America loves a good rivalry. As it turns out, there are plenty hiding outside the big headlines, with some starting in boardrooms & others in ice cream freezers. Each one is just as cut-throat as the last. Here are ten American rivalries you’ve probably never heard of. Which one do you think is the pettiest?
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Caltech vs. MIT
In 2006, a few MIT pranksters tricked a moving company into hauling Caltech’s 130-year-old cannon all the way from Pasadena to Cambridge. But Caltech didn’t sit back. Instead, they flew east & dressed up as construction workers to steal it right back. For two science schools, they sure like trouble.
Wright brothers vs. Glenn Curtiss
Everyone knows the Wright brothers had the first successful plane, but not everyone knows they fought in court, too. Glenn Curtiss was another aviation pioneer who built his own aircraft using a similar flight control system. The Wrights sued him again & again. That is, until the U.S. government finally stepped in during World War I to make everyone share their patents.
Sears vs. Montgomery Ward
Before Amazon, two mail-order giants ruled the Midwest, and they were Sears & Montgomery Ward. Ward kicked things off in 1872. However, Sears showed up in the 1890s & printed thick catalogs. Each company then spent decades one-upping each other on prices and page counts, with the original Ward shutting down in 2000.
Vanderbilt vs. Gould and Fisk
Cornelius Vanderbilt tried to take control of the Erie Railroad in 1868. But Jay Gould, Jim Fisk, & Daniel Drew weren’t having it, so they printed fake stock to dilute his shares. They ran off to New Jersey to dodge arrest & outmaneuvered him completely. This was Wall Street’s first real slugfest, and it ended with everyone rich yet also angry.
Ben & Jerry’s vs. Häagen-Dazs
In the ’80s, Ben & Jerry’s was the newest ice cream company, with lots of interesting flavors & charm. Häagen-Dazs didn’t like that. They were owned by Pillsbury, and they allegedly told distributors to drop them or lose business. As such, Ben & Jerry’s fired back with a campaign called “What’s the Doughboy Afraid Of?” It worked. They sued & settled.
Jack Daniel’s vs. George Dickel
What counts as Tennessee whiskey is surprisingly complicated. In 2013, state lawmakers set new standards that matched how Jack Daniel’s makes its whiskey, but George Dickel’s parent company challenged it. Their argument was that it meant only Jack’s method could be “Tennessee whiskey.” The law did get passed, but with some exemptions.
Cedar Point vs. Six Flags Magic Mountain
Rollercoasters involve a lot more than fun & screams. Ohio’s Cedar Point & California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain have spent decades stealing the title of having the most coasters in the world. In 2011, Magic Mountain was ahead with 18 rides, then Cedar Point fired back later before Magic Mountain took the title again.
Skyline Chili vs. Gold Star Chili
Yes, Cincinnati takes chili seriously, and two hometown chains, Skyline & Gold Star, have been fighting over people’s stomachs since the ’60s. Skyline opened first, and then Gold Star followed. The rivalry simmered from there. Even the city’s NFL team became involved in 2023, when the Bengals switched sponsors from Gold Star to Skyline.
Kellogg vs. Post
Battle Creek, Michigan, was the site of a cereal conflict in the early 1900s. W.K. Kellogg had his cornflakes, while C.W. Post pushed Grape-Nuts & Postum, and even though they shared a town, they definitely didn’t share a kitchen. Both companies spent decades out-advertising each other & testing new products.
Polaroid vs. Kodak
Kodak rolled out its own instant cameras in the mid-’70s, and Polaroid wasn’t happy about that. The smaller company claimed Kodak had copied its instant-photo tech & took them to court. In 1986, years of legal back-and-forth finally ended when Kodak had to pull its instant cameras off the shelves & was forced to pay Polaroid around $925 million.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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