Giants shaped by nature and time

This mountain isn't one volcano, it's actually three

From ancient volcanic eruptions and powerful tectonic forces to glaciers that slowly carved their slopes, the world’s most famous peaks took millions of years to become the icons we know today. But their stories go far beyond geology: they are tied to legendary explorers, daring climbers, ancient gods, local traditions, and even the surprising origins of their names. From towering Himalayan giants to fire-breathing volcanoes and legendary peaks in the American West, discover the stories that made these mountains famous around the world.

At 29,032 feet, Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth, towering above the Himalayas along the border between Nepal and Tibet. It was formed millions of years ago when the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, forcing the Earth’s crust upward. The enormous forces involved continue to shape the Himalayas today.

The mountain has several names. In Nepal, it is known as Sagarmatha, while its Tibetan name is Chomolungma; the English name honors George Everest, a British surveyor who served as Surveyor General of India. Everest was first successfully climbed in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Rising above the plains of northern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain. It is also unusual because it is actually made up of three ancient volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Repeated volcanic activity built the mountain over millions of years, although only Kibo remains dormant today.

Even the name "Kilimanjaro" comes with a little mystery. One popular theory combines Swahili and local words referring to a mountain and its shining or whiteness, possibly inspired by the snow on its summit. That snow-capped peak rising above the African landscape has become one of the continent’s most recognizable sights.

Few mountains are as instantly recognizable as Mount Fuji, whose nearly perfect cone rises on Japan’s main island of Honshu. It was formed by layers of lava and volcanic material from repeated eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years. Although it is considered an active volcano, its last major eruption took place in 1707.

The exact origin of the name "Fuji" remains uncertain, but the mountain has a much clearer cultural identity. For centuries, it has been considered sacred and has attracted pilgrims and inspired artists. Its distinctive shape became especially famous through the Japanese woodblock prints of Katsushika Hokusai.

Rising 28,251 feet above the Karakoram Range on the Pakistan-China border, K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth after Everest. Its steep, rugged shape and notoriously unpredictable weather have earned it a reputation as one of the most difficult major peaks to climb. Unlike Everest, which has become relatively accessible to commercial expeditions, K2 remains a serious challenge even for experienced mountaineers.

K2 was formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which pushed enormous masses of rock upward and created the Karakoram Mountains. Its name is far less romantic than the mountain itself: "K2" simply comes from the notation used by a British survey team in the 19th century, meaning the second peak measured in the Karakoram range. The name stuck, even though other local names have been used for the mountain over the years.

With its four steep faces and sharply pointed summit, the Matterhorn is one of the most recognizable peaks in the Alps, sitting on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its hard rock was pushed upward as the Alps formed, while glaciers and erosion gradually carved away the surrounding landscape, creating its remarkable pyramid shape.

Its name comes from German words that roughly mean "meadow peak." The mountain also has one of mountaineering’s most dramatic stories. Edward Whymper and his team made the first successful ascent in 1865, but four members died during the descent, turning the achievement into a legendary and tragic moment in climbing history.

Denali, now officially known as Mount McKinley, is North America’s highest mountain, rising 20,310 feet above Alaska. Part of the Alaska Range, it was shaped by powerful tectonic forces and glaciers that have carved its slopes over time. Its extreme northern location also gives it notoriously harsh weather, with severe cold, high winds, and rapidly changing conditions.

The mountain has been known by several names throughout history. Denali, from the Koyukon language, refers to the mountain as "the tall one" or "the high one" and has been used by Alaska Native peoples for generations. The name Mount McKinley emerged in the late 19th century and became the official name before being changed back to Denali in 2015. In 2025, the name was changed again to Mount McKinley, while the surrounding national park remains Denali National Park and Preserve.

Overlooking the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, Mount Vesuvius is forever associated with one of history’s most famous volcanic disasters. Its eruption in 79 A.D. buried Pompeii and Herculaneum beneath ash, pumice, and volcanic debris. The volcano itself was built through repeated eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years.

What makes the 79 A.D. eruption especially remarkable is how well the volcanic ash and pumice preserved Pompeii and Herculaneum. Today, visitors can walk through ancient streets, enter homes, and see artwork and everyday objects that offer a remarkably vivid glimpse into life in the Roman world nearly 2,000 years ago.

