Alabama's capitol served as the first capital of the Confederacy, and there's a brass star on one of the porticos marking the spot where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as its president, according to the Alabama Historical Commission.

The building that stands today was constructed in 1851, after a fire burned down the original building in 1849, according to the Alabama Historical Commission.

One of the more famous parts of the capitol grounds is the Avenue of Flags. It has the flag of every state, plus a native rock from each state at the base of its flag. It was dedicated in 1968, according to Exploring Montgomery.

The Alaska State Capitol, completed in 1931, doesn't look much different from any other office building in Juneau, save for the marble columns. According to Alaska's official website, it is one of the few state capitols that do not feature a dome.

As The New York Times reported in 1981, neither the building nor the location was popular with locals — both were chosen because of cost concerns shaping both construction and relocations. Voters approved a measure in the 1970s to move the capitol, but the effort ultimately failed.

As recently as 2022, Alaskan senators sponsored a bill to move the capital, this time to Willow, reported Alaska Public Media, but for now, Juneau remains the Last Frontier's capital city.

Arizona's capitol was dedicated in 1901. It stopped being the home of the legislative branches of government in 1960, and by 1978, all government officials had been moved to other buildings nearby in an area called the Capitol Complex.

The original building was then officially converted into a museum open to the public.

Arkansas' capitol took 16 years to complete. Construction lasted from 1899 to 1915, and the building was originally designed by architect George R. Mann, with later revisions by Cass Gilbert, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

This building replaced the State House, which is now the Old State House Museum, according to Arkansas Heritage.

The building was constructed between 1860 and 1874, and designed by Reuben S. Clark. It has been listed as a California Historical Landmark since 1974, according to the Historic State Capitol Commission.

Its design was based on the US Capitol in Washington, DC, among other well-known American buildings, according to the State of California Capitol Museum.

The California State Capitol is located inside the 40-acre Capitol Park, which contains trees from around the world, a World Peace Rose Garden, and the Civil War Memorial Grove.

The Colorado Capitol, which was completed in 1901, was also designed to look like the US Capitol, but with a Colorado twist: The dome is covered in real gold leaf donated by gold miners to reference the Colorado Gold Rush from 1858 to 1861, according to the Colorado General Assembly.

The current Connecticut State Capitol is actually the third capitol the state has had since the American Revolution. This one, designed by Richard M. Upjohn, opened in 1879, according to Connecticut's official state website.

The golden dome is surrounded by six pairs of statues representing agriculture, commerce, education and law, force and war, science and justice, and music, according to the State Capitol Preservation & Restoration Commission.

The Delaware Legislative Hall was dedicated in 1933 and replaced the Old State House, which is opposite the Hall on the capitol mall. It was designed in the Colonial Revival style by E. William Martin, according to Delaware's official state website.

The United States Capitol is located on Capitol Hill in DC. It was in construction for decades, partially destroyed in 1814, and then finally finished in 1829, according to Architect of the Capitol. The famous, gigantic dome was later added during an expansive addition in 1855, designed by Thomas U. Walter.

Atop the dome sits the "Statue of Freedom," a 19-foot statue of a woman wearing a battle helmet, holding a sheathed sword in one hand, and a laurel wreath and shield in the other. She's been there since 1863, according to Architect of the Capitol.

The current capitol, also called the New Capitol, is located directly in front of the original — together, they form the Capitol Complex. The New Capitol was built in 1977 by architect Edward Durell Stone and the firm of Reynolds, Smith, and Hills, according to the Florida Capitol website.

The website reports the building was designed in an "international style to reflect a modern Florida," and includes a 22-story central tower.

The Old Capitol still stands, and it was restored to its original 1902 glory in the '80s. Currently, the building is the Florida Historic Capitol Museum.

Georgia's capitol was finished in 1889 and designed by Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin P. Burnham, according to the city of Atlanta's website. It sits on the site of the former Atlanta City Hall/Fulton County Courthouse, which was there from 1854 to 1994.

According to the city, it's one of 43 National Historic Landmarks in the state.

At the dedication of the Hawaiian capitol in 1969, then-Governor John A. Burns explained the design of the building, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported.

"In this great State Capitol there are no doors at the grand entrances which open toward the mountains and toward the sea," he said. "There is no roof or dome to separate its vast inner court from the heavens and from the same eternal stars which guided the first voyagers to the primeval beauty of these shores."

The building is also surrounded by a reflecting pool meant to symbolize the Pacific Ocean, which surrounds the chain of 137 recognized islands that make up Hawaii, according to the State of Hawaii.

Idaho's capitol was designed by architects J.E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel, and was constructed between 1905 and 1920. According to Idaho's Capitol Commission, it's the only capitol in the US that is heated by geothermal water. It comes from a spring 3,000 feet underground.

According to a pamphlet by the Illinois Secretary of State's office, the current capitol (the state's sixth) was completed in 1888, 20 years after crews broke ground. At the time of its construction, the limestone dome was illuminated by 144 gas jets. However, the carbon emitted by those jets eventually turned the dome black.

It took 100 years, but it was finally cleaned in 1986.

According to the Indiana Department of Administration, Indiana's capitol was completed in 1888, and is home to all executive offices, the Indiana State Senate, the Indiana House of Representatives, and the Indiana State Supreme Court, among others. It was constructed with Indiana limestone.

The large golden dome is 23 carats, and the entire building is 275 feet tall, according to a visitor's guide. It's been re-gilded four times since its construction in 1886.

Overall, Iowa's capitol has a total of five domes, making it the only capitol in the US with five.

Kansas' capitol dome is topped with a statue called "Ad astra" (Latin for "to the stars"), which is part of the state's motto, "ad astra per aspera" ("to the stars through difficulties"), according to the Kansas Historical Society.

The statue itself is a bronze depiction of a warrior from the Kansa tribe (also known as the Kaw Nation or Kanza), who call Kansas home and gave the state its name.

The entire building took 37 years to construct, also according to the Kansas Historical Society, from 1866 to 1903. 

Kentucky's capitol was designed by Frank Mills Andrews, according to Kentucky's official state website. There are also statues lining the front portico that represent Kentucky, the central figure, with Progress, History, Plenty, Law, Art, and Labor as her "attendants," according to the state website.

The current building is the fourth capitol in the state, and it was completed in 1910.

The Louisiana Capitol is just one of nine capitols in the US that doesn't feature a dome — and at 450 feet tall (or 34 floors), it's also the tallest capitol in the country, according to Louisiana's House of Representatives.

It was dedicated in 1932, without the person who had spearheaded the effort to build it, Senator Huey P. Long, a controversial figure in Louisiana's history, as reported by Encyclopedia Britannica.

The capital of Maine was originally Portland when the state broke away from Massachusetts in 1820. But when Mainers asked for a more centrally located capital city, Augusta was chosen in 1827, according to the Maine State Legislature. The building was completed by 1832.

The State House's dome is topped with a female figure of Wisdom, which was designed by sculptor W. Clark Noble of Gardiner, a town 6 miles from Augusta.

Maryland's State House is the oldest capitol in continuous legislative use in the US, built in 1779, according to its official website. It's also the only state capitol to have once served as the US capitol when the Continental Congress met there from 1783 to 1784, according to the website.

The Massachusetts State House, built in 1789, originally had a wooden dome, but Paul Revere's own company was responsible for covering it in copper in 1802, CBS News reported.

And the land it was built on? It used to be owned by none other than John Hancock, who was Massachusetts' first elected governor.

