Our American Stories

Growing Up Rural: Dangling Feet and the Cost of a Lie

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pastor Scott Jones, author of Growing Up Rural, shares a memory from his youth when a small decision and...

Secretariat’s Owner: The Remarkable Story of Penny Chenery

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Secretariat became a Triple Crown legend, Penny Chenery was a mother of five facing an unexpected turn...

The Hardest Part of Being a Dad: Letting Her Grow Up

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Stephen Rusiniak became the father of a daughter, worry came with the job. When she grew into a high sch...

The Jewish Patriots of the American Revolution

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the American Revolution, Jews made up only a tiny fraction of the population, yet many became passiona...

The Screwdriver Wars: Why Phillips Beat Robertson

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, why do we have so many different kinds of screws? The answer lies in a little-known industrial rivalry betwee...

The Story of Jell-O: How America’s Favorite Dessert Was Born

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, invented in 1897, Jell-O became one of America’s most recognizable foods through clever marketing, simp...

Before the Mall: The Original Abercrombie & Fitch

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abercrombie & Fitch once ruled shopping malls in the 1990s and early 2000s, but its story began long befo...

If I Could Talk to Anyone for One Hour, It Would Be My Parents

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, if you could spend one hour talking with anyone, living or not, who would you choose? For regular contributor...

Paul Harvey: The Voice That Told America “The Rest of the Story”

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, born in small-town Oklahoma in 1918, Paul Harvey grew up shaped by faith, rural life, and the tragic murder o...

James Warner Bellah: From World War I to Writing John Wayne

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before his stories became classic Hollywood films, James Warner Bellah was writing pulp fiction about cavalry...

How Railroads Created America’s Time Zones

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, today, America runs on four time zones, but before the railroad era, thousands of towns kept their own local ...

Joshua Lionel Cowen and the Toy Trains That Defined American Childhood

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Bryk tells the remarkable story of Joshua Lionel Cowen, the inventive mind behind Lionel trains. Cowen b...

How an African American Community Used Storytelling to Change a Life

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Eric Motley, author of Madison Park: A Place of Hope, shares how he was raised by a close-knit African A...

The Story of America: The Shot Heard ’Round the World and Common Sense [Ep. 5]

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The American Revolution began before independence was declared and before most colonists were ready for a com...

Sunday Mornings with Big Mitch: Ep. 11

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel "Big Mitch" Rutledge, who ha...

The Enslaved Man-Turned-Spy Who Helped Washington Win America's Independence: James Armistead Lafayette

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for most of his life, James Armistead Lafayette was known simply as James—not Lafayette. That last name...

America's Greatest Grifter? The Odd Story of Appleton Oaksmith: Presumed Slave Trader, Confederate Spy, and Voting Rights Activist

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—but Appleton Oaksmith landed on another planet....

A Wife’s Heartfelt Letter to Her Husband After Pregnancy Loss

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Megan Bayer shares her touching letter of gratitude and healing to her constant companion through a struggle ...

The Man Behind Maybelline and the Rise of Modern Makeup

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in Victorian America, makeup was taboo. Respectable women didn’t enhance their eyes—unless they w...

Justice Scalia on Why The Constitution is Unique

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, a bill of rights depends on a government that actually manifests restraint. Otherwise, Justice Scalia suggest...

What I Learned After Getting a Dog I Didn’t Understand

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, after becoming an empty nester, Paul Bauer decided to get a dog, despite knowing almost nothing about dogs. W...

He Was Closer to Death Than We Knew

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early months of the COVID pandemic, when fear and uncertainty were everywhere, Stephen Rusiniak receiv...

How Charles Lindbergh Became America’s Most Famous Airman

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Before he became the most famous pilot in the world, Charles Lindbergh was a barnstormer, a daredevil wing wa...

What Calvin Coolidge Said About the True Meaning of Independence

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1926, on the 150th anniversary of American independence, Calvin Coolidge delivered a Fourth of July addres...

