On this anniversary, it seems only right to think about this question. There are some very easy answers. Cutting-edge technological advances, the American dream and the generation that fought for freedom in the second world war. There are those who insist the Soviet Union has a greater claim to that last mantle, apart from that unfortunate business of Stalin siding with the Nazis first. But if it weren’t for the greatest generation, we’d all be speaking German now. Well, not the British obviously. We’ve always been hopeless with languages. So, 250 years on, what are America’s greatest hits?
Jazz: Often described as the only truly American art form (though some argue for hip-hop). Jazz is America’s greatest artistic gift to the world, bigger even than Kenny G. If it had done nothing else, this would suffice.
Moon landings: Not only an epic achievement of science, engineering and human courage, but also the inspiration behind one of the dimmest ever conspiracy theories (and, boy, is that a competitive field). What makes the fake-moon-landings theory so impressive is that the degree of intricacy, deception and the silencing of the many thousands who would have had to be in on it was almost certainly more complex than just going to the moon.