Our American Stories
Episodes
"Big Bucks, No Whammies!": The Man Who Cracked the Code of "Press Your Luck" And Won $110,000
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Matt Parker, a comedian and mathematician from Australia, tells the story of the time Michael Larson surprisi...
The Gun Designed to End All Wars: Richard Gatling & His Gun
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Gatling hoped that the tremendous power of his new Civil War weapon would discourage large-scale batt...
My Hitch In Hell—A Soldier Recounts the Bataan Death March In WWII
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, after the fall of the Philippines, over 70,000 Americans and Filipinos were taken captive by Japanese forces ...
The Story of the Pilot Who Fell from an SR-71 Blackbird—the Fastest Plane in History
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1966, an SR-71 "Blackbird" disintegrated at 78,000 feet. The pilot's first thought was "No one could live ...
One Man's Case of Mistaken Identity and His Long Road to Justice
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in this "Rule of Law" Story, James King and his lawyer Patrick Jaicomo from the Institute for Justice tell th...
The Remarkable Life of Abe's Son, Robert Todd Lincoln—Lost In His Father’s Shadow
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy remembers the 16th President’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln. Because of his father, Abraham Lin...
Chuck Colson’s (Watergate’s “Evil Genius”) Fall From the Center of Power into Prison... and His Redemption
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of Chuck Colson's Watergate fallout—told by Chuck himself, who served as Special Counsel ...
The Story of Roosevelt’s D-Day Prayer—The World's Largest Mass Prayer
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on June 6, 1944, FDR delivered a prayer to the nation at 9:57PM ET. It would last 6 minutes long and be heard...
America's WWII Pacific Theather Comeback: The Battle of Midway
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Anne Claire tells the story of the Battle of Midway, America's "make or break" moment in World War II. Suppor...
Stalin’s Daughter Became an American Citizen... and Wisconsin Cheesehead?
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when 85-year-old Lana Peters passed away in 2011 from complications due to colon cancer, the nation seemed to...
How My Daughter's Schizophrenia Led Us to Open a Business Run by Special Needs Employees
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Donna’s daughter, Cassie, was diagnosed with Chronic Paranoid Schizophrenia as a teenager, their daily...
Her Career is a Tribute to Her Great Uncle, A D-Day Hero
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Heather McPherson became the Curator of History at the South Carolina Military Museum. Hear her inspiring rea...
The Man Who Spent $35M Fighting A $400k Fake Wine Fraud
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, sometimes it's the principle of the thing. When you experience fraud, you can "wine" about it - or you can ge...
How An Ex-Slave and His White Abolitionist Sidekick Rescued Slaves, Taunted Slavers, and Gave The "Underground Railroad" Its Name
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell the story is Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, Scott Shane. Shane is the author of "...
Caring For My Dying Husband Made Life Worth Living
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tracy Grant, the former managing editor at the Washington Post, shares the story of why the days taking care ...
50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy—The Plow, Barbed Wire, and Google Search
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Harford, author of the bestselling book 50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, shares the storie...
One of the Last Navajo Code Talkers Remembers WWII’s “Unbreakable Code”
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, many Americans have heard of the famous Navajo Code Talkers who used their traditional language to transmit s...
Harlan Lebo: The Making of The Godfather
03 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the director was a renegade filmmaker who'd never made a profitable picture. The producer was hired because h...
The Missionary Who Returned with Her Toddler to the Cannibal Tribe That Killed Her Husband
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Elisabeth Elliot was a missionary who returned to Ecuador with her toddler daughter to preach the Gospel to t...
Thomas Bennett: The Man Behind the Winchester Brand
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Bennett was a master salesman and businessman who helped, along with John Moses Browning, create the i...
How Horse Racing and the Triple Crown Brought a Father and Son Together
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a former high-powered media executive shares the story of how the 37-year horse racing Triple Crown drought b...
“Wild Bill" Donovan, America’s Top Spymaster
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, “Wild Bill" Donovan was one of America’s most exciting and secretive generals—the man President Frankli...
King Solomon: The Story of the Grave Digging Drunk-Turned Hero
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, King Solomon was a gravedigger who may have saved the town of Lexington during the Cholera epidemic of 1833. ...