Escape From Libby Prison: The Civil War’s Greatest Jailbreak

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, deep in Richmond, Virginia, a converted warehouse known as Libby Prison held more than 1,200 Union officers d...

Why “Once in a Lifetime” Is One of the Greatest Songs Ever Written

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, few pop songs sound like nothing that came before them. Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime”...

How the Lawn Became a Symbol of the American Dream

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the lawn began as a practical patch of grass, a village common, and even a defensive buffer around medieval c...

Was Dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan Necessary to End World War II?

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, few decisions in American history remain as controversial as the choice to drop atomic bombs on Japan in the ...

Doug Williams and the Super Bowl That Changed the NFL

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for decades, Black athletes were welcomed in nearly every position in professional football, except one. Quar...

The Story of Saxsquatch, the Saxophone-Playing Sasquatch

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, he was a saxophonist for one of the world’s great touring bands, Marcus King Band, but felt called to c...

Did Blues Legend Robert Johnson Really Sell His Soul to the Devil?

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, legend says that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroads in exchange for his mu...

The Cub Scout Leader Who Changed My Life

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for Stephen Rusiniak, one of the most influential people in his life was his Cub Scout leader. Long before St...

How Windmills Made the American West Possible

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, that old windmill along the highway may look like a relic, but without it, westward expansion would have been...

Gary Powers and the U-2 Incident: A Cold War Spy Story Told by His Son

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on May 1, 1960, American spy pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down while flying a secret U-2 reconnaissance...

How the COVID-19 Toilet Paper Shortage Made Americans Embrace the Bidet

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, it took empty store shelves and a toilet paper shortage for many Americans to finally take the bidet seriousl...

Steve Jobs and the Day the iPhone Was Born

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs stepped onto the stage at Macworld and unveiled a device that would change how...

Colin Powell: The Man Behind the General, the Diplomat, and the Leader

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Colin Powell was a four-star general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State. But behi...

Kagan on Scalia: How Two Supreme Court Opposites Became Friends

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Antonin Scalia could not have disagreed more about the Constitution, y...

Sterling Hayden: The Hollywood Star Who Left the Screen to Become a WWII Spy

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, he played villains, soldiers, and tough guys on screen, but Sterling Hayden lived an even more dangerous life...

Josephine Earp: The Woman Who Shaped the Legend of Wyatt Earp

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for nearly fifty years, Josephine Marcus Earp stood beside one of the most famous lawmen of the Old West. But...

Earning the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor: One Man’s Journey Through Marine Boot Camp

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Morton always felt called to serve, but the path there was anything but straight. After trying college tw...

The Story of America: The Roots of Revolution [Ep. 4]

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, after the French and Indian War, Britain emerged victorious, but deeply in debt. Parliament believed the colo...

The Union Colonel Who Treated Confederate POWs With Mercy

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Civil War, Boston’s Fort Warren held more than 2,000 Confederate prisoners of war. Unlike ma...

A DNA Test, a Long-Lost Son, and a Journey Back to Vietnam

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brent Evanoff thought he had life figured out until one phone call changed everything. He learned he had a so...

How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil Wa

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before texts, emails, or instant messaging, Abraham Lincoln found a new way to lead a nation at war. By ...

The Police Chaplain Who Showed Up on Oklahoma City’s Worst Day

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Greg Giltner spent nearly three decades with the Oklahoma City Police Department and later served as a police...

The Great Chicago Fire Was Devastating. The Recovery Was Extraordinary.

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, most people know the story of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Fewer know what happened next. After flames des...

Why Men Grow Beards: A Cultural History of Masculinity and Facial Hair

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, beards may feel like a modern trend, but they’ve been shaping ideas about manhood for thousands of year...

A Sister’s Love Through the Tragic Loss of Her Three Brothers

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up in rural Alabama, Edie Hand shared an idyllic childhood with her three younger brothers, known as ...

Bob Funk and the Business of Giving People Work, Purpose, and Hope

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before founding Express Employment Professionals, Bob Funk believed his life’s work would be in the min...

