cars are a bit larger and can hold up to 68 passengers it has 34 seats and grips for an additional 34 standing passengers
the best feature of these cars is the pure fun. they are to ride people who ride the san francisco cable cars are stepping into a part of california's history car chases in the los angeles area are a fairly regular occurrence in 2013 there were over 700 car chases car chases also have become a source of entertainment many car chases are captured on video and broadcast live as they are happening no one has to wait until the six o'clock news comes on anymore to find out what happened people can tune into their local broadcast television station and see it happening in real time these car chases are often captured with the help of the news channel helicopter the helicopter follows and films a chase through the streets reporting what streets the cars are passing through
people like watching car chases for many reasons. they are intense and filled with drama a viewer never knows what will happen next will the driver give up easily? does a driver have a weapon will the driver get into an accident while someone crossing the street get hit? tune in to find out many channels see their rating soar when their air car chases. they are just giving the people what they want police are not always happy with the media covering car chases live on the air police worry that people are trying to escape enjoy the attention police field that broadcasting car chases encourages people to escape police also worried that the attention brings innocent bystandard to the street someone could get hurt
the medians is they have the right to show car chases they feel. they are informing the public car chases happened for many reasons sometimes police will chase someone who stole a car other times the police may try to do a routine traffic stop however the driver with the broken taillight may have a warrant for arrest so off he drives in los angeles places associated with death are often popular one such popular place is the department of medical examiner coroner? when someone dies and the cause of death is undetermined, or suspicious the body is brought here for examination? it is the coroner's jobs independent time cause and manner of death
sometimes the coroner would have to perform an autopsy which is like an operation on a dead body to try to figure out how the person died? one of the reasons the la coroner's office is so popular is because the number of famous people who have been examined there some of those people include marilyn monroe robert f. kennedy michael jackson and whitney houston the los angeles coroner's office is also so popular that there is even a gift shop where visitors can buy items like shirts caps and mugs with the coroner's logo on them one t-shirt people can buy even says our bodies of work speak for themselves they even sell beach towels with body outlines the store is opened five days a week they also have a website and a paper catalog for those who are not close enough to visit
the coroner's office claims the purpose of the store is tell people how fragile life is and to create awareness and responsibility towards one's actions some people feel that having a store in the same place where the dead people are is disrespectful there have been a number of television shows about the la coroner's office some of these are reality tv shows featuring what workers really do there an example is called death detectives other shows are fictional like quincy me? the emmy stands for medical examiner the person who performs the autopsies on one of new york city's most famous avenues fifth avenue is museum mile museum mal is a 23 block stretch that holds some of the most famous museums in the world museum mile begins at 85th street and fifth avenue with the massive metropolitan museum of art inside is thousands of years worth of art and artifacts a
visitor can miss an entire egyptian tomb sit in a japanese-style garden view renaissance paintings and ancient greek and roman sculptures. there is even a gallery featuring musical instruments in the summer there is a rooftop garden where there are spectacular views of the city especially of central park the guggenheim on 88th street and fifth avenue looks a little bit like a snail shell from the outside when that opened in 1950s the swirling architecture designed by frank lloyd wright was thought to be ugly by many this museum focuses on modern art but sometimes feature special exhibits like one they had a few years ago of the ancient mexican ruins the national academy museum of school and fine arts on 91st street and fifth avenue is the city's oldest art school dating back to the 1825
the jewish museum on 93rd street and fifth avenue tells 4000 years worth of jewish history up ten blocks on a hundred and third street and fifth avenue is the museum of the city of new york? showcasing the history of the big apple from its colonial start one block up on 104 street and fifth avenue is a moose a little barrio this museum started as a space to reflect the city's large puerto rican migrant community now it features exhibits focusing on art from all over latin america across the avenue is a central park conservatory garden with a fountain that has a sculpture of three dancing life-size women the empire state building, maybe the most famous building in new york city
it is called the empire state building because new york state is called the empire state it is 1,454 feet tall many people think it is a tallest building in the world this was true when it was built in 1931 in 1970 when the world trade center was built that became the tallest building now the empire state building is the fourth tallest building in the us and the 23rd tallest in the world inside the building is mostly occupied by offices and stores people can go to the top of the building where there is an observation deck from the top there are beautiful views of new york city especially at night most people take one of the 73 elevators to the top it takes less than one minute by elevator to get to the 80th floor
that is where there is a gift shop some people walk 1860 steps to the top every year there is even a race with people competing to see who can walk up to the top the fastest the landmark is not famous because of its height in 1945 a small plane crashed into it more than 30 people have tried to kill themselves by jumping off the building in 1933 it was featured in the movie king kong rey giant gorilla climbs to the top and falls to his death after being attacked by airplanes the building was also in the movie sleepless in seattle with tom hanks at night the top of the empire state building is lit up in different colors
it is red and green on christmas red for the lunar new year and blue for hanukkah on the 4th of july it is red, white and blue most people don't know the full name, but the statue of liberty is the statue of liberty enlightening the world? she is a symbol of freedom especially for many immigrants when many immigrants came to the united states in the late 1800s lady liberty in new york harbor? was a sign to tell them that they had made it to america inside the base of the statue there is a plaque with a famous poem written on it the poem is a new colossus by emma lazarus many immigrants feel that this poem speaks to them and the reasons they came to the america
one line of the poem is give me your tired your poor your huddled masses yearning to breathe free lady liberty was not always green she used to be copper colored, but the years have caused a copper to change color 151 foot tall sculpture was a hundred birthday gift from france to the united states in 1886 it is located on liberty island right off of the southern tip of manhattan, new york city the only way to get there is to take a ferry inside the base of the statue is a museum to get to the crown people have to climb 377 steps up a double spiral staircase from the feet of the statue there is no elevator people need to be in good shape to climb to the top
