Our American Stories

The First Successful Submarine Attack In History

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the CSS Hunley's sinking of the Housatonic was only a partial success, but represents the first time a subm...

"Chairman of the Board:" The Story of B.B. King

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, he came up out of the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta and into the bright lights of the stage worldwid...

Dad With Cancer Tells Kids: “You Are My Best Investments”

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, storyteller Shiloh Carozza remembers her father in a moving portrait of his love, steadfastness, and faith. S...

The Story of Justice Scalia: From His Immigrant Roots to the Highest Court in the Land (Pt. 2)

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, author James Rosen tells the story of Antonin Scalia's unlikely but inevitable rise to the U.S. Supreme Court...

1776: Our Colony and Britain

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, King George III was not "the mad king who lost the colonies," says renowned historian David McCullough. He wa...

Joy Neal Kidney: Dreaded Diseases of the Great Depression

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when you stop and think about it, we've come a long way in the past 100 years...especially when it comes to m...

Pat Boone: In A Metal Mood

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our series with music legend Pat Boone goes off the rails into his Heavy Metal classics. It appeared to many,...

The Remarkable Life of Abe's Son, Robert Todd Lincoln—Lost In His Father’s Shadow

17 Apr 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...

From Tech-Startup to Making a Wooden Pen with His Dad: The Story of Allegory

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for Chad and Jess Schumacher, life seemed to be going really well and as "according to plan" as life could......

“Soft and Weak” Americans Try Stopping Nazis in 1943

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story from Stephen Ambrose begins in early 1943—With America's first major defeat during the Secon...

Why Led Zeppelin Pays Royalties to a Southern Bluesman

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Stephen Davis, author of Hammer of the Gods, and Kirby Furgeson of "Everything a Remix" tell the story of how...

"The Records Were Closed, But The Story Was Open"

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Eddie Willis always knew he was adopted. And, he was fine with not knowing where he came from... That is, unt...

The Loyal(ist) Son: The Story of Ben Franklin's Son Taking Britain's Side During the Revolutionary War

16 Apr 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 2 Engineers Created the Highest-Rated Gag Gift on Amazon

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, since the company’s inception in 2005, Liquid Ass has been a popular product amongst pranksters across the ...

The Day Steve Jobs Gave Us The iPhone

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 9, 2007, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs—already a legendary pitchman—put on what many consider th...

I Was Detached About My Family's Holocaust Story....Until I Went to Buchenwald

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dana Mitch tells the story of her trip to Buchenwald, the largest concentration camp on German soil, and how ...

Rosa Parks, In Her Own Words: The Woman Who Challenged Segregation and Changed the World

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of the woman who said "no" to giving up her seat on a segregated Alabama bus is widely known. But h...

From the "Jump Around" Anthem to "The Outsiders" House Museum: The Story of Danny Boy O'Connor

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, since being released in 1983, Francis Ford Coppola’s film adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel...

The First Martyr of the Abolition Movement: 100 Bible Verses That Made America

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible play...

Ex-Slave Bass Reeves: Lawman and Hero of the Wild West

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for Art Burton, the story of Bass Reeves seemed almost too good to be true. After all, how could somebody who...

One Mother’s Escape From A Sudanese Death Sentence... to America

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from Mariam Ibrahim, who lives in Virginia. But the story begins far from there. S...

From Rags to Riches: The Story of the Silver Rush Kings and the "Big Bonanza"

11 Apr 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 ...

The Sleeping Sentinel Who Received the Death Penalty, But Was Saved By President Lincoln

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Civil War soldier, William Scott, fell asleep at his post, at the time a transgression punishable by exec...

Hedy Lamarr: The 40s “Bombshell” Actress Behind GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Hedy Lamarr set a high standard for more than screen performance. She negotiated for fair contract terms - an...

The Story of Johnsonville Sausage—From Its Founder's Son

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Johnsonville Sausage started as a small butcher shop in Wisconsin. Today, it's the #1 brand in its category, ...