Did Lizzie Borden Get Away With Murder?
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the brutal double-murder that happened in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1892 has long been considered an unsol...
Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed The World
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the origin of this conflict flowed from a deceptively simple question—a riddle of sorts that a Catholic mon...
The Man in the Glass Coffin
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is in a glass coffin...but so is an American man along the shores of Lake Michig...
Halloween Haunted House History
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Halloween expert Lisa Morton is going to be unpacking the history of the Halloween Haunted House, which is di...
The Secret History Inside of Cracker Barrel
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, with its classic “old country” theme, Cracker Barrel has been an American favorite for many decades. But ...
An Air Force Pilot's Post-Retirement Career Dilemma: A Job at a Big Bank or the Pilot of Air Force 2
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on the morning of September 11, 2001, Peter Braxton was the first military pilot in the air over the burning ...
The History of Our Favorite Horror Movies
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, from Nosferatu and Dracula to Friday the 13th and Saw, Matt Castro brings us the full history of all your fav...
2x Oscar Nominee Volunteers for WWII at 37: The Story of Robert Montgomery
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Montgomery was one of the first movie stars to volunteer for service in World War II and when Dwight D...
The Story of the One-Ton Pumpkin
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2017, Rhode Islander Joe Jutras broke the record for the largest giant green squash ever grown- it came in...
Halloween: The History of an American Holiday
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, why do we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween? Lesley Bannatyne is the author of Hallow...
The History of Our Favorite Horror Movies
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, from Nosferatu and Dracula to Friday the 13th and Saw, Matt Castro brings us the full history of all your fav...
Paul Westhead on The Speed Game
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Westhead, former coach of the L.A. Lakers, shares his life story with Lee. Support the show (https://www...
America Strikes Back: The Doolittle Raids and the Battle of the Coral Sea
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Anne Claire tells the story of America's first two responses to Pearl Harbor: The Doolittle Raids and the Bat...
From Darkness to Light: The Story Of The Man Who Invented the Maglite Flashlight
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, escaping the horrors of World War II in Croatia, Tony Maglica's flashlights are proudly made in America—and...
The Story of Alexander Hamilton
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, uncover the true story of Alexander Hamilton, a man of brilliance, contradictions, and enduring influence on ...
Last Men Out of Vietnam: Evacuating Saigon
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in a thrilling, moment-by-moment narrative based on a wealth of recently declassified documents and in-depth ...
How My Short Term Mission Trip Changed Me
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak has a special story written by his daughter. She shares how helping thos...
Franklin: America's Lost State Created by Appalachian Mountain Men
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, territorial ambition as old as the ages gave us the complicated history of North Carolina and Tennessee. In f...
Andrew Jackson—The President Who Shot Second (And Won)
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, dueling was close to Andrew Jackson's heart. Here to tell us just how close is Keith Hardison, former directo...
A Black Cowboy is the Inspiration for the Lone Ranger?
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Lone Ranger, with his cry of “Hi-Ho Silver!” has become an American institution ranking with Paul Bun...
The Native American Who Fought Alongside George Washington—Daniel Nimham
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Native Americans of the inhabitants of Manhattan served with George Washington at Valley Forge, and many batt...
John Deere—The Man Who Tamed America's Heartland
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, has your neighbor ever had a crazy idea? John Deere did. Let's dig right into it. Support the show (https://w...
The Time 800 Irish-Americans Invaded Canada to Liberate Ireland
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes from our regular contributor, Christopher Klein. Klein is the author of four books and i...
The Story of an Escaped Slave Who Hijacked a Confederate Ship and Sailed it to Freedom
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s The History Guy with the story of Robert Smalls, an escaped slave-turned Civil War legend. Support t...
King Solomon: The Story of the Grave Digging Drunk-Turned Hero
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, King Solomon was a gravedigger who may have saved the town of Lexington during the Cholera epidemic of 1833. ...
The Story of America—Fredricksburg, Gettysburg, and Appomattox
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in Our 31st episode of The Story of America Series, Professor Bill McClay conveys in mercifully short order t...