people used to be able to climb up to the torture lead section, but it was shut down because it was dangerous it was easy to fall off about 4 million people visit the statue of liberty every year people who can go to new york can see the replicas in las vegas and other parts of the world rockefeller center is a complex of 19 buildings it is named for a famous new york city business magnate named john d rockefeller who built the group of buildings from 1930 through 1939? the most famous building in the complex is the general electric building where nbc television studios are based? it is smack in the middle of manhattan new york city between 5th and 6th avenue and between 48 and 54 streets
the address of the g building is 30, rockefeller plaza that's how the show 30 rock got its name the show was filmed there saturday night live a popular american late night. show is also filmed there visitors can get tickets to see how a show is taped and can also tour the studios visitors to rockefeller center can visit the plaza which becomes an ice skating rink in the winter every year a huge christmas tree is placed there and thousands of people attend a tree lighting ceremony which also features famous singers in the spring summer and fall? the plaza becomes a cafe in the middle of the plaza is statue of the greek god prometheus his myth states that he brought fire to the world
200 flags from all countries of the united nations surround the plaza radio city music hall is another famous building in rockefeller center many musicians give the concerts here but it is best known as the home of the rockettes a dance company name for rockefeller center they are famous for their kick lines and are best known for performing in the radio city christmas spectacular an annual musical holiday stage show manhattan is a small island. that is one part of new york city new york city the big apple is actually made up of five sections called boroughs? these boroughs are manhattan queens
brooklyn staten island and the bronx manhattan has the most people of all the borough's about 1.5 million even though it is a smallest borough by size if you send a letter to someone who lives on manhattan don't write manhattan on the envelope you should write, new york, new york like the famous frank sinatra song because the island is so small most people live and work in tall buildings
some of these buildings are called skyscrapers because it looks like they are touching the sky some famous skyscrapers in manhattan are empire state building, chrysler building 70 pine street trump building ge building and citigroup center manhattan is connected to other boroughs by a series of bridges and tunnels
the most famous bridge may be the brooklyn bridge because of its brick arches the new york city subway a massive mass transit that mostly runs underground also connects the island to the rest of the borough's manhattan like the other boroughs has many different neighborhoods many of which are named for the ethnic communities that first lived there some of these neighborhoods include little italy little germany little brazil chinatown and
koreatown one of the most famous parts of manhattan is times square times square is called the crossroads of the world every year millions of people gather there on new year's eve to watch an illuminated crystal ball drop there are many theaters around times square most of these theaters are on broadway a famous street considered the home of the american theatre industry
another famous manhattan street is fifth avenue a part of the avenue features expensive designer stores like tiffany's fifth avenue is also famous for its museum mile for many years gambling in the united states was legal only in the state of nevada? nevada is a western state that is east of california south of oregon and idaho
west of utah and north of arizona it is a desert state where little rain falls during the year. it is a little more than 275 miles from the city of los angeles which is where most of its visitors come from? driving from los angeles is about four hours las vegas, which means the meadows in spanish was established by the mexicans in the mid 1800s? much of what is now the southwestern part of the united states
was then part of the mexican empire? the city was a railroad town established in 1905 and the first legal casinos appeared in 1931 las vegas is now a gambling town where people from all over the united states come to vacation? it's population is under 2 million making it a 30th largest city in the country
it's original population in 1905 was only 5,000 much of the city's growth is due to the gambling industry many states have since legalized gambling including, new jersey and but las vegas remains the number one tourist city for gamblers in the u.s. today some of its largest and most beautiful hotels include bellagio
flamingo caesars palace treasure island mandalay bay and when these hotels are on las vegas boulevard which is commonly called the strip? was it's nearly year-round sunshine beautiful casinos and variety of gaming options
las vegas remains the best location for gambling in the us mr.. rogers neighborhood was one of the most successful and well-liked children's show in the history of public television public tv differs from the more common commercial television in that it is not funded by advertising revenue public television is a network of television stations throughout the country that is dedicated to bringing alternative programming to the people of the united states
mr.. rogers neighborhood ran from february 1968 through august 2001 and was hosted by the show's namesake fred rogers it was a half-hour children's show that featured the popular rogers as host it is often referred to as the mr.. rogers show? rogers began his show in 1953 on a pbs station in the northeast part of the country as the children's corner he performed as a puppeteer and it was aired on live television
there rogers developed many of the characters that would become famous as a show progressed in 1967 his show went on national tv stage and remained there until 2001 roger style and calm demeanor made him an instant celebrity who was well liked by both children and adults in? his early life roger studied to become a presbyterian minister but didn't like how children's programming was being presented
he began writing children's songs and soon began his own local show on public television during the next three decades rogers became a true american icon through his show his great compassion morality and patience were possibly his most liked characteristics rogers was not only a great tv personality. he was also a human rights advocate he received the presidential medal of freedom as well as the peabody award for meritorious public service
rodgers was inducted into the television hall of fame and has received approximately 40 honorary degrees the cinco de mayo or fifth of may is a holiday celebrating mexican independence day in the united states before 1776 much of the southern and western states such as texas new, mexico, colorado
nevada arizona and california were part of mexico following the war between the u.s.. and mexico in the 1800s these states became part of the united states but there still remained a very large mexican population the latino population is the largest? single ethnic group in the country it accounts for
17 percent of the nation's population and 63% of those latinos are of mexican origin the cinco de mayo is a large celebration in the country's southwest region it celebrates the mexican victory and the battle of puebla against france on may 5th 1862 curiously the day is celebrated more in the united states than it is in mexico itself in los angeles
the city celebrates the event with the fiesta broadway which is the largest cinco de mayo celebration in the world? more than half a million people come to downtown la to participate in the street fair that covers 24 square blocks the celebration takes place on the last sunday of april there are rides games and especially food at this celebration, and it is growing every year los angeles is not the only southland city to host cinco de mayo celebrations the cities of corona west los angeles and commerce also have events and the famous alvera street celebration in
