11. Some strange people have been awarded the Key to the City in America
The honor bestowed upon celebrities when they received the Key to the City was (and remains) more or less an opportunity for local politicians to achieve some free publicity and time before the cameras. It wasn’t always that way, the custom can be traced back to Ancient Rome, when the Freedom of the City allowed certain restrictions to be waived so that certain people could cross the boundary of the city. During the Middle Ages being granted the Keys to the City allowed certain visitors to the town given the award rights they would ordinarily not enjoy since they were not residents. Such rights might have been permitted to engage in business or trade.
It also granted the recipient the protection of the city, should for example magistrates from another city arrive demanding an awardee be surrendered because he was wanted elsewhere. It is still commonly practiced in the western world as an honor, distinguished visitors are granted the Key to the City, usually by the local mayor, city manager, or the council. It carries no legal status or privileges. Which was a fortunate thing during the administrations of the two Presidents Bush. Their mutual adversary, Saddam Hussein, held the Key to the City of Detroit, Michigan, which was granted the Iraqi dictator in 1980 by Mayor Coleman Young.