The Story Behind America's Mascot—Uncle Sam
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, America's mascot has always been specific, and always evolving. The common themes are provision and a call to...
Ford v Ferrari II: The Making of the Ford GT
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, s a part of its 100th anniversary celebration, Ford wanted a new supercar to showcase its heritage and future...
Willie Kennard: Colorado's First Black Lawman
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Muniz tells the story of Willie Kennard...Colorado's first black lawman. Support the show (https://ww...
"In the Lap of the Gods" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English...
Have Pool Cue, Will Travel
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark O'Brian tells the story of "St. Louie Louie"...one of the best pool players to ever grace the scene. Su...
The Night 2 H-Bombs Fell on North Carolina (Told By the Man Who Dismantled Them)
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 23, 1961, a B-52 bomber crashed in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Two H-bombs—each 250 times more po...
The Antiwar Presidential Candidate—Who Was a Pilot-Hero in WWII
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, historian Stephen Ambrose tells us the unlikely World War II story of George McGovern, the antiwar presidenti...
My Family Went From 2 to 10!
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jaimie Scott tells the story about how through a simple DNA test he found countless family members he had no ...
The Sunday Night Dinners That Kept Our Family Close
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the story behind the story of Holiday Inn is all about family. Here's Kemmons Wilson, Jr. Support the show (h...
The Only Car Ever Made To Honor God
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Barry Meguiar tells the compelling story of his rare 1901 Duryea car. Support the show (https://www.ourameric...
The Man Who Wrote 'I'll Fly Away'
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the granddaughters of Albert E. Brumley share the story of how their grandpa entered this world as the son of...
The Loyal(ist) Son: The Story of Ben Franklin's Son Taking Britain's Side During the Revolutionary War
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the war in Ben Franklin's home was not one a loving family could have ever expected. Support the show (https:...
How a Hollywood Blockbuster Inspired America’s Most Famous Robbery and Shootout—in North Hollywood
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, often, art imitates life; this time, life imitated art. Two of America's most famous actors (Robert DeNiro an...
From Rags to Riches: The Story of the Silver Rush Kings and the "Big Bonanza"
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, straight out of a Horatio Alger novel, the Silver Kings (John Mackay, James Fair, William O'Brien, and James ...
Saving Monticello: One Family's Struggle to Make Sure History was Remembered
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Jefferson’s impact on our country cannot be overstated. He fought for religious liberty, states righ...
The Story of the American Japanese Who Fought Against the Japanese in WWII
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Major General James Mukoyama rose from his blue collar Chicago neighborhood to become the first Asian-America...
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Career Growth and Leadership
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, you can delegate authority - yet responsibility remains with you, the leader. Hear lessons that make a differ...
Pathway to God: 2,000 Miles on the Appalachian Trail
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Carter Momsen-Hudson from Hillsborough, North Carolina, started walking on the Appalachian Trail not knowin...
The Bible Reading 200,000 Miles From Earth
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the crew of Apollo 8 and Steve Kates tell the story of their Christmas time mission to the moon--and the read...
The First Pilot At Ground Zero Recalls His First Jobs
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on the morning of September 11, 2001, Peter Braxton was the first military pilot in the air over the burning ...
Zero Victim: One Black Man's Story of Transformation
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, author James Ward (Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice With a New Attitude) describes the pivotal moment in thi...
Horse Jumping Was Dull -- So They Jumped Mules
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, everyone knows that a horse can jump a good-sized fence - but the folks in Pea Ridge, Arkansas thought whethe...
Hollywood Goes to War: Merian Cooper, the Man Who Created "King Kong"
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, from the time he was a boy, Merian C. Cooper wanted to be an adventurer, a wish that propelled him into jour...
Abercrombie & Fitch: The Story Behind the Story of an Iconic American Brand
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Abercrombie and Fitch clothing apparel stores conquered malls in the late '90s and early '00s with gorgeous m...
How VHS Beat Betamax
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s Bill “Engineer Guy” Hammack telling the story of how Betamax was defeated by the VHS tape. Suppo...
She Buried Over 60 Unclaimed People, Including Many Veterans
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Lanae Strovers was given the job of figuring out what to do with unclaimed urns at the funeral home she ...
