Our American Stories
Episodes
The Story of Charles Jackson French: A Hero For Our Time
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bruce Wigo—the former CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame—is here to share a story of an unkno...
Pete Maravich Shares His Life Story… Just Days Before His Death
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, just days before his death, on January 8, 1988, 40-year-old “Pistol” Pete Maravich spoke to guests who ga...
Abraham Lincoln: Our First "Wired" President
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, you’ve heard Christopher Klein tell the story of “How Johnny Carson Saved Twister” and how Mark Twain h...
"The Mechanical Horse": How the Bicycle Reshaped American Life
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, from the modernization of medicine to the development of our country’s road systems, the bicycle has had a ...
The American Bonapartes
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy unpacks the largely forgotten saga of the Bonapartes who came to America. The story illustrat...
How Smallpox Created Canada by Destroying Washington’s Army
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Canada is an independent nation—and not part of the United States—most likely, because of smallpox. Here ...
Left for Dead: A Second Life After Vietnam
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, as a 20-year-old soldier in Vietnam, Jon Hovde’s armored personnel carrier he was driving was hit an antita...
The Old Upright Piano, Joy Neal Kidney
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney shares the story of her old upright piano that was passed down to her from her mother. Suppor...
Tim's Story: Better Health is a Choice
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Hennessy's life was changed by what he chose to do with his deteriorating health issue. Support the show ...
How Coach “Bear” Bryant and the Packers Transformed My Life
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s Rich Wingo with the story of how his time under Coach Bryant and with the Green Bay Packers transfor...
The Story of the 1st Medal of Honor
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy remembers a desperate attempt to rescue soldiers besieged by Apache Indians which results in ...
"Cat Got Your Tongue?" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 4)
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here again with his reoccurring series is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Every...
How Johnny Carson Saved Twister
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s history geek Christopher Klein to tell the story of how Johnny Carson saved Twister. Support the sho...
The Story of Excellence: Horst Schulze and The Ritz-Carlton
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a legend and leader in the hotel world, Horst Schulze has reshaped how service and hospitality are defined in...
Why The Nativity?
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. David Jeremiah looks in detail at the people and events that surround the Christmas story and why each of...
A Bible Reading 200,000 Miles From Earth
26 Dec 2022
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 Real Santa
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here's Roger Latham from Fort Worth, Texas, telling us a Christmas story he’s titled, “The Real Santa.”...
The Real Stories Behind Our Cherished Christmas Traditions
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the first half of the 19th century, Christmas was a very different kind of holiday than it is today. By th...
Is “Die Hard” a Xmas Movie? The Story and the Definitive Answer!
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to settle this question once and for all is Stephen Follows. Stephen is an established data researcher i...
Memorable Christmas Stories in U.S. Military History
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, popular YouTube historian "The History Guy" shares stories from across the decades. Support the show (https:/...
Hess Trucks, The Holiday Tradition That Started at a Gas Station
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, for nearly 60 years, Hess trucks have brought smiles to children, and adults, up and down the East Coast. The...
"To Hear the Angels Sing"
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Kent was just 9 years old, he had a very special experience that, many years later, he can’t seem to s...
Shopping the Wishlists of Children in Need
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jonathan Mattox is co-chairman of The Christmas Store, founded in 1975. Jonathan tells us about this annual e...
The Importance of Giving During Christmas Time
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, once arriving back home from a mission trip, Ashley Freeman realized service work could be done right in her ...
Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ace Collins is the author of Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Collins is an ace at song his...
Zuzu’s “Wonderful Life”: The Story of Karolyn Grimes
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next storyteller has the privilege of being in one of the most beloved movies of all time—while, at the...
The Candy Bomber
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of Gail Halvorsen, a young pilot in the US Army Air Corps who was assigned as a cargo pilot...
Christmas, 1776
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it is called the first “American” Christmas because the Declaration of Independence was created the previ...
How a Tornado Destroying Her Home Gave Her the Perfect Christmas
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s hard to believe that something wonderful could come out of a family’s house, filled with presents, d...
George Washington at Trenton and Princeton
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Larry Arnn tells the story of how George Washington turned the tides of war in favor of the US at Trenton and...
A Loss was the Answer to Prayer I Didn't Know I Needed
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Leslie Leyland Fields, who’s been on our show before joins us with another great story. Today, Leslie share...
Everett's Last Christmas Carol
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jim Johnson finds peculiar friends wherever he goes. This story is about one such friend, Everett Motl. Suppo...
Salvation Army: The Story of William and Catherine Booth
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Salvation Army's Christmas Red Kettle has been an American icon for 125 years. But for many Americans, th...
Leland Klassen’s Christmas Comedy
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Comedian Leland Klassen is here to share stories from his Christmas past. Support the show (https://www.ouram...