The floors of Michigan's capitol, which was dedicated in 1879, are made of limestone and have visible fossils in them, as you can see on the capitol's official website.

According to Explore Minnesota, the state's capitol is the second-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, only behind St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Architect Cass Gilbert insisted on using Georgia marble for the dome, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Some were critical of using out-of-state materials, so as a compromise, the contractor leased the quarry in Georgia and imported the rough marble so Minnesotans could do the work in-state.

It took nine years, but was completed in 1905.

Designed by architect Theodore Link and constructed between 1901 and 1903, Mississippi's state capitol was built on the site of an old state penitentiary, according to the state capitol's official website. The building spans 171,000 square feet and features 4,750 original electric light fixtures, as well as an 8-foot statue of an eagle on the top of its dome.

Missouri's state capitol was completed in 1917, according to its official website. Ceres, the goddess of grain, sits at the top of its dome.

In addition to Missouri's state legislature, the 500,000-square-foot building houses the Missouri State Museum with exhibits about the state's history and natural resources.

The main building of Montana's state capitol was completed in 1902, and its two wings were added in 1911 and 1912, according to the Montana Historical Society. Inside, the building features works of art such as the mural "Lewis and Clark Meeting Indians at Ross' Hole," painted by Charles M. Russell in 1912.

Nebraska's state capitol was designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and completed in 1932, according to its official website. The 400-foot tower is topped with a 19-foot bronze statue called "The Sower."

It is the only state legislature to be unicameral, meaning it only has one chamber.

Nevada's state capitol was built from 1870 to 1871 out of sandstone sourced from a quarry belonging to Abe Curry, the founder of Carson City, according to Travel Nevada. It features a silver-colored dome, a nod to Nevada's nickname as "the silver state."

The New Hampshire State House was constructed between 1816 and 1819 with locally sourced granite from Rattlesnake Hill in Concord, according to the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources.

In 1818, a wooden sculpture of an eagle painted with gold was installed on top of the capitol dome. It was replaced with a copper replica in 1957, but the original sculpture can be viewed on display inside the capitol, according to EverGreene, the architecture firm that restored the State House's gold-plated dome.

After Maryland, New Jersey State House is the second-oldest capitol still in use, completed in 1792, according to the state of New Jersey's official website. Much of the original building, designed by architect Jonathan Doane, was destroyed in a fire in 1885.

Architect Lewis Broome restored the capitol and added a cast-iron dome plated with copper and gold and featuring the Latin phrase "Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum," meaning  "There must be justice even though the heavens fall."

New Mexico's capitol, known as the Roundhouse, is the only round capitol in the US, according to Santa Fe's official tourist website. Architect Willard C. Kruger modeled the design after the Zia sun symbol, which he also incorporated into the capitol rotunda skylight. The symbol is also part of New Mexico's state flag.

When New York's state capitol in Albany was finally finished after 32 years in 1899, it was at a cost of $25 million, making it one of the most expensive government projects in the US. In 2013, The New York Times reported the figure was equivalent to more than half a billion dollars today.

Inside the granite building, visitors can find 25 murals by William deLeftwich Dodge in the Governor's Reception Room.

Completed in 1840, North Carolina's 3-story capitol includes a copper dome, according to the National Park Service.

North Dakota's state capitol is the tallest building in the state at 241 feet and 8 inches tall, according to the official government website. The Art-Deco structure is nicknamed the "Skyscraper on the Prairie," according to the Society of Architecture Historians.

Construction of the Ohio Statehouse took over 20 years, from 1839 to 1861, according to its official website. Much of the work was done by prisoners at Ohio Penitentiary, some of whom left graffiti on the walls that was uncovered during restoration work, the website says. Built in the Greek-Revival architecture style out of Columbus limestone, the Statehouse is a designated National Historic Landmark.

Built in 1917, the dome on Oklahoma's capitol was added more recently, in 2002, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society — it was left out of the original construction due to costs. The grounds of Oklahoma's capitol also had active oil rigs until 1986. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Oregon's Art Deco capitol is made of white Vermont marble with a gold statue of an "Oregon Pioneer" atop the dome, according to the capitol's official website. In-person guided tours are paused due to construction.

Pennsylvania's capitol, designed by architect Joseph Huston, cost $13 million to build when it was completed in 1906, which would be over $403 million today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The building's 272-foot dome is decorated with green glazed terra cotta tile, according to the capitol's official website.

The Rhode Island State House, built between 1895 and 1904, features the fourth-largest freestanding marble dome in the world, according to the Rhode Island Restoration Committee's official website. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970.

The construction of the South Carolina State House began in 1854, but halted due to the Civil War. The building still features cannonball marks from when the Union army captured Columbia in 1865, according to Discover South Carolina. The State House was finally completed in 1903, and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976, according to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

A portrait of state senator Clementa Pinckney, who was killed in the 2015 shooting at Charleston's Mother Emanuel AME Church, hangs in the Senate Gallery.

South Dakota's state capitol was constructed between 1905 and 1910, not long after South Dakota became a US state in 1889, according to the South Dakota Bureau of Administration. An annex was added in 1932. The Neoclassical building features scagliola plaster columns, war memorials, and stained-glass windows, according to Travel South Dakota.

The Tennessee State Capitol opened in 1859. The architect, William Strickland, died during its construction in 1854 and was buried on the capitol grounds along with President James K. Polk and first lady Sarah Childress Polk, according to the Tennessee State Museum.

Completed in 1888, the Texas State Capitol dome is topped with a statue of Libertas, the goddess of liberty, according to the official website for the Texas House of Representatives. It stands 14 feet taller than the US Capitol.

Utah's State Capitol was designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting and was completed in 1916, according to its official website. The rotunda features bronze and marble statues of Native American leaders, LDS pioneers, and US presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, according to its website.

The Vermont State House, designed in the Greek Revival architecture style, dates back to 1857, according to the National Park Service. A statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, adorns the top of the dome.

Thomas Jefferson designed Virginia's state capitol to look like the ancient Roman temple of Maison Carée, according to the Virginia General Assembly's official website. The building also features a bronze statue of Jefferson, who is depicted holding the capitol's architectural blueprints.

The Washington State Legislative Building features the tallest freestanding masonry dome in North America at 287 feet, according to the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. Designed by Walter Wilder and Harry White, it was completed in 1928.

West Virginia's capitol, designed by Cass Gilbert, took eight years and almost $10 million to construct before its completion in 1932, according to its official website. The dome stands at 293 feet tall — 5 feet higher than the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

Wisconsin's state capitol features the only granite dome in the US, according to Travel Wisconsin. On top of the dome, a gilded bronze statue by Daniel Chester French is aptly named "Wisconsin."

Wyoming's state capitol, constructed between 1886 and 1890, was built in the Renaissance Revival architecture style, according to the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information. It is one of 20 state capitols designated as a National Historic Landmark, according to the National Park Service.

A Nicholas Sparks must-read is "The Longest Ride," which follows two interconnected love stories: Ira Levinson, an elderly man reflecting on his lifelong love for his late wife, Ruth, and Sophia Danko, a college student who falls for Luke Collins, a professional bull rider. As Sophia and Luke navigate their own relationship and the obstacles in their path, Ira's memories unfold alongside theirs, revealing parallels between the two couples.

The New York Times bestseller, released in 2013, deftly weaves these two love stories together, creating a feeling that is deeply personal. The contrast between Ira and Ruth's enduring, decadeslong relationship and Sophia and Luke's more immediate, uncertain romance adds emotional depth and complexity.

