2. Barack Obama, the first African American, and multiracial president, was elected in 2008 amid the Great Recession, which began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009.

3. New Year's Day is January 1. The celebration of this holiday begins the night before, when Americans gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous coming year.

4. Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Many regard this event as the nation's first Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition and almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Many regard this event as the nation's first Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition and almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving Day

5. Halloween is celebrated in the United States on October 31. The name “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows Eve,” or the day before All Saints Day, a traditional holy day for Christians. Halloween originated in Europe but during the 19th century immigrants brought it to North America, where it spread in popularity and evolved in many ways. According to tradition, the spirits of the dead were able to come back to life to harm people and crops in the physical world. People tried to appease the restless spirits on Halloween, and these practices led to many of today's Halloween traditions.

6. English (American English) is the de facto national language. Language Percent of population Number of speakers EnglishEnglish (only)80%233,780,338 Combined total of all languages other than English 20%57,048,617 Spanish Spanish (excluding Puerto Rico and Spanish Creole)Puerto RicoSpanish Creole 12%35,437,985 Chinese Chinese (including Cantone se and Mandarin)Cantone seMandarin 0.9%2,567,779 Tagalog0.5%1,542,118 Vietnamese0.4%1,292,448 French0.4%1,288,833 Korean0.4%1,108,408 German

7. The United States is a federal union of 50 states.

8. Fast food is the term given to food that is prepared and served very quickly, first popularized in the 1950s in the United States.

9. Thank You for watching My Powerpoint Margaryan Nare