The Story (and Family) Behind Yuengling, America's Oldest Brewery
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jennifer Yuengling is one of the four 6th generation sisters who are carrying on their great-great-great gran...
I Picked Up "Tex" Watson Hitchhiking AFTER the Manson Murders
19 Dec 2022
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...
The Chicago-area Maintenance Man Who Wrote a Hallmark Christmas Movie
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Rikk Dunlap has always been a writer, and writing has even become a way for him to come to grips with tragedy...
One of the 1st and Last American POWs of WWII
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Judith Pierson tells us the story of Navy corpsman Estel Myers and his story of survival in the WWII's Pacifi...
How Boston Embraced the Booth Brothers Following Lincoln’s Assassination
16 Dec 2022
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...
Love Your Neighbor… My Employees Are My Closest Neighbor
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a legend and leader in the hotel world, Horst Schulze has reshaped how service and hospitality are defined in...
America's Comeback: The Battle of Midway
16 Dec 2022
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...
Churchill's All Important Address to Congress
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, mere weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made an all important ...
No! No! No! Who the Hell Boos Santa Claus?!
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1968, the 19-year-old Frank Olivo was dressed as Santa Claus at an Eagles’ football game where he was bo...
The First Successful Submarine Attack
16 Dec 2022
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 submar...
Jim Johnson’s Christmas Tree Story
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jim Johnson’s heart-moving story, “Everett's Last Christmas Carol,” needed a follow up. Here he is agai...
Shopping the Wishlists of Children in Need
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jonathan Mattox is co-chairman of The Christmas Store, founded in 1975. Jonathan tells us about this annual e...
A Capitalist, Some Communists, and a Car: The Story of the Yugo
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, six months after its American introduction in 1985, the Yugo was a punchline; within a year, it was a staple ...
Salvation Army: The Story of William and Catherine Booth
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Salvation Army's Christmas Red Kettle has been an American icon for 125 years. But for many Americans, th...
The Founding Fathers Were Not Like Us—We MUST Know Our History (Told by David McCullough)
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, John Adams is the Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of America’s founding father and second president that...
The Story of How Chick-fil-A Borrowed “My Pleasure” from a Luxury Hotel
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ritz-Carlton co-founder Horst Schulze on one of the few other American companies that’s committed to excell...
The History of Christmas Trees (History Guy)
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we take a listen to The History Guy as he recalls the forgotten history of Christmas trees. Support the show ...
Samuel Colt and the Birth of the Revolver
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Phil Anschutz writes in Out Where The West Begins: “Samuel Colt’s life was the American story written in...
Why We Love "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, dealing with a small budget and with a short deadline, A Charlie Brown Christmas was released to critical acc...
The Confederate Mystery Ship
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Confederate's didn't have the industrial might to build their own ships. As a result, cash crops proved k...
Strength for the Fight: The Faith That Led Jackie Robinson to Integrate the MLB
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The integration of Major League Baseball in 1947 was a triumph. But it was also a fight. As the first Black m...
The DiMaggios
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Clavin shares some great stories of Joltin' Joe, Dom, and Vince from his book, The DiMaggios: Three Brot...
Memorable Christmas Stories in U.S. Military History
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy remembers forgotten military history that took place around the Christmas holiday from differ...
Fall from an SR-71 Blackbird
12 Dec 2022
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 ...
Everett's Last Christmas Carol
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jim Johnson finds peculiar friends wherever he goes. This story is about one such friend, Everett Motl. Suppo...
The Story of FDR's "Day of Infamy" Speech
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on December 7th, 1941, America was attacked by the sovereign nation of Japan in the midst of a war the United...
Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ace Collins is the author of Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Collins is an ace at song hi...
Is “Die Hard” a Xmas Movie? The Story and the Definitive Answer!
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here to settle this question once and for all is Stephen Follows. Stephen is an established data researcher i...
The Real Santa
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here's Roger Latham from Fort Worth, Texas, telling us a Christmas story he’s titled, “The Real Santa.”...
The Real Stories Behind Our Cherished Christmas Traditions
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the first half of the 19th century, Christmas was a very different kind of holiday than it is today. By th...
Wichita Wings: The Story of Learjet and Cessna
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when you think of cars, you think of Detroit. When you think of steel, you think of Pittsburgh. When you thin...
The WWII Tank Duel at St. Vith
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy tells of the story during the Battle of St. Vith, Belgium, on 18 December 1944, where one of ...
The Day a Soviet Nuclear Attack Submarine Rammed an American Aircraft Carrier
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1984, during a period of Cold War tension, a Soviet submarine collided with a United States aircraft carri...
Silent Night: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Christmas Carol
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, from its humble beginnings at an Austrian chapel in 1818, Silent Night has become one of the most popular Chr...
The Bad Employee Who Defined Her Bank (Told by Ritz-Carlton Founder)
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s Horst Schulze with a short story about how excellence wins—or the lack of it will cause you and yo...