The book shows how love can evolve over time through loss and amid difficult choices. There's also something moving about how art, memory, and sacrifice tie everything together, giving the novel a more reflective, lasting impact.

If you love the book as I do, the movie — released in 2015 and starring Clint Eastwood and Britt Robertson — is equally good.

"The Longest Ride" had a modest box-office performance, grossing about $63 million worldwide against a $34 million budget, making it a mild financial success but not a major hit, according to Box Office Mojo.

Plus, who doesn't want to stare at Scott Eastwood in a cowboy hat?

"The Last Song" is another Nicholas Sparks classic that balances romance with a deeper, more emotional story about family, forgiveness, and growing up.

The New York Times bestseller, released in 2009, follows Ronnie Miller, a rebellious teenager sent to spend the summer with her estranged father in a small beach town. Initially resistant, Ronnie slowly begins to reconnect with him through their shared love of music while also forming a relationship with a local boy, Will. As the summer unfolds, secrets are revealed, and relationships deepen, leading Ronnie to confront difficult truths about love, family, and loss.

Ronnie's journey feels especially real — she's not instantly likable, but watching her slowly open up, reconnect with her father, and find love makes the story more meaningful. It's not just about the relationship; it's about healing and second chances, giving it a different kind of emotional weight than a typical romance. The mix of love, music, and loss made it a story that really stayed with me.

The movie, released in 2010, stands out because it brings the story's emotion to life, with Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. Their on-screen chemistry feels genuine, especially given their real-life relationship that followed (but eventually ended).

"The Last Song" was a box-office success, earning about $89 million worldwide against a $20 million budget, driven largely by strong domestic performance, per Box Office Mojo data.

"Dear John" is another of my favorites by Sparks because it captures that specific kind of love that feels intense, real, and a little bit out of reach. The New York Times bestseller was released in 2006.

The story follows John Tyree, a soldier on leave, who falls in love with Savannah Curtis, a college student, during a brief summer together. As John returns to the Army, the two maintain their relationship through letters, navigating the challenges of distance and changing life circumstances.

Over time, their love is tested by duty, personal growth, and unexpected choices, turning their story into a bittersweet exploration of what it means to love someone even when life pulls you in different directions.

This feels like a realistic story: John and Savannah's relationship is affected by distance, timing, and real-life responsibilities.

There's something especially emotional about the way their connection unfolds through letters, giving their love story a sense of intimacy and longing. It's not a perfect or easy romance, and that's part of why it resonates — it shows how love can be powerful even when it doesn't work out the way you hope.

The "Dear John" movie keeps the book's emotional heart, while making the romance feel more like Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried brought the characters to life. Seeing their story play out in the 2010 film adds another layer to the longing and heartbreak, making the film hit just as hard as the novel.

The "Dear John" movie earned about $115 million worldwide against a $25 million budget, per Box Office Mojo, driven by a strong opening weekend despite mixed reviews.

"A Walk to Remember" is another Sparks staple, released in 1999. It tells a simple, heartfelt story that somehow hits incredibly hard.

The New York Times bestseller follows Landon Carter, a popular but aimless high school senior, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he's forced to participate in a school play and ends up spending time with Jamie Sullivan, the quiet, deeply religious daughter of the town's minister.

As their relationship grows, Landon begins to see the world and himself differently through Jamie's kindness, faith, and unwavering sense of purpose.

What starts as an unlikely connection develops into a profound love story, ultimately revealing deeper truths about compassion, sacrifice, and the lasting impact one person can have on another.

It doesn't rely on grand twists — it's the emotional buildup and inevitability of the ending that really stayed with me. It's one of those books that feels tender and honest, and it lingers long after you finish.

Not only is the book one to remember, but so is the film, which was released in 2002.

Mandy Moore and Shane West bring Jamie and Landon to life in a way that highlights their growth and chemistry, making their relationship feel authentic. These roles couldn't have been cast better.

According to Box Office Mojo, "A Walk to Remember" earned about $47.5 million worldwide against a $11.8 million budget.

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, I'd highly recommend it. Don't forget the tissues.

"The Notebook" is, hands down, my favorite Nicholas Sparks book. Who doesn't love Noah and Allie's love story?

"The Notebook" was released in 1996. The two young lovers from very different backgrounds fall deeply in love one summer in North Carolina. When life pulls them apart, years pass, and they build separate lives, but their connection never fully fades.

The New York Times bestseller is framed by an older Noah reading their story to Allie in a nursing home, a level of devotion hard to top, turning the novel into something not just about falling in love, but about choosing it again and again.

The love between Noah and Allie feels both idealized and grounded, spanning years, obstacles, and, ultimately, memory loss, making it more powerful than a typical love story. I really admired Noah's strength and patience.

The movie adaptation of "The Notebook" is one of those rare cases where the film is just as good as the book.

It captures the same sweeping romance and emotional depth, while adding a layer of intensity through Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams' unforgettable chemistry.

Iconic moments like the rain-soaked reunion bring the story to life in a way that feels just as powerful as it does on the page.

The movie, which earned about $118 million worldwide against a $29 million budget, doesn't just complement the novel — it stands right alongside it.

In my opinion, "Nights in Rodanthe" is worth skipping because it feels less emotionally developed than Sparks's stronger novels.

I know some Sparks fans love this one, but "Nights in Rodanthe" didn't fully hold my attention. The New York Times bestseller felt a bit thin, with a romance that unfolds too quickly to feel deeply immersive or memorable.

The book "Nights in Rodanthe " was published in 2002, and a film adaptation was released in 2008, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane.

Adrienne and Paul's relationship never quite reaches the emotional depth of Sparks' more layered love stories, which made it harder for me to fully invest in their connection. While the novel includes his signature themes of longing and heartbreak, I think it ultimately lacks the lasting impact that defines his best work.

"Dreamland," one of Sparks' more recent novels and a New York Times bestseller released in 2022, follows two intertwining storylines — a man navigating a complicated relationship and a single father trying to protect his young son — as it explores themes of love, risk, and second chances.

To me, "Dreamland" felt more scattered than cohesive, juggling multiple storylines without fully developing any of them. While it touches on heavier themes, the emotional payoff didn't land as well for me as in Sparks' best novels, which made it hard for me to stay invested.

Compared to his more focused, deeply romantic stories, this one feels less memorable and a bit uneven overall.

"The Wish," which came out in 2021, follows Maggie Dawes, a successful photographer, as she reflects on a life-changing teenage romance and the choices that shaped her future, moving between her past and present to explore love, loss, and second chances.

Yes, the New York Times bestseller has the elements of romance and reflection you'd expect, but the story can feel predictable, and the emotional moments didn't hit me as hard as in his stronger novels.

In my opinion, compared to his best work, it lacks that lasting impact that really stays with you.

The next Nicholas Sparks book I'd skip is one of his newer books that came out in 2024, "Counting Miracles."

The New York Times bestseller follows a group of characters whose lives intersect as they grapple with love, loss, and the idea of fate, ultimately exploring how small, unexpected moments can shape a life.

I felt like "Counting Miracles" tried a little too hard to be emotional, without the depth that makes Sparks' best books stand out. Rather than being moving and uplifting, the story and characters felt pretty predictable, which made it harder for me to stay interested or really connect with it.

It just wasn't my favorite, to be honest.

My final skip goes to "The Return," released in 2020. The book follows Trevor Benson, a wounded Army doctor who returns home to North Carolina after his grandfather's death.

