Our American Stories

The Frontier Spirit of Nancy Kelsey, California’s Betsy Ross

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Nancy Kelsey left Missouri with her husband in 1841, she had no map, no guide, and no reason to believe ...

What I Learned from a Dying Patient

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. E. Wesley Ely of Vanderbilt University Medical Center shares deeply meaningful experiences—both med...

Murrow vs. McCarthy: The Broadcast That Changed America

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early years of television, few moments carried more weight than the night journalist Edward R. Murrow ...

The Long Road to Belonging: Blair Linne’s Story

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Blair Linne grew up moving from place to place, never staying long enough to unpack completely. Her mother lo...

He Became a POW in Vietnam Two Days Before His Baby Was Born

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ken Wells always dreamed of flying. When that dream took him to the skies over Vietnam, he knew the risks but...

The Journey That Led Tasha Layton from the Stage to the Sanctuary

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Tasha Layton lived the dream that countless young artists imagine. She toured the world, performed...

How the Automobile Solved a Problem No One Could Ignore

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the automobile was hailed as an environmental savio...

How a Fake Bottle of Wine Sparked a $35 Million Fight for Justice

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, it began with a few rare bottles and a collector who thought he’d found perfection. But what looked lik...

How Walt Whitman Found Humanity on Both Sides of the Civil War

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became America’s most celebrated poet, Walt Whitman was simply a man searching for his brothe...

How Spam and Chocolate Became America’s Secret Weapons in WWII

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when American troops left for war, they carried reminders of home that came in the simplest form: food. Spam ...

The Woman the Nazis Called the Most Dangerous Spy in the World

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the darkest years of World War II, a woman from Baltimore slipped behind enemy lines with a fake passp...

Brandon Burlsworth: The Greatest Walk-On in College Football History

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Brandon Burlsworth first stepped onto the University of Arkansas practice field, almost no one believed ...

The Real Story Behind Led Zeppelin’s Most Famous Lawsuit

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Led Zeppelin stormed onto the music scene, their sound felt untouchable. It was raw, electric, and entir...

The Unlikely Story Behind “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, few thought a quiet cartoon about a sad little tree could work on television. But Charles Schulz believed tha...

The Most Important Churchill Speech You've Never Heard

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, only weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made an all-important ...

The Woman Behind the World’s Only Umbrella Cover Museum

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Nancy "3" Hoffman has spent her life chasing delight in the unexpected. A professional accordionist and world...

The Man In The Glass Coffin

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, along the shores of Lake Michigan sits a story stranger than fiction: a man preserved in a glass coffin. He w...

Chef Boyardee: The Immigrant Who Fed America

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when 16-year-old Hector Boiardi stepped off the ship at Ellis Island, he carried more ambition than belonging...

Lava Girl Returns: Taylor Dooley on Fame, Family, and Acting Again

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Taylor Dooley’s breakout role as Lava Girl launched her into sudden fame, but it also came with pressur...

Tommy Emmanuel’s Story: From Australia to Chet Atkins’ Protégé

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tommy Emmanuel grew up in Australia with a guitar in his hands and a dream in his heart. Inspired by country ...

From Refugee to Inventor: The Man Behind Maglite

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, escaping war-torn, Nazi-occupied Croatia during World War II, Tony Maglica started over in the United States ...

The Buses That Challenged Jim Crow: The Freedom Riders’ Story

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1961, a group of young men and women boarded buses to test whether the Supreme Court’s desegregation...

The True Story of the Donner Party’s Struggle for Survival

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1846, a group of pioneers set out for California with dreams of a better life. Known as the Donner Party, ...

The Making of the Ford GT: America’s Modern Supercar

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2003, Ford marked its 100th anniversary with something more than a celebration. The company decided to bui...

Why Victorian Women Fainted So Often: What Science Says Now

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, picture a crowded parlor in the 1800s. The air is heavy, the fire is roaring, and the women are laced into co...