When a Daughter Becomes Her Father’s Caregiver

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a child, Deborah Freeburg learned what faith, perseverance, and family looked like by watching her parents...

A DNA Test Turned One Man’s Family From 2 to 10

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Jamie Scott was born, he was placed for adoption and raised by loving parents in North Carolina. For dec...

The Chosen: How a Crowdfunded TV Series About Jesus Took Over the World

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Chosen is the first multi-season television series about the life of Jesus Christ, and it has become...

Texas Boys Don’t Cry, Until a Son Reads His Mother’s Hidden Poem

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Roger Latham was handed a few handwritten pages years after his mother’s death, he did not expect ...

Jesse James: The Most Notorious Outlaw in American History

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, more than 150 years after his death, Jesse James remains one of the most famous and misunderstood figures in ...

Bite the Bullet and Bless You: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Part 6)

20 Jan 2026

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...

The Most Unlikely Tank Kill of World War II

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, an American reconnaissance armored car faced one of Nazi Ger...

A Son’s Eulogy for His Biker Father, by Taylor Brown

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, writer Taylor Brown shares a deeply personal eulogy for his father, a lifelong motorcyclist who taught him ab...

Shooting Bunnies From a Motorboat and Other Bizarre US Laws

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, why is it illegal to shoot rabbits from a motorboat? Or to import skunks into certain states? And who decided...

Jimmy Neary: The Irish Immigrant Who Built a New York City Legend

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jimmy Neary arrived in New York City from County Sligo, Ireland in 1954 with almost nothing but a gift for pe...

Corrie ten Boom and the Secret Room That Saved Hundreds During the Holocaust

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Corrie ten Boom and her family turned their watchmaker’s...

 A Veteran Police Officer on Mental Illness, Homelessness, and the Frontlines of Crisis

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Deon Joseph has worked in law enforcement for more than two decades, spending much of that time in places whe...

The Woman Behind Jack London: Charmian Kittredge London

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, best known as the wife of Jack London, Charmian Kittredge London was far more than a companion to a literary ...

How the Night Stalker Was Identified by a Single Fingerprint

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1984, Los Angeles police officer Bob Alaniz arrested a suspicious car thief without realizing he was detai...

“Propose a Toast” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions

19 Jan 2026

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...

The Medal of Honor Pilot Who Crashed His Plane to Save His Wingman

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Korean War, Navy pilot Thomas Hudner made a decision that defied orders and nearly cost him his li...

Dreaded Diseases of the Great Depression

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, award-winning storyteller Joy Neal Kidney shares a deeply personal family history from the Great Depression, ...

How Indian American Hoteliers Built a Hospitality Empire, With Help From an Unlikely Ally

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, former Las Vegas Sands executive Mike Leven shares how an unlikely partnership helped launch the Asian Americ...

Pearl Harbor’s Overlooked Wrecks: The USS Oklahoma and USS Utah

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor Anne Clare tells the lesser-known story of two ships lost at Pearl Harbor, the USS Utah&n...

Holy Rollers: The Card Counting Christians Who Beat Blackjack

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, one of the most successful blackjack teams in America was built around an unlikely bond: church friendships a...

David McCullough on Why the Founding Fathers Were Not Like Us

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the late historian David McCullough explains why America’s Founding Fathers cannot be understood as ord...

How “God of This City” Was Written in the Unlikeliest Place

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, while on a mission trip to Thailand, a modern worship band found itself playing an impromptu set inside a bro...

The Story of America: Failed Experiments in Utopia [Ep. 3]

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, In the earliest days of settlement, America became a testing ground for bold ideas about faith, freedom, and ...

The Slave-Turned Bishop Who Delivered George Washington’s Eulogy

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Allen was born into slavery in colonial America and went on to become one of the most influential rel...

How One Doctor Tells Patients They Are Dying

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Theodore Schwartz, a neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and best-selling author of Gray Matters: A B...