On the Italian island of Sicily, Mount Etna is Europe’s largest active volcano and one of the world’s most frequently erupting mountains. Lava flows, ash, and repeated eruptions have gradually built and reshaped it over hundreds of thousands of years. Unlike a mountain frozen in time, Etna is constantly changing.

Its name dates back to the ancient Greek Aitne, although its deeper origin is uncertain. Etna also has a legendary side: ancient Greeks believed that Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking, had his forge beneath the volcano. Its frequent eruptions helped keep that connection with fire alive for centuries.

Snow and ice make Mount Rainier in Washington State look peaceful, but beneath its glaciers lies an active volcano. Repeated eruptions built the mountain, while glaciers carved its valleys and rugged slopes. Today, more than two dozen named glaciers cover Rainier, making it the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States.

The mountain received its English name in 1792, when British explorer George Vancouver named it after his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier. Indigenous peoples had their own names for the peak long before Vancouver’s arrival, with Tahoma, Takhoma, and Tacoma among the names recorded over the years. Mount Rainier remains the mountain’s official name today, while Tahoma continues to be closely associated with the peak and the surrounding region.

Deep in the Andes of western Argentina, near the Chilean border, Aconcagua rises to 22,838 feet, making it the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. Unlike many famous peaks, it is not a volcano. Instead, powerful tectonic forces gradually pushed and folded the Earth’s crust upward, creating the enormous Andes range.

The origin of "Aconcagua" is disputed, with several theories involving Indigenous languages of the region. One popular interpretation connects the name with "stone sentinel," an especially fitting description for the massive peak. Whatever its exact meaning, Aconcagua has long stood as the giant of the Andes.

In northern Greece, Mount Olympus is a dramatic limestone mountain best known not for its height, but for its role in Greek mythology. Ancient Greeks believed its highest reaches were home to Zeus and the other Olympian gods. The mountain itself is largely made of limestone from ancient marine sediments, later lifted by tectonic forces and shaped by erosion and glaciers.

The name Olympus comes from ancient Greek, although its ultimate origin is uncertain. Its highest peaks often disappear into clouds, which may have helped inspire the idea that the gods lived high above the mortal world. Thousands of years later, its connection to Greek mythology remains its greatest claim to fame.

Once a classic, symmetrical volcanic cone in southwestern Washington State, Mount St. Helens looked very different before 1980. Repeated eruptions had gradually built the mountain over thousands of years, but on May 18, 1980, a massive eruption caused its northern side to collapse. The blast removed much of the summit and left the enormous horseshoe-shaped crater seen today.

British explorer George Vancouver named the mountain in 1792, honoring Baron St. Helens, a British diplomat. But the name became famous after the devastating eruption, which dramatically transformed the surrounding landscape. Today, the area also offers scientists a rare opportunity to watch an ecosystem recover after a major volcanic disaster.

The Grand Teton rises dramatically above Jackson Hole in northwestern Wyoming, forming the highest point in the Teton Range. The mountains were lifted along a major fault less than 10 million years ago, while glaciers later carved the sharp peaks, valleys, and lakes that make the landscape so distinctive.

Its name has one of the most unexpected origins on this list. French-speaking fur trappers called the three prominent peaks "Les Trois Têtes," meaning "the three breasts," because of their appearance. The tallest of the three eventually became known as the Grand Teton, a surprisingly playful name for one of America’s most majestic mountains.

American traditional foods

10 Dishes that tell the story of America better than any textbook

What’s the story behind our favorite dishes? Have you ever asked yourself that question? America is a huge, multicultural country, and that's why anecdotes abound. From soldiers who fought in World War II for "mom and apple pie" to George Washington attending a barbecue in Virginia in 1769, here are some of the fascinating stories behind our everyday dishes.

Soldiers fighting for "mom and apple pie" during World War II suggest that this dessert holds a special place in American culture. Since then, the apple pie has become a symbol of patriotism and family for Americans.

But the story begins earlier. Back in the 17th century, European colonists brought apples from Asia and the Middle East to North America, planting many apple orchards in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. You may recall the legend of "Johny Appleseed," which captures this early spread. By 1796, with the publication of the first American cookbook, the American apple pie recipe began to shape part of the nation’s identity.

American barbecue dates back to colonial times. George Washington himself is believed to have attended a barbecue in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1769. The word barbecue comes from the Spanish term barbacoa, meaning "to preserve meat by drying or slowly roasting."