It’s Me or the Guest: Pat Boone’s Stand Against Apartheid for Harry Belafonte

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Pat Boone was at the height of his career when television executives told him to cancel a guest. That guest w...

How a Prison Sentence Among Leprosy Patients Changed Neil White

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Neil White thought his life was defined by success and appearances—until a white-collar crime sent him ...

The Man Who Built the World’s First Action Figure Museum

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in a small Oklahoma town, one man’s toy collection grew into something nobody had ever seen before: the...

FDR and the Largest Mass Prayer in History

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on June 6, 1944, as Allied troops fought through the waves at Normandy, Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to a nati...

Hollywood Goes to War: John Russell’s Journey from Marine to Movie Star

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he shared the screen with John Wayne in Rio Bravo, John Russell was fighting on Guadalcanal as a decor...

The Story of America: When the Countryside Became the City

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 35th episode of our Story of America series, Hillsdale College professor and Land of Hope au...

When a Tornado Took Family Photos, He Brought Them Back

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Joplin tornado struck in 2011, entire neighborhoods disappeared in minutes. Among the debris were fa...

From Church Hymns to Hit Records: Pat Boone Remembers

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, many people remember Pat Boone as one of the biggest pop stars of the 1950s and '60s, but his story began in ...

“We’re All Jews Here”: How Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Defied the Nazis

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, what would you do if armed guards ordered you to give up your men? In a Nazi POW camp, Master Sergeant Roddie...

The Puritan Who Brought Scripture to New England’s Tribes

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, have you ever heard of a Puritan pastor who learned a new language so he could preach the Bible to Native Ame...

Jack Marucci Created a Baseball Bat For His Son in His Backyard. Now He Runs The Biggest Bat Company in America

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, what began as one handmade wooden bat for his son grew into the most popular and respected bat company in Ame...

Why Steelers Founder Art Rooney Believed You Should Never Miss a Funeral

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Art Rooney, Sr., the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, believed that the measure of a man was often ...

One of the First Vietnam POWs: Larry Spencer’s Hanoi Hilton Story

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Navy pilot Larry Spencer was captured in North Vietnam, he entered a world that few Americans would ever...

Why One Man Helped Over 10,000 Stranded Drivers

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for decades, Thomas Weller was a familiar sight along San Diego’s highways. Drivers with flat tires, em...

The Incredible Story of Harvey Wallbanger, the Racing Buffalo

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, have you ever imagined a buffalo running on a racetrack against thoroughbred horses? In the 1960s, Harvey Wal...

“Hey Kid, Catch!” The Coca-Cola Ad That Made Mean Joe Greene a Legend

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, few commercials have left a mark like Coca-Cola’s “Hey Kid, Catch!” starring "Mean" Joe Gre...

More Americans Died on a British Prison Ship Than in Battle

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Revolutionary War brought brutal battles, but one of its deadliest tragedies happened far from the front ...

Why East Coast and West Coast Policing Developed Differently

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, American culture looks different depending on where you stand, and the same is true for law enforcement. Serg...

Beyond Pocahontas: The Real Story of Captain John Smith

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Smith’s legacy stretches beyond legend. As a soldier of fortune and later as a leader in Jamestown...

Oliver Halle: Swift Boat Vietnam Vet with a “Life-Changing” Family Secret

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Navy veteran Oliver Halle reflects on his service during the Vietnam War and the family history that shaped h...

The Wild Story of Andrew Jackson’s Inauguration Party

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Jackson's inauguration revealed what he represented to many—a changing of the guard from the est...

The Origins of Basketball and Its Surprising Christian Roots

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, but its beginnings might surprise you. Paul Putz, ...

How Ritz-Carlton Founder Horst Schulze Defines Service Excellence

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Horst Schulze, founder of The Ritz-Carlton and author of Excellence Wins, built one of the world’s...

Why Are Bananas So Cheap?