The Great Emancipators: How The Civil War Openly Became about Slavery

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abraham Lincoln is often referred to as "the Great Emancipator"... but that's not the entire truth. Our regul...

The Story of the Quiet Cowboy

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, J.D. Wininger, owner of the Cross-Dubya Ranch, tells the story of a man named John who kept to himself most o...

Why The Civil War Could Have Started In New Mexico... in 1850

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Gettysburg NPS Ranger Matt Atkinson tells the story of the fateful Compromise of 1850—and why our nation's ...

The Story of How Texas Joined the United States

09 Apr 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...

What To Do When Your Grandfather is a World Famous Songwriter

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Albert Brumley wrote classic hymns like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Turn Your Radio On,” but he left behin...

David McCullough: The Story of 1776—The Year of Our Birth

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, bestselling historian and two-time Pulitzer winner David McCullough is the author of 1776. In this masterful ...

Audie Murphy: America's Most Decorated Soldier

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Audie Murphy's story is one of the quintessential American stories; yet, chances are, many Americans have nev...

“Nest Egg” & "No Dice" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 15)

08 Apr 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...

Were the Irish the First Slaves in America?

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, slavery is one of the oldest profit-making endeavors, and the Irish were a special target for a thousand year...

The Story of How Chick-fil-A Borrowed “My Pleasure” from a Luxury Hotel

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the origins of Chick-fil-A’s “my pleasure” catchphrase began in 2001. Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy’...

Big Nose Kate, More than Doc Holliday's Woman

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, she is remembered in history as Doc Holliday’s on-and-off girlfriend-turned wife. But Big Nose Kate was muc...

A Surprise Gift From a Late Wife to Her Widowed Husband

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom and Lillian Lyons married in 1946. They lived a long and loving life raising a family on the south side o...

Brett Favre Tells His Story of Family, Faith, and Football

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what’s known about legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been kept between the goal posts. So G...

How One Man's Dog Taught Him New Tricks

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from our regular contributor Paul Bauer from Minneapolis, MN. Today, Paul brings u...

He Was Elvis' Biggest Competitor in the '50s: Pat Boone on His Two Loves, Music and His Wife

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pat Boone got engaged on a Saturday and married the next day (by his high school principal)—at 19! Here's t...

King Solomon: The Story of the Grave Digging Drunk-Turned Hero

05 Apr 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 Short Ride of The Pony Express (Beginning This Day in 1860)

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Pony Express is synonymous with speed, endurance, and the American spirit to just get things done. While ...

The Antiwar Presidential Candidate—Who Was a Pilot-Hero in WWII

04 Apr 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...

Hitler Called Him "The New Noah": Andrew Higgins and the Boats That Won WWII

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Eisenhower said D-Day never would have happened without this man's boat that came out of the swamps of Louisi...

Suffering Fueled His Greatness: John Hannah on What It Took to Become the Best NFL Offensive Lineman of All Time

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from the guy Sports Illustrated said was the greatest offensive lineman of all tim...

The Story of America: The First Frontiersman President—Andrew Jackson

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 22nd episode of our Story of America Series, Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, tells the story of ...

"If You Act Like a Lady, Men Will Always Treat You As One": Gold Rush Queen, Nellie Cashman

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, relatively few women went with the initial stampedes to new mineral discoveries throughout the American front...

The Story of The Russian Immigrant Who Created America's Most Beloved Music—Irving Berlin

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"White Christmas" and "God Bless America" are both standards of American popular music—both were written by an immigrant, an astonishing fact.... bu...

This Log Cabin Led to the “Great Awakening”—Which Led to the American Revolution

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, If you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible play...

How a Hollywood Blockbuster Inspired America’s Most Famous Robbery and Shootout—in North Hollywood

02 Apr 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...

America Had A President Before George Washington?

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Geroge Washington was not our first President? Here’s Christopher Klein with the story. Support the show ...

How George Washington's Bible Survived 9/11: 100 Bible Verses That Made America

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington’s Bible was on loan to a famous Revolutionary War tavern just blocks from the World Trade...