The main region for barbecue in the United States is the Southeast, and it is more than just a traditional meal. While it is undeniably delicious, it also serves as a bonding experience, bringing people together around backyard grills. Ribs are a staple of both backyard cookouts and restaurant menus, and today, around 70 of the top barbecue restaurants are located in the U.S. South. Have you visited any of them?

Although pasta came to the US in the 1880s, when Italian immigrants helped bring pasta into everyday American life, an earlier version of the dish had already appeared through Thomas Jefferson. After traveling in Europe, the story goes that he introduced macaroni to the U.S., where it was prepared at Monticello by his enslaved chef, James Hemings.

As industrialization advanced, pasta and cheese became cheaper and easier to produce, making the dish accessible to every American family. In 1937, Kraft Foods introduced boxed mac and cheese as a quick and affordable meal during the Great Depression. Its popularity grew even more during World War II, when families could buy two boxes with a single ration point. Over time, it became a staple of American home cooking. Boxed Kraft or homemade from scratch, which one still hits the spot?

Tradition tells that during the Revolutionary War, George Washington’s troops were fed cornbread because it was cheap, easy to transport, and a good source of calories. But the first to introduce this grain to the earliest European settlers to the Americas were the Indians. They had cultivated corn for thousands of years, and it quickly became part of the New World settlers' diet.

Made with what was formerly known as Indian corn or maize, cornbread recipes have evolved over the generations from simple survival rations into a true symbol of regional pride.

We all love cheeseburgers, yet America’s true versatility is reflected in them. Each variation tells a different story of regional influences and different moments in the country’s history.

Oklahoma onion burgers, for example, are believed to have originated in the 1920s during the Depression, when onions were very cheap, and meat was truly expensive. Or the Green Chile Cheeseburger, invented in the 1950s, made with green New Mexico chile-topped beef patty inside a burger bun, a symbol of its Southwestern roots. Where's the best cheeseburger you've ever had?

Quick, cheap, and easy to eat on the go, hot dogs have become a staple of street food, amusement parks, and, of course, the baseball park experience.

German immigrants had brought sausages to America in the 1800s and sold them. The story of the hot dog bun goes like this: At the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, a sausage vendor named Anton Feuchtwanger had a problem. He gave white gloves to customers so they could hold his hot sausages, but people kept walking off with them. So, his brother-in-law, who was a baker, saved the day by wrapping up the sausage in a soft roll, and just like that, the hot dog bun was born.

"Cut them up as for the fricassée, dredge them well with flour, sprinkle them with salt, put them into a good quantity of boiling lard and fry them a light brown." These are Mary Randolph's words in the American 1824 cookbook "The Virginia House-Wife", which includes the most widely accepted fried chicken recipe.

It is believed that the Scots first brought fried chicken to the Southern regions of America. Truth is, although its origins remain a mystery, nowadays it is one of the favorite American everyday dishes. It is so delicious that the Japanese eat it during Christmas celebrations!

The responsibility for this crazy but delicious invention is a Chicago restaurant, Pizzeria Uno.

Back in 1943, Ric Ricardo and Ike Sewell opened this restaurant after realising Italian immigrants in the region were desperate for pizza. But traditional Italian pizza was not enough.

Chicago’s deep-dish pizza is built on a thick crust filled with inverted layers of cheese, meat, and tomatoes, all rising the sides of an oiled steel pan. Is it too plentiful? We don’t think so.

Gumbo made a long journey from West Africa to the Americas, arriving in South Louisiana and becoming its signature dish. It reflects the region’s multicultural traditions, which is why no two recipes are quite the same. Popular ones are gumbos thickened with okra or with filé.

Influenced by Creole and Cajun cultures, among others, this soup crosses all class boundaries; it appears on the tables of both the poor and the wealthy.

This story may not be as epic as the others, but it is still revealing, because Philly cheesesteak brings comfort in every bite. Back in 1930, Italian-American Pat Olivieri had a hot dog cart in South Philly. One day, bored, he came up with the idea of grilling beef with onions. Suddenly, a passing cab driver bought it, loved it, and urged him to sell the sandwich instead.

That cart later became Pat’s King of Steaks, the city’s first cheesesteak landmark. About a decade later, manager ‘Cocky Joe’ Lorenza added provolone, creating the version we recognize today. In the 1960s, Geno’s opened right across the street, igniting a lasting rivalry. Since then, the cheesesteak has evolved and spread all around the country, making the Philly cheesesteak a symbol of the nation.