downtown la is also very popular one of the most unique cinco de mayo events takes place in hancock park district of los angeles it is called the single, demaio this celebration is an annual charity event that began in 1999 it is a private party that benefits the homeless by providing shelter and support cinco de mayo is a truly american celebration
december 7th 1941 the united states of america was attacked by the imperial japanese navy at pearl harbor, hawaii the surprise attack was intended to destroy the american pacific fleet that stood in the way of japan's complete domination of the pacific ocean during the 1940s the attack was coordinated with attacks in the philippines malaya singapore and hong kong pearl harbor was attacked by more than 350 japanese airplane fighters bombers and torpedo planes that were launched from six aircraft carriers the
early morning attack sank four u.s.. battleships and four more were heavily damaged six of the eight battleships were restored and returned to service but the japanese also destroyed or damaged three cruisers three destroyers a mine layer and an anti-aircraft training ship in addition 188 us aircraft were destroyed with many of them on the ground the attack was devastating it took the u.s.. years to recover from all the damage caused on that fateful morning
however the japanese were unable to destroy their main targets the navy's aircraft carriers by what some call a stroke of luck? the us carrier fleet was out to sea at the time of the attack the country was in shock at the news of the disaster us president franklin delano roosevelt called the attack cowardly and declared seventh as a day that will live in infamy december 8 the united states formally declared war on japan this plummeted the country into world war ii which roosevelt had long hoped to avoid
soon after the united states declaration war against japan germany which was a japanese ally declared war on the us and the country was now fully involved in the greatest war in the history of the world america is one of the most diversified countries in the world it is comprised of many different cultures from latin america europe asia and africa it is truly a melting pot of diversity all these cultures have come together to create a new culture an american culture many of the traditions customs
religions and celebrations of these cultures have been adopted into american culture including funeral traditions traditional american funerals are basic. they usually include some sort of religious ritual followed by a procession to the burial grounds and a small ceremony at the gravesite but these vary depending on the culture at most american funerals the deceased person's family sent out a death announcement called an obituary these obits normally serve to pass information to others about the deceased and the time and day of the funeral event
at the church service the deceased is usually eulogized by friends and family this is where a person goes up to the front of the crowd to say a few things about the deceased and how he or she affected their life the procession usually takes the form of a caravan of private cars and trucks that follow the hearse which contains the deceased coffin and remains at the gravesite another small ritual takes place where the deceased is given a blessing from a member of the clergy friends and family are then allowed to say goodbye to the deceased there is an american tradition of picking up a handful of soil and
tossing it on the coffin as a way of saying farewell to the deceased the family then gathers at a home or restaurant with some of the attendees to have a meal and to exchange stories before going on their way most cultures in the us have adopted this traditional american funeral ritual but many include features that are unique to their individual culture one of the most significant dates in the history of the united states is november 22nd
1963 that is the day president, john fitzgerald kennedy was assassinated in dallas texas while riding in an open-air car the president was visiting, texas for the first time since his inauguration in january 1961 kennedy was one of the most popular presidents in the history of the united states and still remained so today his death shocked the nation for several reasons, but mostly because it was televised on live broadcasts kennedy was the first president to appear on television at a time when most americans owned a tv
he was not the first president to be televised, but previous presidents who appear on tv did not reach the general public because before 1960 not many americans owned a set kennedy was warned not to write in an open-air car that day by his bodyguards but he wanted the public to see him live he did not want to be hidden behind an armored car according to the official government commission kennedy fell victim to a single assassin lee harvey oswald, but many americans dispute that finding to the state police say oswald shot the president from a building while kennedy rode in his car with his wife
the mood was festive at the time as the city of dallas welcomed the president to texas kennedy was a handsome young president who was the youngest man ever to reach the presidency oswald later killed a dallas police officer during his escaped from the crime scene but was soon found hiding in a movie theater he required police protection from an outraged public and was held in protective custody oswald who was a former member of the us military was unhappy with the president for his policies but never admitted to being the assassin conspiracy theories involving rival political parties the cuban government and organized crime have also been advanced as to who actually killed kennedy
generally people's class is defined by how much money. they make in the u.s. generally there are three classes poor middle class and rich some people also think there is another class in between poor and middle class called working-class united states culture is based on the idea that people can move up the economic ladder and become middle class or even rich if they were born poor. this is the idea of going from rags to riches moving up the class ladder is not easy though
moving up the class ladder is not easy though higher education needed to get a good-paying job is expensive class in the united states. it's more than just how much money a person makes though education what job a person has where they live and the culture all play a role in what class a person will be classified as? for example a person with only a high school diploma and a low-paying service job may be considered a poor or low-class or a person with a phd who owns their own company would be considered a high-class or wealthy anyway, this makes sense because high-paying jobs usually require a high-level education
but for some people class is something you are born with for example the children of billionaire donald trump were born rich and upper-class without having done anything to earn that status gender plays a role too, and how someone can move up the economic ladder women earn less than men do so it is harder for them to accumulate wealth race also plays a role in how much people earn and their ability to move up the economic ladder in the united states most families require both the man and the woman to work in order to support the household rosa parks is a prime example of how an ordinary american can change the world around her she was born in
1913 in the southern state of alabama parks became famous for challenging a discriminatory policy in the city of montgomery, alabama during the 1950's black americans in the south were not allowed to ride in the front seats of public buses if a white person needed that seat blacks were expected to get out of their seats and go to the back of the bus which was designated as colored only on december 1st 1955