When America's Greatest (And Last) Bareknuckle Boxer Challenged America To A Fight

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1893 John L. Sullivan's "Knockout Tour" traveled America. The challenge? Could any man in America last 12 ...

The Story of the Western Movie Star Who Quit Hollywood to Bomb Tokyo During WWII (Hollywood Goes to War)

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in a career spanning more than four decades and appearing in 149 movies, Western star Tim Holt could be seen ...

The Story of Chuck Taylor, the Billy Graham of Basketball

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, he wasn't an NBA star: He was a sneaker salesman that helped popularize the sport of basketball, and the snea...

How Cornelius Vanderbilt Caused the Panic of 1869 (“Black Friday”) and Then Personally Rescued the American Economy

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes from T.J. Stiles’ Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, The First Tycoon, is one that port...

The Great Chicago Fire—and the Even Greater Chicago Recovery

01 Apr 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...

The Careful Art of Caring for Your Horse

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor Bill Bryk brings us another adventure in riding and teaches us just how meticulous the gr...

A Police Chaplain Remembers His Mentor... And the Oklahoma City Bombing

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, a ministry of presence is what police chaplain service means to Greg Giltner. His response to the terrorist ...

The Greatest Tank Duel of WWII

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy tells the story of one of the most extraordinary David Vs. Goliath tank battles of WW2 betwee...

The Inventor Extraordinaire Who Gave Us the Safety Pin: Walter Hunt

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Walter Hunt is known as the Yankee mechanical genius. His hundreds of inventions include a saw, a steamer, in...

Graduate Works For General Motors Remotely—On A Sailboat?

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, working remotely meant that she could live remotely, too...so Emma decided to buy a sailboat and go to Florid...

The Story of a Military Man-Turned Missionary Who Carries a Gun... In War-Torn Burma (And Sudan and Iraq)

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, whether armed or unarmed, the medics and defenders of the Free Burma Rangers stand with those trapped in the ...

Easter with My Grandson: The Best Day Ever

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from a listener, Paul Bauer—a regular contributor out of the Great White North, ...

The Story of The Man Who Built One of the Largest Prison Ministries in the World

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Joe Garman wanted to minister to people - on his own terms, and certainly not in the prison setting. As he te...

The Stories Behind Our Easter Traditions

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, bestselling author Ace Collins is here to reveal the events and backgrounds that shaped the best-loved custom...

The History of Human Mobility: The Story of the Inventions That Changed the Way We Move

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Miles C. Collier – founder of the Revs Institute – tells the story of inventions that took us from our ow...

President Truman’s Visit to Tiny Dexter, Iowa—And How It Helped Him Win Reelection

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1948 President Harry Truman decided to attend a plowing match in the small town of Dexter, Iowa. It turned...

The Story of Army Ranger-Turned Border Patrol Agent, Vincent "Rocco" Vargas

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Vincent “Rocco” Vargas shares his unique perspective of becoming a Border Patrol Agent after his own gran...

America Strikes Back: The Doolittle Raids and the Battle of the Coral Sea

27 Mar 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...

The Man Who Built Hollywood: The Story of Cecil B. DeMille

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when you think of the parting of the Red Sea, you probably think of movie director Cecil B. DeMille, who turn...

The Story of How The Muppets Began as a TV Commercial

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brian Jay Jones, author of Jim Henson: The Biography, tells the story of how some of America's most beloved c...

Killed On Independence Day

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, listener Joy Neal Kidney, recipient of the 2021 Great American Storyteller Award from our staff, tells the st...

The Story of America: A Revolution For the Common Man

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 21st episode of our series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, Bill tells the story of how ...

The Civil War's Moses Moment at Providence Spring—100 Bible Verses That Changed America

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Union Soldiers at Andersonville Prison were near starvation, and dehydration, when prayer saved thousands...

What Happened to Bonnie and Clyde When They Came to Small-Town Iowa

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, to some they were heroes. To others they were villains. But when the Barrow gang rolled into Dexter, Iowa, th...