Celebrating Billy Graham on His Birthday, 1918
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Billy Graham took the role of evangelist to a new level, lifting it from the sawdust floors of canvas tents i...
Robin Cook: The American Physician Who Wrote Coma Underwater
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robin Cook is best known for his novel, Coma. The book was published in 1977, and premiered as a movie the ne...
Teen Angel: The Frankie Avalon Story
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, not many teen idols are able to carve a successful career for themselves as they mature, but Frankie Avalon i...
Tyrone Power: Hollywood Goes to War
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, We’ve heard the stories of Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart. Today McGrath will be treating us to the story of...
The Bible Reading 238,900 Miles From Earth
06 Dec 2022
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 Woman Who Voiced Rudolph
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Billie Mae Richards is a Canadian actress best known for voicing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the 1964 s...
Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Johnny Cash is an American original. And this story is an insider’s look at the man whose music sprang from...
How Curious George Escaped the Nazis?!
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, did you know that author-illustrators Hans and Margret Rey fled Nazi-occupied France on handmade bicycles wit...
The Quiet Cowboy
05 Dec 2022
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...
The First Real Time Tragedy: The Sinking of the RMS Titanic
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on April 18th, 1912, New York Harbor was packed with reporters, onlookers, and family members of those who ha...
Kemmons Wilson Jr: Business Is Important, But It's #6 On The List!
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, for our "Faith in Action" series, we hear from a wise leader out of Memphis, the son of Holiday Inn's founder...
“The 5th Circuit Four” Who Ushered In Desegregation
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the fascinating subject of 14-year-old Max Grinstein's winning paper at the National History Day competition!...
Girl with a Gun: The Annie Oakley Story
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, at a time when women were only expected to fire up the oven, Annie Oakley fired her way to fame as the world’...
The Art of Being a Good Neighbor: The National Disaster Photo Rescue Organization
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, where would our photos go if our house were to be hit by a tornado? The answer is everywhere. But for Thad Be...
Brits & U.S. Unite in ’42 to Defeat Germany First
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Brits and the U.S. decided to form the first allied command in history in order to defeat Nazi Germa...
Edie Hand: Strength in Loneliness is Still Loneliness
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Edie Hand was always told by her mother that she was strong... but strength isn't always enough. Support the ...
Hannibal, Missouri: The Town that Created Mark Twain
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we listen to Richard Garey, Mark Twain aficionado, talk about the gateway to the West, Hannibal. This town sp...
Nostalgia Awakens: The Star Wars Toy Empire Revolution (Part 2)
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, “The Nostalgia Awakens" is an exhibit featuring EVERY action figure toy made by Kenner from 1978-1985 based...
The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob Drury and Tom Clavin have finally given the little-known Red Cloud the recognition he deserves and share ...
I Worked Out of Workaholism… And My Life Is Working Better
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Steve Trice, the founder of Jasco Products, on serving his employees and a higher calling than money. Support...
How a Fake Doctor Ran Carnival Sideshows and Saved Thousands of Infants and Changed Medical History
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Martin Couney carried a secret with him, but the results are unimpeachable. It was Coney Island in the ea...
Lightning In a Bottle: The Early Years of Coke
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we learn how Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola relate. What exactly is Georgia Green? How did a syrup that was ori...
The Story Behind the Brooklyn Bridge
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we learn about the Brooklyn Bridge, with its unprecedented length and two stately towers, was dubbed the “e...
Butch Hartman Drew My Childhood
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, while many know the shows created by one of the 2000s most influential artists, not many people know the man ...
The South Vietnamese Pilot Who Stole A Plane To Save His Family
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we learned how Major Buang-Ly worked as a pilot with the United States military during the Vietnam War. When ...
"A Light In Our Small Town": Milton James' Story
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we hear how on March 4, 2022, Milton James passed away far too young, at only 58 years old. Two of his collea...
“Black Harry” Hoosier: The Story Behind Indiana’s Namesake
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, we learn how Indiana got its nickname as “The Hoosier State.” And how did people from Indiana come to be ...
Separate, but Equal": The Story of Supreme Injustice
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on May 18, 1896, the decision on a case brought before the Supreme Court would solidify segregation for over ...
Out of Mental Health Hospitals and Into Motherhood: A Story of Overcoming
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Randi Wilson is a 28 year old New mother in Charlotte, North Carolina. For nearly 10 years, she struggled wit...
"We Didn't Want to Lose Two People": A Story of Forgiveness
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Laura Treppendahl’s life was one worth remembering. After being killed in a drunk driving accident, Laura’...
A Father's Love: Capone's Lawyer "Easy" Eddie and WWII Ace "Butch" O'Hare
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the unlikely story of redemption and bravery behind two Chicago legends: Al Capone's lawyer "Easy" Eddie and ...