While adjusting to a quieter life, he becomes involved with a local sheriff's deputy, Natalie, and forms an unexpected bond with a young girl named Callie, who may hold answers about his grandfather's past. As Trevor navigates love and unanswered questions, the story explores themes of healing, trust, and second chances.

The New York Times bestseller feels less emotionally gripping and more predictable than Nicholas Sparks' strongest novels. While it has all the familiar elements — romance, mystery, and personal growth — it doesn't quite come together in a way that feels fresh or especially memorable, which made it hard for me to stay fully invested.

Ultimately, this story didn't give me the chills like "The Notebook" or "A Walk To Remember" did.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a temporary bomb shelter was built in the Treasury Department in 1941.

When Roosevelt expanded the East Wing and added a second story in 1942, a new presidential bomb shelter was built beneath it. It featured a bedroom and bathroom, as well as ventilation masks, food, and communications equipment, all fortified behind concrete walls.

"The best time to construct something underground is when you're building something above ground, especially when it comes to the White House," Costello said.

During these White House renovations, Roosevelt also converted a cloakroom in the East Wing into a movie theater.

The four-year, $5.7 million renovation was required to reinforce the entire White House structure, which had begun to sag into the ground. The Trumans temporarily moved to Blair House as workers hollowed out the White House.

"When they do the Truman renovation, where they essentially gut the inside of the house and then rebuild it from the inside out with concrete and steel, they really are fortifying the White House to serve as a bomb shelter," Costello said.

As the world entered the age of nuclear weapons, the PEOC was also expanded and updated during this renovation.

"As there are these wider changes around the world, they impact how presidential security is revisited, reassessed, and then adapted as needed," Costello said.

When the first plane hit, Cheney turned on the news in his office at the White House. After the second plane hit, his lead Secret Service agent burst in to escort him to the PEOC, Cheney said in an interview with the American Enterprise Institute in 2011.

Cheney said the Secret Service agent "put one hand on the back of my belt, one hand on my shoulder," and "literally propelled me out of my office."

Cheney was joined in the PEOC by staff members, including National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, and Presidential Counselor Karen Hughes. He advised President George W. Bush, who was in Florida at the time, not to return to Washington, DC, marking the first time in US history that the continuity of government operations plan was implemented.

Rare photos of the PEOC on September 11 were released by the National Archives in 2014 as part of a Freedom of Information Act request, offering a glimpse inside the top-secret space.

"As far as I'm aware of, I think those are the only publicly released ones, and they were publicly released because they were forced to be released," Costello said of the images.

The photos showed a conference room with phones, video call capabilities, television screens playing news reports, world clocks, and a map of the United States.

"I was hustled inside and downstairs through a pair of big steel doors that closed behind me with a loud hiss, forming an airtight seal," she wrote in "Spoken from the Heart" of her experience on September 11.

"I was now in one of the unfinished subterranean hallways underneath the White House, heading for the PEOC, the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, built for President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II. We walked along old tile floors with pipes hanging from the ceiling and all kinds of mechanical equipment."

Laura Bush wrote in her memoir that George W. Bush arrived at the PEOC at 7:10 p.m. on September 11.

When the Secret Service suggested that she and her husband spend the night in the secure bunker, Laura Bush wrote that they declined because the foldout bed "looked like it had been installed when FDR was president."

It was widely reported that Trump was taken to the PEOC as a precaution when protesters breached temporary fences outside the White House. Trump told Fox News Radio that he had visited the bunker to inspect it, not to take shelter there.

"I was there for a tiny, short little period of time," Trump said. "They said it would be a good time to go down and take a look because maybe sometime you're going to need it."

The White House announced that the new ballroom would measure 90,000 square feet, seat around 1,000 people, and serve as a "much-needed and exquisite addition." Trump and other "patriot donors" will fund the $400 million project, the White House said.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's lawsuit alleged that Trump had no legal authority to demolish the East Wing and replace it with a ballroom.

In March, a federal judge's ruling halted above-ground construction until Congress approves the project, but allowed work related to "the safety and security of the White House" to continue.

Trump then confirmed what the lawsuit had alluded to: a new and improved PEOC was in the works.

"The military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed," he told reporters on board Air Force One on March 29.

He added that the ballroom would essentially function as a "shed" for the secure facility below.

"We have bio defense all over," he told reporters on March 31. "We have secure telecommunications and communications all over. We have bomb shelters that we're building. We have a hospital and very major medical facilities that we're building. We have all of these things, so that's called: I'm allowed to continue building as necessary."

A federal appeals court allowed construction to continue temporarily while it reviews the case more closely, with a formal hearing scheduled for June 5.

Leading Miami's billionaire migration is Ken Griffin. In June 2022, Citadel and Citadel Securities announced they would move their global headquarters from Chicago to Miami.

In April 2022, an entity tied to Citadel paid a then-record $363 million for a waterfront Brickell office development site.

Citadel now lists Miami as its global headquarters, and its new Brickell location is expected to have 1.2 million square feet of office space, according to its plans.

Meanwhile, Griffin purchased the $107 million, 4-acre Adrienne Arsht Estate in Coconut Grove in 2022, setting a Miami-Dade record at the time and becoming the first nine-figure home sale in the county's history.

While Citadel's permanent Brickell tower is still in development, Griffin has been one of the biggest figures betting on Miami as the next center of US commerce.

The company told Business Insider that the city was home to about 400 Citadel-affiliated employees, including some senior executives.

In 2023, the Amazon founder announced via an Instagram post that he was leaving Seattle for Miami

That fall, Bezos bought neighboring mansions in Miami's Indian Creek Island for $79 million and $68 million, in what was one of the highest-profile moves in Miami's billionaire era.

Bezos cited Blue Origin's operations in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and his parents' relocation back to the city as reasons for his return to Miami, where he attended high school.

On December 31, 2025, Thiel Capital — Peter Thiel's private investment firm — announced that it had opened a Wynwood office, saying the space would complement its Los Angeles operations.

The firm also said Thiel has maintained a personal residence in Miami since 2020, when he purchased an $18 million mansion in Miami's Venetian Islands.

In 2024, Thiel moved his voter registration to Florida, further formalizing his move to the state.

In March 2025, Michael Ferro Jr., chairman of the private equity firm Merrick Ventures, bought a 2.5-acre estate on Star Island for $120 million, setting what was then a record for a home sale in Miami-Dade County.

He also moved Merrick Ventures to Florida. The investment firm Ferro, founded in 2007 and previously based in Chicago, is now described on its website as a Florida-based private equity company focused on technology.

Along with Miami's influx of billionaires, the city has also become the American capital of soccer, with international figures like Lionel Messi and David Beckham investing in the sport's presence there.

In April 2025, FC Barcelona announced it would relocate its North American division's commercial offices from New York to Miami's One Biscayne Tower after receiving an incentive grant from the Miami Downtown Development Authority, an autonomous city agency focused on economic and business development.

Galderma, the parent company behind brands like Cetaphil and Differin, announced in June 2025 that it would establish its new US headquarters in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The company said it expects roughly 150 employees to be based there by 2028.

The skincare company cited the concentration of med spas and dermatology clinics in the Miami metro area, the rapid growth of aesthetic procedures in the region, and the size of the Miami Health District as drivers behind the move.

In August 2025, Playboy announced it would relocate its global headquarters from Los Angeles to Miami Beach. At the same time, it announced plans for a new Playboy Club in Miami Beach and new content studios in the city.

The company hopes to open its offices by September 2026.

"Miami Beach is among the most dynamic and culturally influential cities in the country, making it the ideal home for Playboy's next chapter," Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Inc., said in the statement.