The Poverty of Fatherlessness: Blair Linne's Story
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, like so many fatherless children, Blair Linne had a hole in her heart. She had a loving mom, but went from ho...
The Man in the Glass Coffin
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is in a glass coffin...but so is an American man along the shores of Lake Michig...
The Twin Brothers Who Brought America EMTs, 911 Dispatchers - and Saved Millions of Lives
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of how identical twin brothers—a doctor and a lawyer—collaborated with scores of unsung...
The Story of How Texas Joined the United States
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell the second part of his Texas anthropology series is Monte Monroe, the official Texas State Histo...
The Story of the One-Ton Pumpkin
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2017, Rhode Islander Joe Jutras broke the record for the largest giant green squash ever grown- it came in...
Halloween: The History of an American Holiday
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, why do we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween? Lesley Bannatyne is the author of Hallow...
Bob Munden: “The Fastest Gun Who Ever Lived”
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we’ve all heard of gunslingers “Wild” Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, and Billy The Kid. These quick-draw le...
James K. Polk: The Best President Americans Don't Know
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, official Texas State Historian Monte Monroe, as well as Rachel Halversen and Anne Clare, tell the story of Pr...
How Faith, Family, and Hockey Saved a Man After Being Kidnapped and Thrown In a Syrian Prison
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sam Goodwin had traveled to 180 countries, and Syria was to be number 181. Two hours into his adventurous vi...
Inside Fantasy Football: America's Favorite Non-Contact Sport
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Peter Funt shares the enthralling growth of a billion-dollar business. Hear the journey from the early GOPPPL...
Miles C. Collier: Cars Can Grab You by the Throat!
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, going Ga-Ga for automobiles happened to Miles Collier as to so many - in an instant. Now Miles runs the world...
How Pat Boone Became Famous
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, many know that Elvis grew up singing in his church choir - and he would lead the charts with hit songs throug...
Wayne Gretzky Memorializes His Father
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Walter Gretzky died at the age of 82. His death prompted an avalanche of tributes for a genuine, approachable...
Brett Favre on His Miraculous Monday Night Game after His Father Died (Pt. 3)
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in part 3 of our 5-part series, we hear Favre get very personal about his miraculous Monday Night Football ga...
A Texas Boy vs. an Air Traffic Control Bully
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, you've heard that you "Don't Mess With Texas." This story from our regular listener/contributor Roger Latham,...
A Marine's Story About Finding Peace After the Loss of His Mentor
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sgt. Joe L. Wrightsman was not only Lance Cpl. (Ret.) Tom Morton's mentor, he was a hero of the highest calib...
The Story of Pinball
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, pinball is an iconic game. Jeremy Saucier of the Strong Museum of Play shares the surprising story--from pinb...
How a College Student Sued the National Government and Saved Grant's Tomb
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the National Park Service in New York City was not taking measures to protect and preserve the tomb of Genera...
A Former German Soldier...Who Helped Build America's Arsenal of Democracy In WWII
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Frohlich tells the story of his grandfather, a German-born immigrant who handled warhorses as a World ...
He Made Paper Airplanes His Full Time Job
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, since John Collins was young, he has loved paper airplanes. This obsession helped him achieve the Guinness Wo...
Caring For My Dying Husband Made Life Worth Living
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tracy Grant, the former managing editor at the Washington Post, shares the story of why the days taking care ...
"It's Me or The Guest": How Pat Boone Stood Up for Henry Belafonte and Challenged Apartheid
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, hear the opportunities Pat Boone had to do something more important than his television show, and perhaps eve...
The Story of Sergeant York: The Religious Pacifist Who Became One of America’s Greatest War Heroes
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sgt. Alvin York— the reluctant World War I infantryman who became an American legend—has stood as a symbo...
The Fateful Night During WWII Cecil Wax Met God
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Marilyn Jensen tells the harrowing story of when her father went on a supply run amidst a German bombing. Sup...
The Great Chicago Fire—and the Even Greater Chicago Recovery
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this largely lost story is rekindled by Chicago historian Tim Samuelson, the first cultural historian of Chic...