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, bananas are everywhere in American grocery stores, and they’re cheaper than almost any other fruit. But...

Mr. 60s: A Baby-Boomer’s Story of Trials, Triumphs... and Redemption

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Joe Quinn, an Our American Stories listener from West Virginia, shares the story of coming of age i...

Johnny Carson and the Night That Saved Twister

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 1960s, Milton Bradley’s game Twister was on the verge of being pulled from stores. Sal...

Sgt. William Carney: The First Black Medal of Honor Recipient

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, slavery marked William Carney as property, and the Fugitive Slave Act made him an outlaw, but during the Civi...

Hollywood Goes To War: Henry Fonda

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Henry Fonda became one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, he answered a very different kind of ...

John Newton: The Story Behind “Amazing Grace”

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, few hymns are as beloved as “Amazing Grace,” and few authors had a story as dramatic as John Newt...

The Gettysburg Address: The Story Behind Lincoln’s Words

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in November 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, a speech so brief and powerful it reshape...

Bernard John Dowling Irwin: The First Medal of Honor Recipient

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest military decoration, awarded for acts of heroism that ...

“On Skid Row” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice from his guide to unraveling the baffling mini-mysteries of the English ...

Ralph Cox: The Last Cut from the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ralph Cox was a star college hockey player with his sights set on the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Bu...

The Forgotten Founding Father Who Wrote “We the People”

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, most Americans know the phrase “We the People,” but few know the man who wrote it. Gouverneur Mor...

The Runaway Slave Who Helped End the Fugitive Slave Act

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 forced every American to be complicit in slavery, requiring even free states t...

They Will Be Remembered: A Memorial by Reagan’s Speechwriter

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, even before his time in the White House, Tony Dolan was a writer with a deep reverence for service and sacrif...

A Little Brother’s Prayer to Be as Big as His Big Brother

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, every sibling relationship has its own story. For Paul Bauer, a listener of Our American Stories, it was a ch...

The Day a B-25 Crashed Into the Empire State Building

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on July 28, 1945, a U.S. Army B-25 bomber got lost in dense fog over Manhattan and slammed into the Empire St...

Jewish Cadets at West Point Hear a Graduation Speech for the Ages

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2023, award-winning author Dara Horn delivered one of West Point’s most powerful graduation speeches...

How One Survivor Turned Trauma Into Three State Championships

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, what happens when the thing you love most is taken away? For Richard Herzog, it was sports. An abusive teache...

How Winston Churchill Shaped the Cold War From a Small Missouri College

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his famous “Iron Curtain” speech at a small Missouri college...

How George Lucas Turned Star Wars From Near Disaster to Blockbuster

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the first Star Wars movie was released in 1977, many expected it to fail. The production was plagued wit...

Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights, and the Battle to Integrate the MLB

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in Major League Baseball since the 1880s, stepping ont...

From the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution: America’s Defining Transition

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the U.S. Constitution was written, America lived under the Articles of Confederation, a system so weak...

Suing to Sell Soup: One Woman’s Fight Against Government Overreach

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Danielle Mickelson poured her energy into building a small but growing food business. Then, a wave...

Lessons From The Giving Tree

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, author and regular contributor to Our American Stories, Winter Prosapio, shares what it feels like to be...

How Johnny Cash Faced His Demons and Found Redemption

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Johnny Cash’s life was as raw and unforgettable as his music. Known for songs like I Walk the Line, Fol...

From Red Ryder to Today: The Story of Daisy B.B. Guns

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, for more than a century, Daisy has been synonymous with B.B. guns. First launched in Michigan and later based...

Whiskey Is In Their Blood

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Old Dominick Distillery story begins in 1859 with an Italian immigrant and a fruit cart in Memphis. Gener...

How Sneakers Became an American Icon

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, sneakers may seem like simple shoes, but their story is tied to the growth of modern America. Nicholas Smith,...