In January, MSC Group's cruise division opened its new North American headquarters in downtown Miami.

The 130,000-square-foot office, located near PortMiami, is a roughly $100 million investment that will house more than 400 employees across MSC entities under one roof, MSC said in its announcement.

In February, Palantir announced it had moved its headquarters to Miami.

Regulatory filings placed the company's principal executive office at 19505 Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura, about 17 miles north of downtown Miami.

The address, which is also home to an Industrious coworking space, is located across from the sprawling Aventura Mall and sits above a Sweetgreen, a Starbucks, and a Lego store.

Months before, CEO Alex Karp quietly bought a $46 million mansion in Miami's Venetian Islands.

In March, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a LinkedIn post that he and his wife were leaving Seattle for Florida after more than four decades in the city. He wrote that they had moved to Miami for their "next adventure together."

The announcement followed Schultz's purchase of a $44 million penthouse at the Four Seasons Private Residences, a waterfront residential tower in Surfside.

The executive, who had long-established ties in Seattle — the city where the coffee chain was founded — is one of the newest neighbors in Miami's high-profile circles.

While the social media tycoon has not formally announced a relocation to Miami, Mark Zuckerberg made Miami history in March when he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, purchased a $170 million property on the appropriately nicknamed "Billionaire's Bunker," Indian Creek Island — the most expensive home sale in Miami-Dade County's history.

The still-under-construction property spans about 2 acres on the exclusive island, where Zuckerberg will be neighbors with Jeff Bezos, Ivanka Trump, and other notable figures.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have both made major moves into South Florida's luxury real-estate market in recent months.

Page, who has long been based in Palo Alto, California, spent roughly $173.4 million on two Coconut Grove properties — including a 4.5-acre waterfront compound on Biscayne Bay — in December and January.

In March, Brin, who has also been a longtime California resident based in the Bay Area, purchased the former Allison Island home of LVMH CEO Michael Burke for $51 million.

One of the most successful bands of all time, Alabama has sold over 56 million records, per the The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has scored 43 No. 1 hits. It also has 11 multi-platinum albums and two Grammys. The band, which formed in Fort Payne, Alabama, sold more records during the '80s than any other band. Not only is their success impressive by any measure, but they also did a lot to make country music popular in the mainstream.

Jeff Cook, a founding member, lead guitarist, and fiddler for the band, died at 73 in 2022, at his Florida home, leaving behind a legacy as a key architect of the group's signature sound.

Alaska was far away from the rock 'n roll scene that defined the late 1960s and continued into the '70s in the continental United States, and rarely have any bands found success beyond the state's borders. That is, until Portugal. The Man exploded into the alt/indie rock scene.

Since releasing its debut album "Waiter: You Vultures!" in 2006, the band from Wasilla, Alaska, has become an indie-rock phenom, hitting major stops on the festival circuit and collaborating with artists including "Weird Al" Yankovic, Tom Morello, and Danger Mouse.

The band's biggest claim to fame is its 2017 hit single "Feel It Still," which dominated the airwaves and earned the group its first and only Grammy Award for best pop duo/group performance.

The first of the many shock-rock bands of the '70s, Alice Cooper kept fans entranced with their gender-bending outfits and dark onstage theatrics — concert-goers could expect performances to include stunts like Cooper's faux-beheading via guillotine.

But it's the music that kept fans coming back for more, and their riff-heavy brand of hard rock produced a string of hits, including "School's Out" and "Be My Lover." Alice Cooper was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

Despite the goth-metal style that now defines Evanescence, they got their start as a Christian rock band after forming in Little Rock, Arkansas. In fact, their 2003 debut album, "Fallen," which produced hits "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal" and won the band two Grammys, was released during their religious days, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Christian chart.

However, following a profanity-laden article in Entertainment Weekly in which band founders Amy Lee and Ben Moody renounced their affiliation with Christian music, polarizing many Christian fans, Evanescence turned toward a more secular fan base.

The band has released a total of five studio albums, with a sixth in the works, and they announced a worldwide tour that will start in summer 2026.

During the '60s and '70s, the Laurel Canyon scene in Los Angeles was home to some of the rock world's biggest hits, including Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, The Eagles, and The Byrds. Then you had the Bay Area, the epicenter of the counterculture movement, which spawned the careers of Janis Joplin and Jefferson Starship.

But no one was quite as popular as the Grateful Dead.

In addition to some of the best songwriting in rock history, the band's free-flowing jams, Jerry Garcia's epic guitar solos, and the cosmic drum duets from Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart earned the Dead one of the most devout fanbases of all time: the Deadheads. Unlike other bands on this list, The Dead didn't win stacks of awards or sell a record-breaking number of albums. For Jerry and the band, it was all about the live experience; there was just this spiritual energy of seeing the Dead live that no other band has matched since.

Other major bands from California include The Eagles, Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Go-Go's, Green Day, No Doubt, and Maroon 5.

In 2015, OneRepublic's third album, "Native," reached 1 million in sales, Billboard reported, following the example of their 2007 debut, "Dreaming Out Loud," which also hit 1 million. In 2024, they released their sixth studio album, "Artificial Paradise."

They were nominated for a Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals for their single "Apologize," with Timbaland, in 2009.

The band, which formed in Colorado Springs, is best recognized for singles "Stop and Stare," "Good Life," and "Counting Stars," all of which became Top 40 hits.

Brother and sister team Richard and Karen Carpenter, who were born in New Haven, endeared themselves to the world throughout the 1970s with classic hits like "Top of the World" and "Rainy Days and Mondays."

The pair went on to win three Grammys and host their own variety show on NBC for a short period.

Though Karen died in 1983, her legacy lives on through a previously unreleased solo album released in 1996.

Though often looked down on by blues purists, George Thorogood and the Destroyers' catchy blues-pop sound earned them widespread popularity and five gold albums throughout the '80s, including 1982's "Bad to the Bone." And they can thank their home state for launching their career — the band's first gig together was a show at the University of Delaware in 1973.

The band will be inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville as part of the 2026 class.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' career spanned almost 40 years and included classic hits like "American Girl," "Refugee," and "Don't Do Me Like That." Their third album, "Damn the Torpedoes," went platinum and cemented the Gainesville band as bona-fide rock stars.

Petty, who died in 2017, was also known for taking a stand against the music industry, most notably by declaring bankruptcy to get out of a contract in 1979 and later threatening to withhold his new album until the label lowered its price, per History.com.

Other famous bands from Florida include Lynyrd Skynyrd, NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys.

Hailing from Athens, Georgia, R.E.M. was founded in 1980 after drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe all met as students at the University of Georgia.

Between 1982 and 2012, when the band amicably broke up, R.E.M. released 15 albums, six of which went platinum; many others reached gold. The band has won three Grammys from 13 nominations and has released countless songs that have broken into the Billboard Top 10 and Top 40, including "Losing My Religion" and "The One I Love."

Thanks to Buck's iconic 12-string arpeggios, Stipe's cerebral lyrics, and efficient yet catchy rhythms from Berry and Mills, R.E.M. is celebrated as a pioneering alternative rock band that paved the way for '90s grunge and post-punk icons, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Pepper might be from Hawaii, but don't expect any classic island tunes from the alt-rock trio. The band combines elements of pop, reggae, and punk for a raw yet lively sound.

Pepper released its first full-length album, "Give'n It," in 2000, but found mainstream success with 2002's "Kona Town" and its breakout hit "Give It Up."

Built to Spill formed in Boise in 1992 and first gained critical attention with 1994's "There's Nothing Wrong with Love."