parks refused to obey the bus drivers order to surrender her seat to a white passenger who had boarded the bus even though parks was seated in the colored only section the bus was filled and she was required by law to give her seat to the white rider parks was arrested and charged with civil disobedience. she later said she had grown tired of giving in her rest and subsequent trial made parks a national symbol for the civil rights movement her arrest also led to the montgomery bus boycott. that was a political and social protest campaign against racial segregation although the boycott only lasted twenty-one days it was instrumental in the supreme court decision to declare alabama's practice of segregation
unconstitutional parks has remained a symbol for the civil rights movement even after her death in 2005 at the age of 92 she has been called the first lady of civil rights by the united states congress and the mother of the freedom movement she has been honored by the us government with prestigious awards such as the presidential medal of freedom and congressional gold medal she has been honored with her own museum in michigan and has received several other civil rights awards both before and after her death
chicago is known as the windy city some people think this is because of the breeze that blows almost constantly the city is located in the state of illinois on the shore of one of the great, lakes lake, michigan which is the fifth largest freshwater body in the world? chicago may also be called the windy city because of the wind tunnel effect created in downtown by many tall buildings skyscrapers are an important part of chicago's history the first skyscraper in the u.s.. was built in the city in
1884 at only 10 stories it was impressive for its time the skyscraper was eventually demolished chicago is home of the other famous firsts. it was the birthplace of the refrigerated railcar mail-order catalogs the car radio the tv remote control the first ferris wheel the first steel railroad the first planetarium in the western hemisphere chicago is also home of the first blood bank and the first drive-in bank it is also the home to the lincoln park zoo the oldest public zoo in the us maybe the windy city should be called the city of firsts
chicago is the third most populous city in the u.s. after new york city and los angeles a little more than two and a half million people live in the city that has more than 100 neighborhoods president barack obama used to live in chicago nearly 40 million people visit chicago every year many of them visit the willis tower formerly known as the sears tower. it is a tallest building in the western hemisphere it takes only a minute to get up to the hundred and third floor skydeck. thanks to some of the fastest elevators in the world from the skydeck visitors can see four states indiana, illinois
michigan and wisk boston is the capital of massachusetts it is the largest city in the new england state and is rich with history? this is why over 12 million people visit the city every year in his very old city founded in 1630 by english colonists fleeing religious persecution the american revolution when colonists known as patriots fought for their independence from british began in boston with the battle of lexington other key events in the revolution occurred in the city one was the boston massacre with british troops fired upon protesters killing five
the boston tea party when colonists dumped an entire shipment of british tea into the harbor to protest taxes was not a party at paul revere's midnight ride where he warned colonists of british troops approaching also happened in boston many of these sites can be accessed by taking a walk down the freedom trail a red line of bricks embedded in the ground through the city boston is also a city of notable firsts america's first public school was founded in boston in 1635
boston common were british troops kept during the american revolution and were early colonists hang people is the oldest public park in the united states boston is also home to the oldest subway system in the united states like many cities in the united states immigrants played a large role in its development irish immigrants who settled in boston for example played a large role in both local and national politics boston also has a large active for the rican community and
italian community president john f. kennedy and his family have ties to boston boston is also well known for many colleges and universities that surround it some of the most famous are harvard and the massachusetts institute of technology boston attracts more than 350,000 college students from around the world the american revolution was a war of independence fought by those living in the 13 colonies of north america against great britain those living in the colonies were especially angry about taxes the british were forcing them to pay people felt taxes were unfair because there was no colonial
representation in the british parliament one tax was the stamp tax which tax printed materials such as newspapers the colonists called this taxation without representation? colonists who wanted freedom from english rule were known as patriots those who supported british rule were known as loyalists before full-scale war broke out there were many acts of protest by patriots like the boston tea party when bostonians boarded british ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor because of tea tax on
april 19 the first shots were fired in lexington and concord, massachusetts which officially started the war? many people were involved in the struggle for independence benjamin franklin thomas jefferson and john adams worked together to write the declaration of independence on july 4th 1776 patriots declared themselves free most people know george, washington was the first president of the united states before that he was the commander-in-chief of the patriot army
most of the battles in the american revolution were fought in the northeast in places near boston and new york the british known as redcoats because of the red uniform jackets had help from german mercenary soldiers called hessians patriots had support from other europeans france entered the american revolution on the side of the colonists in 1778 this helped force the british surrender at yorktown virginia in 1779 however fighting would not formally end until 1783
with the treaty of paris when great britain recognized the united states as an independent nation? the american civil war happened from 1861 to 1865 the main cause was southern states feeling that the u.s.. federal government in washington dc should not have the power to tell them what to do this was especially true about two issues taxes and slavery the southern economy was based on agriculture while the northern economy was based on manufacturing
southern crops like cotton were sold to factories and then southerners had to pay taxes on the finished goods sold back to them like clothing many southerners felt this was unfair additionally the agricultural economy in the south was reliant on the labor of enslaved africans and their descendants many people especially from the north felt this was wrong and that slavery needed to be abolished southerners felt the abolitionists were threatening their way of life
seven southern slave states banded together declared their secession and formed the confederate states of america the government in washington, dc and its army was known as the union since they were fighting to keep the country united abraham lincoln was president of the united states during the civil war the president of the confederate states was jefferson davis the first battle was the battle of fort sumter during the war president lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation which declared the freedom of slaves in the confederate states of america?
