Meet the American who founded the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, 'put the brotherhood in motorcycles'

J.C. "Pappy" Hoel founded the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 1938. It's the world's most successful motorcycle rally, drawing 500,000+ annually to remote South Dakota.

Meet the American who launched the Frisbee, Fred Morrison, World War II combat pilot and POW

Walter Frederick Morrison conceived of a leisure-time flying disc on a California beach in 1937. He made the Frisbee a reality after serving heroically in World War II.

Meet the American who spread global gospel of surfing, Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii’s original Big Kahuna

Duke Kahanamoku is the oriiginal "Big Kahuna." He won three Olympic gold medals in swimming, plus became Hawaii's "Ambassador of Aloha" and an international surfing icon.

Meet the American who popularized Chinese food in the US: immigrant chef Joyce Chen

Joyce Chen escaped from Beijing in 1949 ahead of the communist takeover of China. She carved out an unexpected career in the United States by popularizing Chinese food.

Meet the American who popularized Latin music, Tito Puente, World War II Navy veteran and kamikaze survivor

Tito Puente was born in New York City to parents from Puerto Rico. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he popularized Latin music in the United States.

Meet the American who gave flight to football, Bradbury Robinson, college star threw first forward pass

St. Louis University star Bradbury Robinson ushered in a new era for football when he threw the very first forward pass in 1906 as rules changes took place to make the game safer.

Meet the American who cooked up frozen foods, adventurer and innovator Clarence Birdseye

Prolific inventor Clarence Birdseye, a native of Brooklyn, found inspiration to pioneer frozen food for American consumers in the remote icy wilderness of Labrador, Canada.

Meet the American who created Air Jordan sneakers: Peter Moore, legend of global design

Nike executive Peter Moore designed the original Air Jordan sneakers for ascendant NBA rookie Micael Jordan in 1984; the relationship changed global consumer culture.

Meet the American who founded Pepperidge Farm, baker and businessmom Margaret Rudkin

Margaret Rudkin began baking whole-wheat bread at her Pepperidge Farm home in Connecticut to nourish a sickly son. Her company became an iconic American brand.

Meet the American who invented the TV remote control: self-taught Chicago engineer Eugene Polley

Self-taught Chicago mechanical engineer Eugene Polley invented the first wireless TV remote control in 1955, but his contribution was nearly erased by later innovations.