After signing with Warner Brothers in 1995, they released "Perfect from Now On," which diverged from the band's signature short, poppy sound. But the band continued to plug away, and, despite a rotating cast of members and a short hiatus, they're still making music.

In 2022, they released their ninth album, "When the Wind Forgets Your Name."

Earth, Wind & Fire is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed bands of the '70s. The band's breakthrough album, "That's the Way of the World," released in 1975, introduced the hit single "Shining Star" and was followed by a stream of five consecutive multiplatinum albums. Earth, Wind & Fire has also taken home six Grammys out of an impressive 17 nominations, and the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Earth, Wind & Fire has lost several key members over the years — including founder Maurice White, drummer Fred White, saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk, and guitarist Sheldon Reynolds — but the band continues to perform and tour, carrying on its legacy with longtime members, such as Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, and Verdine White, and other long-serving bandmates.

Other famous bands from Illinois include Chicago, The Smashing Pumpkins, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, and Styx.

Composed of five brothers — Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, and Michael — the Jackson 5, from Gary, Indiana, made music history in 1970 as the first recording artist whose first four Motown singles all became No. 1 hits.

The brothers immediately rose to stardom and sold out 20,000-seat venues within the year, performing hits like "ABC," "I Want You Back," and "I'll Be There."

One of the most prominent nu-metal bands of the '90s, Slipknot was known as much for its image as its music. The band, which is from Des Moines, performed in matching black jumpsuits and horror-themed Halloween masks and used numbers as stage names.

Their self-titled debut album went platinum in 2000, making them the first band on their label, Roadrunner Records, to do so. The band's annual festival, Knotfest, has turned into the world's most popular hard rock and metal festival.

Best known for hits "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind," Kansas formed in Topeka in 1973. Throughout their 40-year career, the rock legends have sold over 23 million records, per RIAA, and produced 12 gold albums and five multi-platinum albums.

A fun fact: "Dust in the Wind" has been played on the radio more than 3 million times.

My Morning Jacket formed in Louisville in 1998 and released their alt-country debut album, "The Tennessee Fire," the following year.

Their 2005 album "Z" marked a major turning point in the band's history: "Z" laid the foundation for the dreamy jams off "Evil Urges" and the two "Waterfall" albums and paved the way for My Morning Jacket to become one of the most successful contemporary rock bands.

The Jacket is also known for its legendary live performances and made history in 2008 after delivering a nearly four-hour show at Bonnaroo.

The Neville Brothers are an R&B group famously known for embracing their hometown of New Orleans. They won a Grammy in 1989 for best pop instrumental performance and have closed out the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for years.

Though their last record together was released in 2004, the brothers reunited for a farewell show in NOLA in 2015, USA Today reported. Charles Neville died in 2018, and Art Neville died the following year.

All Portland natives, the Rustic Overtones formed over 30 years ago and released their third full-length — but first commercially successful — album, "Rooms by the Hour," in 1998.

Its 2007 album "Light At The End" was the fastest-selling local album in the state of Maine's history, the Portland Press Herald reported at the time. Perhaps Rustic Overtones' biggest claim to fame is being the first band ever broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio.

The band has a unique style of indie rock pulling from blends of soul music, punk, and jazz. Rustic Overtones has worked with an array of artists over the years, including Imogen Heap and Funkmaster Flex.

In more recent years, The Ghost of Paul Revere, a Portland-based folk trio, has risen to prominence in the state, with its song "Ballad of the 20th Maine" becoming the state's official ballad in 2019.

Good Charlotte is a pop-punk band from Maryland that rose to prominence in the early 2000s with their catchy hooks and angst-driven lyrics.

Formed by brothers Joel and Benji Madden, the group broke through with their 2002 album, "The Young and the Hopeless," which featured major hits such as "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous," "The Anthem," and "Girls & Boys." The RIAA certified it as quadruple platinum in 2025.

The band's awards over the years have included an MTV Video Music Award and Teen Choice Awards, indicating their mainstream success.

Other Maryland bands include The Orioles and All Time Low.

Aerosmith might be known as the "bad boys from Boston," but since they actually got their start in New Hampshire, arena-rock band Boston is the most famous band formed in Massachusetts.

The group released their eponymous debut album in 1976, which sold more than half a million copies in just a week, jumping straight to the top of the charts and spawning several hits, including "More Than a Feeling" and "Peace of Mind." The album was so successful that Boston became the first band in history to play its debut concert at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Tommy DeCarlo, Boston's lead vocalist who rose from devoted fan to frontman after Brad Delp's death, died at 60 on March 9, following a brief battle with brain cancer.

One of the most successful Black vocal groups of all time, the Temptations, originally known as the Elgins, formed in Detroit in 1961 when two groups merged — Otis Williams and the Distants and the Primes.

Now considered a classic example of Motown's signature sound, the group rose to prominence with hits like "My Girl" and "Since I Lost My Baby," produced under the inimitable Smokey Robinson. Taking a nod from Sly and the Family Stone, the group released the 1968 psychedelic soul hit single "Cloud 9," which won the group and Motown their first Grammy Award.

During its heyday with Motown in the 1960s and '70s, The Temptations produced 37 Top 40 hits, 15 Top 10 hits, and four No. 1 hits. And that was only on the pop charts; the group dominated the R&B charts with 15 No. 1 singles and 17 No. 1 albums.

Several members of The Temptations' classic lineup have died over the years, including David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Dennis Edwards.

Though Prince and the Revolution had achieved considerable success beforehand, it was the 1984 film release of "Purple Rain" — and Prince's accompanying soundtrack — that launched the group into superstardom. The "Purple Rain" album sold over 13 million copies, spent 24 weeks at the top of the charts, and produced hits "When Doves Cry," "Purple Rain," and "Take Me with U."

Prince was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility. He died in 2016, aged 57, at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.

Three Doors Down, from Escatawpa, Mississippi, hit it big in the early 2000s with radio-friendly singles "Here Without You," "Kryptonite," and "When I'm Gone."

The post-grunge band saw three albums go multi-platinum, including 2000's "The Better Life," which has gone platinum seven times and became one of the best-selling albums of the year, per Billboard.

Ike and Tina Turner were a wildly successful duo for nearly 20 years, topping R&B and pop charts, touring with the Rolling Stones, and winning a Grammy for their song "Proud Mary." In 1976, Tina left what she described as an abusive relationship with Ike and went on to build her own successful solo career.

Tina Turner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2021. She died in 2023, at age 83. Ike Turner died in 2007.

The nearly 20-year career of Silkworm, who formed in Missoula, was cut short in 2005 when their drummer, Michael Dahlquist, was killed in a car accident.

In February 2013, filmmaker Seth Pomeroy released "Couldn't You Wait?" a documentary that tells Silkworm's story from their start as childhood friends to their final days together.

The remaining band members went on to form a new band called Bottomless Pit.

Bright Eyes is the main creative vehicle for Omaha-born Conor Oberst. The band has had some notable success on the charts: In 2005 its album "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and its 2007 album "Cassadaga" peaked at No. 4. A

After a nine-year hiatus, the band released a new album, "Down In the Weeds, Where the World Once Was," in 2020. In 2024, it released "Five Dice, All Threes."

In 2015, Imagine Dragons earned its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with "Smoke + Mirrors."

The Las Vegas band entered the spotlight with their Grammy Award-winning single "Radioactive," from their 2012 debut album. The song held the record for the longest time on the Hot 100 — 87 weeks, or almost two years — until The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" overtook it in 2021.