this action was supposed to show that lincoln was still in charge of the entire united states the civil war was the bloodiest war fought inside of the united states six hundred and twenty thousand were killed and millions more were injured one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war was the battle of gettysburg in pennsylvania 51 thousand people from both sides died more than in any other battle the civil war ended in 1865 one general robert e lee of the confederate army, surrendered fires are destructive. they also create changes in 1871 a fire burned most of chicago to the ground
many people think the fire was started when a cow knocked over a gas lamp most of the city at the time was built of wood this combined with the famous chicago wins and a drought made the city burn down quickly the fire lasted for three days 100,000 people were left homeless and at least 300 were killed what was amazing was how quickly the city was rebuilt? eventually becoming the third most populous city in the united states the great boston fire of 1872
created a property damage of seventy three point five million more than any other fire in the us history most of downtown boston and the financial district burned down in the fire that began in a warehouse basement 30 people died and thousands lost their jobs and their homes however, the city was rebuilt in two years it began enforcing building regulations because of the fire a 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire in new york city
caused the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in the us history 123 women and 23 men all garment workers and mostly poor immigrants died from the fire smoke inhalation or falling or jumping to their deaths child labor was not uncommon the youngest victims were two fourteen-year-old girls who work in the factory so many people died because the owners of the factory locked the doors to their stairs and exits this was to prevent the workers from taking breaks and stealing as a result of the fire and huge loss of life many people began protesting poor working conditions
the us congress passed laws improving factory safety conditions women workers also formed a union to fight for better working conditions salem in the state of massachusetts is called the witch city, but don't be afraid there aren't women wearing pointy black hats riding around on brooms the new england city is called the witch city because of the infamous set of trials that happened there in 1692 to 1693 at the time the city was just a town in the british colony of massachusetts the salem witch trials accused more than 200 people of being witches people believed witchcraft was real and was criminal
among the accused were women men and even children 19 people were sentenced to death they were all hanged one of the accused was tortured with heavy rocks being placed on him until he was crushed underneath the weight seven others died in jail there was never any proof that those accused and convicted were really witches historians think the people would accuse people because of family feud's other historians think that a domino effect occurred with people becoming hysterical after one accusation
fear of witches spread like a disease the salem witch trials have become a part of the city's history the crucible a play about the trials by arthur miller has been turned into a movie the city is not ashamed of its past, but rather uses it to teach tolerance and earn some tourist dollars there is a memorial dedicated to the innocent people who died because of the witch hunts there is a witch museum that tells the story of what happened many people visit salem around halloween salem police cars have witch logos a local public school is known as the witchcraft heights elementary
school and the salem high school sports teams are named the witches films television shows featuring fictional witches have been filmed in salem including hocus-pocus and bewitched the united nations an international organization founded in 1945 after the second world war by 51 countries has its headquarters along the east river in new york city? technically anyone who visits un headquarters is not in new york anymore there are not even in the united states
that is because the land and buildings are considered international territory the united nations has its own flag its own post office and its own postage stamps there is no need to change currency. however the un uses the us dollar six official languages are used at the united nations they are arabic chinese english french russian and spanish un rules override the laws of new york city this does not mean that people can commit crimes there and get away with it there is no immunity to those who commit crimes there
the property were the united nations now states used to belong to a slaughterhouse the current buildings were completed in 1952 the perimeter of the un is line with flag poles with the flags of all 193 un member states and the un flag they are arranged in alphabetical order in english some may think it's great to be a neighbor to a peacekeeping agency like the un many new yorkers don't think solo
everytime a dignitary like a president or a prime minister visits streets are closed making it hard to get around and to find parking you don't need to be a diplomat to visit the un though there are tours monday through friday and not just in english guided tours are available in english french german italian japanese korean mandarin portuguese russian spanish and swedish visitors can have a meal at the delegates dining room featuring a buffet of food from all over the world
apples don't grow in new york city, so that's not why it's called the big apple there are many legends about how the city that never sleeps got its name one story says that a famous brothel owner named eve gave the city its name another version of its history claims the name has its roots in show business with performers calling, new york the big apple since it was the best place to get noticed there is one legend that says the city got its name because of the large number of unemployed selling apples on the streets of new york city during the great depression the
term more likely has its roots in horse-racing from the 1920s prices were called apples and a newspaper reporter when writing about races often would call the big prize the big apple in fact the big apple soon was used to mean any big city in the late 1920s through 1940s the big apple was not just a nickname for new york it was also the name of a song he danced and a place to dance and sing new york city was the first heart of the jazz music scene in the 1930s and 1940s harlem uptown manhattan there was a club called the big apple there was also a
1938 short film of the same name featuring black jazz musicians and dancers in the 1970s the city tourism agency began using the term the big apple on purpose there is even a street corner in manhattan called big apple corner one new york city baseball team the new york mets have a big red apple that pops out whenever the mets hit a home run in their stadium citi field while the origins of big apple nickname are unclear it seems to be here to stay the original world trade center opened in new york city in 1973