From Broken Childhood to Redemption: A Story of Gang Life and Faith

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Carl Montgomery grew up surrounded by neglect, instability, and violence, where a broken childhood pushed him...

What It Means to Be the Only Lawyer in Town

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in a town with only one lawyer, every problem comes to the same door. Bill Bryk spent his career deciding whe...

The Slap Shot Story: Dave “Killer” Hanson and the Hanson Brothers

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the iconic Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot weren’t actors. They were real minor-league hockey playe...

Johnny Carson’s Most Memorable Guests: Don Rickles and Ed Ames

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, from 1962 to 1992, Johnny Carson defined late-night television as the longtime host of The Tonight Show. Over...

Martin Luther and the Question That Changed Christianity

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, the origins of the Protestant Reformation trace back to a deceptively simple and deeply personal question. A ...

The Eulogy Lee Habeeb Never Gave for His Mother

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Lee Habeeb, host of Our American Stories, reflects on his mother’s life and the quiet legacy she l...

How British Elites Turned Benjamin Franklin into an American Patriot

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 29, 1774, Benjamin Franklin was summoned before the King’s advisers in an octagonal chamber ...

What Two Fraternity Brothers Taught Me Before They Died

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ken Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, reflects on two profound college friendships that shaped his...

A Cold War Encounter Over the North Pole

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the height of the Cold War, a routine American B-50 bomber flight over the North Pole turned into a te...

Johnny Carson’s “Carnac the Magnificent,” Tiny Tim, and Rodney Dangerfield

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Johnny Carson reigned supreme as the host of The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, shaping moder...

How Bob Gibson and Tim McCarver Redefined Baseball at the 1964 World Series

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 1964 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals played the mighty NY Yankees. On the pitcher's mound for th...

How Smallpox Saved Canada and Crippled Washington’s Army

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, while George Washington fought the British on the battlefield, another invisible enemy was tearing through hi...

The Black WWII Hero Who Swam Through Shark-Infested Ocean to Rescue His Crew

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the USS Gregory was attacked and left sinking in the Pacific, Navy mess attendant Charles Jackson F...

The Story of Justice Scalia: From His Immigrant Roots to the Highest Court in the Land (Pt. 1)

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, James Rosen, author of Scalia: Rise to Greatness, shares the story of Antonin Scalia’s unlike...

How the USS Lexington Became a Floating Symbol of American Resolve

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, she was built for war but became a beacon of memory. The USS Lexington (CV-16) launched into battle...

The Football Game Gerald Ford Never Forgot: Pigskins, Racism, and a Moment of Defiance in 1934

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was president, Gerald Ford was a rising football star at the University of Michigan. But in 1934, h...

How a Near-Death Jet Crash Prepared One Air Force Pilot for 9/11

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during a high-stakes flight, pilot trainee Peter Braxton lost control of his aircraft and almost didn’t...

America’s Last Bareknuckle Fighter Took on the Nation—And Won

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before gloves, rules, or weight classes, there was John L. Sullivan: a powerhouse brawler who became America&...

Roberto Clemente’s Legacy Preserved by a Fan Who Never Forgot

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, long after Roberto Clemente’s final game, Duane Rieder found himself returning to the images, stories, ...

 “All Hell Broke Loose” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions

09 Jan 2026

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...

The Most Recorded Guitarist in History: Tommy Tedesco of the Wrecking Crew

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, he was the session guitarist behind some of the biggest songs of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, ...

Why a Rhodes Scholar Walked Away from Oxford to Fight in the Vietnam War

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1960s, Karl Marlantes stood at a crossroads: remain at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, or go...

How “Georgia on My Mind” Became a Classic American Song

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ray Charles did not write “Georgia on My Mind,” but he gave it its enduring soul. Written in 1930...

“Hunky Dory” and “Hedge Your Bets”: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions

08 Jan 2026

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...

She Was Japanese American During WWII, but Her Story Was Very Different

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, while her parents were among the many unjustly sent to internment camps during World War II, Mary Mikami and ...