Other famous bands from Nevada include The Killers and Panic! At The Disco.

Aerosmith is one of the most recognizable '70s rock bands and one of the biggest comeback stories in rock history. Aerosmith was flying high and on its way to rock royalty after the release of "Toys in the Attic" and "Rocks" in 1975 and 1976, respectively.

But the band's struggle with drug and alcohol abuse took its toll, leading guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford to temporarily leave the band. Aerosmith seemed to be on the brink of no return until Run-D.M.C. released a cover of "Walk This Way" and catapulted the band back to the mainstream.

Though they're billed as the "bad boys from Boston," many people don't know that Aerosmith formed in New Hampshire before making it big. Lead singer Steven Tyler and Perry spent summers together as children, and the band played at small venues and high school proms throughout the state before making a name for themselves nationally.

Bruce Springsteen himself inducted the E Street Band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, in celebration of the 40 years they spent working together. One of America's most beloved musicians, Springsteen — also known as "The Boss" — is most famous for the work he did with the E Street Band, whom he met in Asbury Park.

Springsteen has released multiple albums that have gone platinum — including his first, 1972's "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." — and achieved global fame after the release of the 1975 album "Born to Run." He got his own biopic in 2025, "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere."

Other famous bands from New Jersey include Bon Jovi, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, My Chemical Romance, and The Jonas Brothers, who were recently inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Frontman James Mercer started The Shins as a side project in 1996 in Albuquerque, but it quickly evolved to be the state's most notable rock band.

After the soundtrack of the 2004 film "Garden State" included the songs "Caring Is Creepy" and "New Slang," the Shins began earning a significantly larger audience. The band's next album after the movie, 2007's "Wincing the Night Away" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, cementing The Shins as the Southwest's indie darlings.

Other famous bands from New Mexico include The Fireballs and Xit.

There are plenty of famous bands from New York — The Beastie Boys, The Velvet Underground, and KISS, to name a few — but few have the influence and reputation of The Ramones, who have innumerable hits, including "Blitzkrieg Bop," "I Wanna Be Sedated," and "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker."

There's even a street in Manhattan named Joey Ramone Place, after the lead singer who died of cancer in 2001.

Wilmington's The Charlie Daniels Band, with its rotating cast of musicians, has been an icon of country music since the 1970s.

Their eclectic blend of Southern rock and hardcore country has earned them numerous awards and recognitions, including a Grammy Award.

The band's most famous contribution to the annals of rock and country music is without a doubt "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," which features one of the best fiddle solos ever performed.

Bobby Vee and The Strangers, originally called The Shadows, first performed publicly on "The Day the Music Died" — the group filled in for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper at a gig in Moorhead, Minnesota, after the three famous musicians were killed in a plane crash in 1959.

The then-15-year-old Vee would go on to earn two gold albums, 38 songs in the Billboard Top 100, six gold singles, and 14 Top 40 hits.

Twenty One Pilots, from Columbus, Ohio, is made up of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. They are known for fusing alternative rock, hip-hop, and electronic elements.

They broke into the mainstream with the 2015 album Blurryface, which produced major hits like "Stressed Out," "Ride," and "Heathens." The band has earned significant recognition, including a Grammy Award for best pop duo/group performance in 2017 for "Stressed Out," as well as multiple Billboard Music Awards and American Music Awards.

Other famous bands from Ohio include the Isley Brothers and The Black Keys.

The Flaming Lips, formed in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1983, have only had one hit single in the US, "She Don't Use Jelly," released in 1993.

However, they have earned three Grammy Awards, multiple hit singles in the UK and Europe, and a large indie following.

The band is known for its energetic live performances that feature mesmerizing light shows and wacky stage props like giant robots and laser hands.

No band embodies the woodsy vibe of Portland, Oregon, better than The Decemberists. Since forming in 2001, the band has earned a Grammy nomination and performed at Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign stop in Portland.

The Decemberists' sonic architecture — founded on strong lyric writing and a diverse range of folk textures — and whimsical live performances, which usually feature a historical reenactment of sorts, have helped the band become darlings of folk-pop music.

Frontman Colin Meloy and co. scored their biggest success to date with the 2011 studio album "The King Is Dead," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Duo Daryl Hall and John Oates formed Hall & Oates in the early '70s and released their debut album, "Abandoned Luncheonette," in 1973.

Hailing from Philadelphia, the pair garnered national attention throughout the '70s and '80s with hits such as "Maneater" and "Sara Smile."

The band won three American Music Awards in the early '80s. More recently, both members released solo albums amid a now-resolved but lengthy legal battle.

Best known for their hits "Psycho Killer," "Life During Wartime," and "Once in a Lifetime," Talking Heads were successful with audiences and professional critics.

Though they rose to fame in New York, the three founding members, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth, began practicing together at the Rhode Island School of Design before becoming Talking Heads.

The band added their fourth member, guitarist Jerry Harrison, shortly before releasing their first single, "Love Goes to Building on Fire"/"New Feeling," in 1976.

Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld formed Hootie & The Blowfish after meeting in the late 1980s at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Over the next 10 years, they attracted a following throughout the East Coast before releasing their 1994 debut album, "Cracked Rear View," which sold over 16 million copies in the US.

Formed in Sioux Falls in 2002, the pop-punk quartet The Spill Canvas has toured with big-name acts including Motion City Soundtrack, Plain White T's, and OneRepublic.

After a nearly two-year hiatus, The Spill Canvas funded their 2012 comeback album, "Gestalt," with the help of fans on Kickstarter.

The Tennessee Three began as the Tennessee Two, with Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant backing Johnny Cash, and expanded to the Tennessee Three with the addition of drummer W.S. Holland in 1958.

During the 1980s, the band's lineup changed and expanded, and they were called The Great Eighties Eight. Though Johnny Cash participated in various group and solo ventures throughout his long career, with the Tennessee Three, he achieved mega-hits such as "I Walk the Line" and "Folsom Prison Blues."

The band played with Cash through 1999. After the singer's death, the group reformed and released the tribute album "The Sound Must Go On." They've toured the globe playing to Cash fans and in 2012, released the album "All Over Again." Cash won a myriad of awards for his music, most of which feature the Tennessee Three as the backing band.

Other famous bands from Tennessee include Kings of Leon, Paramore, Little Big Town, The Band Perry, and Lady A.

Hailing from Houston, ZZ Top was one of the biggest rock acts of the '80s, with huge hits such as "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Gimme All Your Lovin'."

In 2004, the bearded, sunglasses-wearing duo, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, and their drummer, Frank Beard, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The four older siblings from the Mormon musical group from Salt Lake City made their big debut on the "Andy Williams Show" in 1962, with the others joining later.

Some of the Osmond siblings, most notably Donny, Marie, and Jimmy, dabbled in solo careers, yet continued to collaborate with the group. The Osmonds have reportedly sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.

Jam band Phish has a cult following that rivals that of the Grateful Dead. The original members — Jon Fishman, Trey Anastasio, and Jeff Holdsworth (who left the band in 1986) — met at the University of Vermont and were later joined by bassist Mike Gordon and keyboardist Page McConnell. The band was officially formed in 1983.

In 1997, the band hosted The Great Went, a music festival in Limestone, Maine, which drew a crowd of 62,000 and was the top-grossing concert of that summer.

The Charlottesville-based Dave Matthews Band quickly grew a strong fan base after releasing their live debut album in 1991. "Remember Two Things," their 1993 independently released live album, debuted at No. 1 on the college charts and was later certified platinum.