the most famous part of the complex of buildings was the twin towers? they were named because they were almost exactly the same the only difference is that one had a tall antenna on the top? when they were built the 1360 eight-foot tall buildings were the tallest in the world such tall buildings needed a way for people to travel in them the towers had 95 elevators in total visitors used to travel to the 107 and
110 floors where there were observation decks from which one could see the entire city and new jersey? inside there were offices shops a hotel and on the top floor one of the towers there was a restaurant called windows on the world the restaurant even hosted a salsa night on thursdays a number of subway lines ran underneath the towers the world trade center complex with a total of seven buildings was so large that it had its own zip code in 1974 a frenchman walked a tightrope between the twin towers
the world trade center survived a bombing in 1993 the skyline and spirit of new york city were changed after september 11 that morning two planes crashed into the world trade center in downtown, manhattan at first the top floors of the buildings were in flames soon, they came tumbling down covering lower, manhattan in hot metal and ash a total of two thousand seven hundred and fifty three people died for weeks the air smelled of burnt metal and plastic it took eight months for the site to be cleaned years later the world trade center is rebuilding there is a new tower called the freedom tower
there is also a memorial and a museum to honor those who died in the 2001 attack? green isn't the first word that pops into most people's head when they think of new york city yet in the middle of manhattan island is the most visited park in the united states with 35 million visitors a year central park a national historical landmark takes up 843 acres of land it is a green space where people go to escape the noise and crowds of urban life before it opened in 1857 it wasn't an empty space people lived on that land
they were mostly poor free blacks irish and italian immigrants they were forced off the land to construct the park one section of the park is called sheet-metal now it's just a grassy area where people can lay in the sun, but actual sheep used to graze there from 1864 to 1934 the sheep from there were eventually moved to another park in the city many events take place in central park especially in the warm spring and summer months there is an outdoor theater where shakespeare's plays are performed
the plays are free, which causes such high demand that people line up for hours before performances to get inside there are also free music concerts every summer a stage is set up these summer stage concerts feature musicians from all over the world both the new york philharmonic, orchestra and the metropolitan opera also, host free performances in the park in the spring and summer there are also two small zoos inside the park there are a number of small lakes in the park one of the lakes friends out a small mechanical sailboats
there is also a puppet theater and a carousel for kids the park is not dead in the winter when it snows families often go to sled or to go ice skating in an outdoor rink owned by donald trump the mall baro man was a fictional character who appeared in several advertising campaigns for the philip morris corporation his ads ran on television from 1964 through 1999 effectively entering the collective conscience of the american people for generations philip morris is one of the largest tobacco producing companies in the world and the corporation used the marlboro man
with great success over the years the marlboro man was a strong rugged looking man who wrote a mighty horse and traveled throughout the country promoting tobacco products he appeared in television radio print and billboard ads for decades when the united states surgeon general deemed tobacco smoke as unhealthy in the 1960s the beginning of the end for the marlboro man had begun
the surgeon general began an anti-smoking camp by requiring all cigarette companies to place its warning label on each package sold in the country the warning included the wording that tobacco smoke can cause lung cancer soon the pressure was on the tobacco companies to curb their advertising campaigns in 1955 tobacco sales reached 15 billion in the united states alone after the marlboro man was introduced to the american public that total reached 20 billion this increase was largely based on the malboro man campaign the company also started an advertising scheme by offering genuine marlboro man gear for sale these commodities were of high quality
that appealed to the outdoor type of person the gear ranged from camping equipment hats to outdoor clothing. it was very successful in its time this success came at a great expense though for men who portrayed the marlboro man died of lung cancer earning malboro cigarettes as the cowboy killer the mall bore omen is still popular in some parts of europe and japan where smoking is still in vogue the beetles are an english group of musicians from liverpool england
that took america by storm with their appearance on the ed sullivan show on prime-time television the group's first appearance was seen by more than 73 million viewers in february 1964 introducing the band to the american people in the months to follow the group became the biggest rock-and-roll band ever to hit the united states the group's success opened the door for other british bands to make their way to america
bands such as the rolling stones the who the kinks and the dave clark five were soon playing their music to american audiences the beatles were made up by four of the finest musicians to ever play rock music their lead singer was paul mccartney and drummer ringo starr both still played to this day two of the original members singers songwriters, john lennon and george harrison have tragically passed away but their music lives in american culture to this day
the beatles have sold more records in the united states than any other country in the world there was controversy in the u.s.. prior to the group's first appearance conservative americans viewed the beatles as up starts with brash new ideas lyrics and sound the young generation of the time was ready for a change and the beatles gave them what they wanted they were nicknamed the mop tops because of their long bowl-like haircuts. they flew in the face of convention in the 60s nothing was going to stop the beatles though. their music is as popular today as it was 50 plus years ago this february the grammy awards presented a special telecast
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group's first appearance on the ed sullivan show the griffith observatory is a planetarium and an exhibit hall located in los angeles, griffith park it features several astronomical displays and telescopes in the hollywood hills in the los feliz district of the city the observatory was built on land donated by griffith j griffith in 1896
griffith was a welsh born the lad pissed and mining tycoon who wanted to give the public access to a state-of-the-art observatory so it was free of charge to visitors he felt common people should be able to enjoy the wonders of the universe and not be solely for the scientific community griffith donated three thousand and fifteen acres of land specifically to house the observatory that opened on may 14 1935 during the first five days after the opening the planetarium averaged more than