How Blockbuster Nearly Beat Netflix and Changed Streaming Forever

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Blockbuster was once the king of video rental stores, with thousands of locations across the world. At its pe...

Winston Churchill on Success, Failure, and the Role of Education

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Winston Churchill is remembered for his leadership during World War II, but his views on education reveal a d...

Cat Got Your Tongue? and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions

24 Sep 2025

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 Needle in the Hand: A Grandmother’s Story That Became Family Legend

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, some family stories fade with time, but others are told again and again until they become part of the fabric ...

A Deputy’s Story of the Wreck That Changed His Life Forever

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, life in law enforcement is filled with long nights, constant stress, and moments that never leave you. For Ri...

Searching for Birth Parents: An Adoptee’s Journey of Family and Belonging

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Eddie Willis grew up knowing he was adopted and never questioned it until he became a father himself. The bir...

George Washington and the Christmas Attack That Stunned the World

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Christmas night in 1776, George Washington crossed the Delaware River and launched a daring surprise attac...

From Invention to Revolution: The Bicycle’s American Story

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before cars ruled the roads, the bicycle was America’s great innovation. Known in its early years as th...

How B.B. King’s Guitar Lucille Got Its Legendary Name

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, few instruments are as iconic as B.B. King’s guitar Lucille, a Gibson ES-355 that carried the voice of ...

Ten Cent Beer Night: When Cheap Beer Sparked Chaos in MLB

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, on June 4, 1974, the Cleveland Indians hosted the Texas Rangers in what began as a regular MLB game and ended...

Smokin’ Ed Currie: From Carolina Reaper to Pepper X and a Life Rebuilt

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, “Smokin’” Ed Currie is an American chili pepper breeder and the founder and president of th...

The Magna Carta at Fort Knox: A Forgotten WWII Story

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War II, U.S. leaders feared German bombers could strike American soil. To protect the nation&rsq...

The KoRn Guitarist Who Chose Faith Over Fame: Brian “Head” Welch’s Story

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brian “Head” Welch seemed to have it all. As co-founder and guitarist of the Grammy-winning, mult...

I Came to New York City Dead: Sarah Gonzalez’s Story of Redemption

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sarah Gonzalez’s childhood was filled with warmth and love until the sudden loss of her father changed ...

Woodstock 1969: Peace, Music, and the Truth Behind the Legend

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Woodstock 1969 has gone down in history as the festival that defined a generation. Nearly half a million peop...

The Father Who Inspired Randall Wallace to Write Braveheart

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Before Randall Wallace wrote Braveheart, he was a son taking notes from the way his father lived. His da...

The Story of J.P. Morgan: The Man Who Saved the Government Twice

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, of all the so-called “robber barons,” J.P. Morgan ranks as one of the most maligned. After all, h...

The True Story Behind Sue Thomas: the FBI’s First Deaf Agent

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sue Thomas’s life became the inspiration for the TV drama Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, but the real story is fa...

The Story of Thomas Mundy Peterson, America’s First Black Voter

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, shortly after the ratification of the 15th Amendment, which guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race, ...

Bear Bryant Taught Him to Win, the Packers Taught Him to Believe

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Rich Wingo’s football journey began under legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, whose...

Brett Favre on Tough Love, Parenting, and Telling the Truth

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brett Favre's father coached the legendary QB on many subjects—most of which shaped his training, pract...

George Washington and the Day He Refused a Crown

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the end of the Revolutionary War, with soldiers restless and unpaid, whispers spread about replacing Congr...

"Tie the Knot" & "Blackballed" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions

18 Sep 2025

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...

How Christopher’s Battle With Childhood Cancer Sparked Faith and Legacy

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Kathy Cooley’s young son Christopher was diagnosed with cancer, life turned into a series of quest...

How MIT Basketball Shaped Bill Koch’s View of Leadership

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was a billionaire businessman and America’s Cup champion, Bill Koch was a student-athlete at ...