"Big Bucks, No Whammies!": The Man Who Cracked the Code of "Press Your Luck" And Won $110,000

26 Mar 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...

Accordionist Nancy 3 Hoffman—Yes, That's Her Middle Name—Tells the Story of Her....Umbrella Cover Museum

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, meet Nancy 3 (that's the numeral '3', not the word 'three') Hoffman, an accordionist, world traveler, and own...

Basketball Legend "Pistol Pete" Maravich Shares His Life Story... Just Days Before His Death

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, just days before his death, the 40 year-old Maravich shared his story to a small audience about his life purs...

A Listener Recounts Spotting Satellites In The Sky With His Father in The Mountains of New Mexico

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Muniz tells the story of his first time seeing a satellite in the sky during a trip into the mountain...

he Surprising Story of the World's 1st Billionaire—John D. Rockefeller

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, John D. Rockefeller had a very unusual childhood. His father, dubbed “Devil Bill,” was a smooth-talking s...

The Baseball Team That Fought For Equality Before Jackie Robinson Hit The Majors

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Chris Siriano tells the story of a baseball team formed out of a religious commune in Benton Harbor, MI. The ...

Andrew Jackson’s Cursing Parrot

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, history professor Mark Cheathem tells us why Andrew Jackson’s pet parrot had to be removed from his funeral...

"Long Shot" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions

25 Mar 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...

I Picked Up "Tex" Watson Hitchhiking AFTER the Manson Murders

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, following the Charles Manson murders, Manson's lead henchman, Tex Watson, stayed in Los Angeles for almost tw...

What Happened to Saturday Morning Cartoons?

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark McCray is the author of The Best Saturdays of Our Lives. Here he is to tell us the story of Saturday mo...

The Improbable Story of How the Wright Brothers Changed World History

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, much was at stake in this first race to space. Nations and top scientists across the globe pursued the elusiv...

The Gettysburg Soldier Who Received The Medal of Honor 151 Years After His Death

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, here's the story of Alanzo Cushing as told by those who fought to have him recognized long after he fell at G...

The Story of the Sneaker: A Walk Through American History

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Nicholas Smith, author of Kicks: The Great American Story of Sneakers, takes us for a journey through America...

The Woman Behind "Locks of Love": The Nonprofit That Donates Hair to Kids

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, it's likely you know someone who's grown out their hair to donate to the nonprofit charity, Locks of Love. He...

The Holiday Inn Founder Who Gave Salesmanship A Good Name

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of one of America's greatest salesmen—and some of his interactions with our greatest icons.....Mu...

The Most Famous Abolitionist You Never Heard Of: The Story of Thomas Shipley

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Shipley always sprang into action to defend black men and women from abuses and professional kidnapper...

The Story of America: Thomas Jefferson's Dying Words On Slavery

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 20th episode of "The Story of America" series, Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, tells the story ...

Abandoned at Birth in a Garbage Dump... But Love Found Me

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, only hours old, Jackie Darby was found in a garbage dump in Korea, her tiny body being eaten by rats. Through...

How My First Job—A Summer Job—Changed My Life

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, first jobs are important and often our first real taste of adult responsibility. At the Fenwick Crab house, ...

I Lived Through The Depression And Didn't Even Know It

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Donald Sturm tells his story of growing up during The Great Depression without knowing it because of the powe...

The Angels of Bataan: The Brave Nurses Who Served Our Soldiers in One of WWII's Worst Campaigns

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Anne Clare tells the story of a nurse who served in the Philippines during World War II, and shares the exper...

Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice: The Navy’s "Jackie Robinson" (Told by His Granddaughter)

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of America's first Black Naval Aviator, Jesse Leroy Brown. There's a movie dedicated to him...

The Story of America: The War of 1812 and Beyond

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 19th episode of "The Story of America" series, Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, tells the story ...

Becoming Dr. Seuss: The Making of an American Imagination

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, from Green Eggs and Ham to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, we’re all familiar with the work of Dr. Seuss. B...