Today, Dave Matthews Band has sold over 30 million records worldwide and became the first band to have six consecutive studio albums that debuted at No. 1 on Billboard, Billboard reported.

Nirvana rocketed to fame with their single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" off the 1991 album "Nevermind," which brought grunge-rock to the mainstream.

The band officially formed a few years earlier, in 1987, when guitarist and vocalist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic began performing at local parties in the Seattle region.

In 1990, Dave Grohl joined Nirvana as the drummer. The band's tragic end came in 1994 with Kurt Cobain's suicide, though their music continued to inspire and impact the grunge movement.

Other famous bands from Washington include Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters.

Minor Threat's song "Straight Edge" pioneered (and named) the drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle — one that goes against the wasted-punk-rocker stereotype. The band formed among a wave of punk bands in Washington, DC, and though Minor Threat's career lasted only three years, its influence can still be found in punk music to this day.

After the band's dissolution, frontman Ian MacKaye played with numerous groups before forming Fugazi in 1987.

Asleep at the Wheel got their start in Paw Paw, West Virginia, in 1970, when they opened for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna.

Since then, they have continued to dominate American country and Western music, winning eight Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement in Performance, not to mention a few chart-topping songs along the way. They continue to tour.

When the Violent Femmes released its critically acclaimed eponymous debut album in 1983, the band was nothing more than an underground sensation — in fact, it took eight years for the album to go platinum, Pitchfork reported. But over the years, the band has evolved into one of the most important and popular post-punk groups, as proven not only by its music but also by the fact that the Femmes' acoustic style inspired the MTV show "Unplugged."

In 2015, the Femmes released their first album in 15 years, "We Can Do Anything" — though the critical reception was not too warm — and followed it up with 2019's "Hotel Last Resort."

Teenage Bottlerocket released their debut album, "Another Way," in 2002 on Laramie's communal label, One Legged Pup.

The twin Carlisle brothers behind the group — Ray on bass and vocals, and Brandon on drums — cycled through various guitarists before finding Kody Templeman.

The band has become a pop-punk mainstay over the years, playing major events like Warped Tour, and is known for its iconic skull-and-rocket logo.

Editor's note: A version of this story was first published in 2022 and was most recently updated in March 2026.

The International Energy Agency, one of the world's most important energy groups, has issued 10 measures it says governments, businesses, and consumers can take immediately to help ease the impact of disruptions in oil markets.

These include working from home, avoiding air travel, and encouraging the use of electric cooking equipment.

Other steps include reducing highway speed limits by at least six miles per hour, car sharing, cutting air travel, and using public transport more.

The IEA said in the report that "the demand-side measures highlighted in the report cannot match the scale of disrupted supply."

However, it said "they can play a meaningful role in lowering costs for consumers, reducing markets strains and preserving fuels for essential uses until normal flows resume."

The Philippines has taken several measures in order to bring down energy use, including a four-day workweek for government staff and orders to cut the use of electricity and fuel costs in government agencies.

Government offices were told in early March to implement flexible working arrangements where practical, turn off lights and computers during lunch breaks, and adjust air conditioning unit thermostats to no lower than 75 degrees.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a video message that the four-day workweek would be temporary and does not include emergency services.

"With the expected global oil price increase, the government is preparing measures to reduce its impact on Filipino families," the Facebook caption for the video said.

The Philippines is vulnerable to disruptions caused by the conflict, as it "relies on the Middle East for almost 90% of its oil supply," according to ING Think.

On March 18, Marcos said that the country is seeking alternative sources of petroleum products and asked the public not to worry.

"We are trying to find different methods to provide subsidies to give assistance," said Marcos in a press address. "The problem is that oil prices are very volatile. We can't anticipate them. So we are still adjusting right now."

While no official rationing has been implemented in Australia, local media in at least two of the country's states reported that some fuel stations had begun limiting the amount of fuel customers can buy.

In comments to the media on Monday, March 9, Australia's energy minister Chris Bowen said that there is no shortage of fuel in Australia, but there are "some supply chain issues which are really being caused by a spike in demand of people seeking to buy extra diesel."

The president of the AA, the UK's largest motoring organization, advised drivers on Monday, March 9, that although they "should not change their refuelling habits," they could "consider cutting out some non-essential journeys and changing their driving style to conserve fuel."

Edmund King, AA's president, added: "Any time Brent Crude passes 100 dollars per barrel raises concern across the markets, for the haulage industry and drivers.

"There will be gradual increases in pump prices, but this shouldn't happen overnight as fuel has been purchased at previous prices."

Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, said that the government would support citizens during the oil price spike.

"No matter the headwinds, supporting working people and their families with the cost of living is always top of my mind," he said.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul urged citizens not to stockpile fuel. His comments came after long lines formed at gas stations across the country last week.

In early March, Anutin and the country's energy minister gave assurances that the diesel price would be capped for at least 15 days. He said that the Commerce Ministry was closely monitoring oil prices to prevent customer exploitation.

"Stockpiling fuel is dangerous. If you store it at home, it could accidentally cause fire — it could lead to all sorts of problems," he said. "There is no need to do that today."

The Indian government invoked emergency powers on March 10 to divert liquefied petroleum gas supplies away from industrial users and toward households.

This was an expansion of previous measures. On March 9, India had ordered oil refineries to produce more LPG and said it was prioritizing that supply for households.

India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a tweet on Monday that non-domestic supplies from imported LPG were being prioritized for essential sectors, such as hospitals and educational institutions.

Vietnam has urged local businesses to encourage employees to work from home in order to save fuel.

This comes after the country said it would remove tariffs on fuel imports.

Pakistan has ordered measures to conserve fuel and reduce government spending, including implementing a four-day work week, having half of public sector employees work from home, and closing schools for two weeks.

Other measures include a pause on salaries for cabinet ministers and cutting government spending by 20%, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on March 10.

Sri Lanka has made Wednesdays a public holiday to conserve fuel as the country braces for potential fuel shortages, according to the BBC.

"We must prepare for the worst, but hope for the best," President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on March 9.

The shortened workweek will apply to schools and universities, but "essential" services like hospitals will keep the lights on.

Denmark is urging citizens to reduce fuel.

"What the Danes should please, please, please do is that if there is any energy consumption that you can do without, if it is not strictly necessary to drive the car, then don't do it," Lars Aagaard, Denmark's energy and utilities minister, said during an interview with a local broadcaster on Wednesday.

"Firstly, it can be felt in the private wallet, and secondly, it can help stretch our reserves so that they last longer," Aagaard added.

Bangladesh's university students just got an early start to their Ramadan holidays, thanks to fuel conservation measures.

The country announced by mid-March that main colleges could cancel classes until later in the month. The government has shut down campuses completely to save electricity and has started imposing temporary blackouts for other facilities.

Egypt is enforcing some lifestyle changes to conserve gas and oil.

For a country that is used to shopping and dining well into the night, malls, restaurants, and retailers are being asked to shut down at 9 p.m. on weekdays starting on March 28.

The country also announced plans to turn off illuminated billboards and reduce public lighting, and to close government buildings by 6 p.m.

Spain's government has approved a $5.8 billion aid package to ease the economic effects of the war in the Middle East, Bloomberg reported.

The plan includes reducing VAT on electricity and gas from 21% to 10%, slashing the special electricity tax from 5% to 0.5%, and suspending the tax on electricity production, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

A subsidy of 20 cents per liter of fuel is being introduced for transport operators, farmers, and fishmongers, while the government will cover 80% of the electricity-grid charges for energy-intensive industries.