13,000 visitors a day one of the major attractions was the full call pendulum that is designed to show the earth's rotation and disease reflecting telescope the observatory has a striking view of los angeles and hollywood and the pacific ocean can be seen on clear days from there in 2002 the planetarium was subjected to a 93 million dollar renovation and expansion which closed the museum for four years after it reopened in 2006 the facility expanded underground with new exhibits a cafe a
gift shop and a theatre the wilder hall of the eye section concentrates on the astronomical aspect of the observatory it is where people can view the stars through the observatory's telescope and features an interactive exhibit that is very popular the ahmanson hall of the sky is another popular attraction for viewing images in the night sky that are visible to the naked. eye the observatory frequently stages viewing nights when the public is invited to bring their own telescopes it
is open daily and remains free of charge the united states is a country that has people from all over the world not only do many people speak different languages many people practice different religions most people in the u.s. identify as being christian, but only half of those people attend church on a regular basis the second most popular religion is judaism the third most common religion in the u.s.. is islam
other religions practiced in the u.s.. include hinduism and buddhism about 20% of all people in the u.s.. say they don't practice any religion one of the founding principles of the united states is religious freedom which means people can practice whatever religion they want without being discriminated against this is even guaranteed in the us constitution this is one reason why the united states has no official religion because there are so many different religions in the united states there are many different types of houses of worship
christians attend churches jews and hindus attend temples muslims attend mosques many people use what they were to reflect their religious beliefs for example some islamic women or a scarf called hijab to cover their head it is disrespectful to ask a muslim woman to take off her hijab or ask her to show you what is under it male followers of an indian religion called sikhism usually wear cotton turbans again, it is wrong to take a person's turban off or ask that they take it off
male followers of hasidism a branch of judaism have long curls on the side of their heads they wear a fringe prayer shawl other jewish men may wear a small cap on their heads called a yarmouk this is supposed to be a constant reminder that god is above them the woodstock music and art fair commonly called, woodstock was an american music and art celebration that took place from august 15th through 18th 1969 it was billed as three days of peace and music and was a defining event for the young generation
of americans of the time the 1960s was an impactful era in american history many of the events that took place during those controversial 10 years profoundly affect modern american society today the war in vietnam was raging in the 60s and the popular president john f. kennedy was assassinated in these are just two of the events that define the decade there were many more historic events during that era that
deeply divided the country woodstock was designed to show how the young generation can coexist with the older generation of americans living in harmony with one another although the event did not occur in the town of woodstock, new york the city has become synonymous with the celebration more than 400,000 young people gathered at the dairy farm in the small town of white lake new york to witness music history in the making rolling stone magazine
listed the event as one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll some of the biggest names in rock history formed at the three-day event including the who the grateful dead janis joplin jefferson airplane and the late jimi hendrix and all 32 acts performed at the outdoor festival, and it was free charged to all two soundtracks were released in the following two years
both albums featured the live performances with introductions the documentary film woodstock was released in 1970 and received an oscar in the academy award for feature documentary category it was also deemed a culturally significant by the united states library of congress the united states department of veteran affairs more commonly known as the veterans administration is an organization dedicated to provide services for all veterans of the us military it was formed in july 1930 and today employs approximately
280,000 people at hundreds of its offices throughout the u.s. its annual budget for the 2014 fiscal year is nearly one hundred and fifty three billion dollars making it one of the largest government agencies in existence today the department is broken into three main subdivisions it consists of veterans health administration the veterans benefits administration and the national cemetery administration the va health administration is responsible for providing veterans with all health care issues while the benefits administration is
designed to help veterans in areas such as guaranteed home loans insurance vocational rehabilitation and educational benefits the national cemetery administration provides burial and memorial benefits and is interested with a maintenance of the va s cemeteries the va has served us veterans from several wars beginning with survivors of world war one it has continued the tradition of serving former military members by providing the services for those veterans who need help readjusting to civilian life
many of these veterans especially those who saw combat during their time in the military are in need of basic medical services for wounds suffered in conflicts this was the original concept for the creation of the va since that time the va has expanded greatly and now provides additional services such as educational benefits and home buying assistance it also helps those veterans who had become homeless after their service to their country ended there are approximately 30 million military veterans living in the u.s.. today that number represents nearly 10 percent of the population of the country today
one of the most impactful television series ever to run on american tv was married with children the show aired on the fox channel for 11 years and many believe it was responsible for keeping the new station alive during the early years in 1987 commercial tv in the united states was dominated by the big three the american broadcasting company abc the national broadcasting company nbc and the columbia broadcasting company cbs when the fox channel appeared on the scene few people gave it much chance to survive in the face of it's stiff competition but married with children changed all that the show followed the exploits of a dysfunctional family that lived in a fictional suburb of chicago
the main character was the father al bundy who was a lovable loser living with his self-centered wife and bratty kids? together the family makes al's life miserable as he stumbles and fumbles his way through life al works as a shoe salesman that pays very little and has little chance of promotion al is an endearing character who gained the adoration of the american public for many years the actor ed o'neill who played al said that people still approach him to this day calling him al or? mr., bundy
o'neal also said that playing the character for so many years made it difficult for him to find work once the series ended because people associated him with al one of the things that made the show so popular is that no subject was off-limits to the writers it was a controversial show that dealt with controversial subjects many people boycotted the show because of its racy content but fox continued on the show has cultivated a cult-like following that began in the 80s and continues today
one of the most recent social changes taking place in the united states and in the world is social networking social networking in itself is not a new development these types of groups have been in existence for at least 150 years and probably longer than that in the times before the invention of the personal computer and the advent of the world wide web social networking was done in person people who had similar likes and interests would gathered together to share experiences
make new contacts and promote themselves or their businesses on the internet social networking websites made their first appearance during the late 1990s the first major social networking website in the united states was my space myspace was a comprehensive social networking site that allowed its users to exchange messages share pictures and make new friends in a way that was never thought of in the past with myspace people who did not go out much could reach out to others from the comfort of their own homes in
2004 facebook was created it was originally a website created for use by harvard university students graduates and faculty but it soon expanded to include just about everyone facebook is an elaborate social networking site that has grown incredibly fast it is now larger than some of the largest companies in the world. it is a website. that is in constant change new features are added regularly facebook has revolutionized the way people stay connected with each other and the rest of the world
the way it works is simple users can set up a new account easily all a new user needs is an email address to start once a person has created an account. he or she can invite friends by sending a request out to people they know who also have their own facebook pages once you get started making new friends will come easily in the united states people love to throw parties for men reasons of course there are the usual birthday parties, but some people even have parties to celebrate divorces no matter. what kind of party you are going to
it's a good idea to make sure you are actually invited it's considered rude to just show up unless the host the person giving the party invited you you will either get a paper email or verbal invitation to a party alternately you can also go as a guest of someone else invited like as his or her date once invited it is very important to let the hosts know if you are actually is going to show up many times hosts have a party catered that is other people who prepare the food they need to know how much food to have
letting them know if you are showing up or not helps the host and is considered polite it's also important to be relatively punctual for a party most parties in the u.s.. never start exactly when they say they will many people like to be fashionably late that is showing up about 30 minutes after the party is supposed to start people like to do this to make a big entrance showing up more than 30 minutes before or after is considered rude, though if you show up too early you are likely to interrupt valuable preparation time of the host if you show up too late. you are just being rude
even if it is not a birthday party it is polite to bring a gift for the host it doesn't need to be a fancy gift a bottle of wine or even flowers is polite and will be appreciated a bridal shower is a party when a woman who about to get married is showered with gifts and well wishes a bride-to-be will often register at one or several department stores and create a list of things? she would like people to give her as presents
this makes it easy for guests of both the bridal shower and the wedding itself to know what kind of things the bride wants a registry also makes sure that there are no duplicate presence a bride may want a blender but she sure doesn't want to receive three and have to deal with the hassle of returning extras most bridal shower gifts are items that a newly married couple needs to start their life together these gifts include dishes pots pans and even appliances like toasters and microwave ovens many brides also look forward to receiving some money
cash or checks are considered appropriate gifts for a bridal shower the money comes in handy to help pay for an expensive wedding sometimes people bring tasteless gifts like lingerie to bridal showers some people think those gifts are good because they help the new couple spice up their married life others find these types of presents embarrassing while many bridal showers are surprises others are pen with input from the bride-to-be a bridal shower can be small an intimate and held in someone's home it can also be a larger affair
held at a restaurant or a catering hall sometimes snacks and desserts are served, or a full meal can be offered traditionally bridal showers or women only affairs more and more showers are now co-ed with men and women traditionally men are not invited to bridal showers, but now more showers include men and the groom to be like many parties in the u.s.. there would be no dancing at the bridal shower. just eating and people chatting some bridal showers even have games
while many women are involved in planning their bridal showers a baby shower usually comes as a complete surprise a baby shower is a party where a pregnant woman is a showered with gifts and good wishes a baby shower is usually given by a close female friend or relative of the mother-to-be sometimes co-workers of a pregnant person will also throw a baby shower the baby shower is usually given when the mother-to-be is between 6 and 9 months pregnant sometimes though
because predicting the due date of a baby isn't always exact a baby shower can happen after the baby is born a baby shower can be held in someone's home or outside like in a restaurant or a catering hall traditionally only women are invited to a baby shower however more and more baby showers are also including the father-to-be like with a bridal shower a mother-to-be will often register a wish list of things she wants at one or several stores this list usually consists of things the mother wants for her, baby
including clothes diapers and even furniture like high chairs and cribs this way friends and family members can go to the store and buy something from the list registering helps make sure that there aren't repeat items like dirty bottles on a new mom only needed 15 some baby showers also feature a paper mache wishing well this is not just for decoration people can put cards inside with wishes for the new baby and mom most of these cards also contain money or gift cards to help the mom-to-be
buy whatever else she needs for the baby sometimes there are games at a baby shower in one game everyone guesses the due date of the baby another game has people taste baby food and guess the flavor