Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Christmas Eve 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to orbit the Moon. Joined by astronomer and broadcaster Steve Kates, known as Dr. Sky, they recall the moment the astronauts read from the Book of Genesis, uniting millions of listeners on Earth during a tense and historic holiday season in the midst of the Cold War. Support the show ( http...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories  listener and regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak shares the story of the time he worked in a nursing home as a teenager and what happened when Santa made an unexpected visit. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Christmas Eve in 1818, in a snow-covered Austrian village, a broken organ forced a last-minute change. What came next was history. Two men—one a priest, the other a schoolteacher—scribbled out a carol for guitar and voice and performed it that night by candlelight. “Silent Night” would go on to become the most beloved Christmas hy...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the chaotic weeks following Hurricane Katrina, John Rogers never planned to become Santa; he simply found himself in a position to help and chose to act. What followed was an unexpected Christmas for children who had lost their homes, their routines, and nearly everything familiar. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for generations, “White Christmas” has served as the soundtrack to the holiday season. Its lyrics and melody helped define what Christmas sounds like in America, shaping holiday music for decades. Yet the man who wrote it, Irving Berlin, did not celebrate Christmas. He arrived in the United States as a Jewish immigrant from Russia and built his...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Christmas today feels timeless. December 25 arrives with trees, carols, family dinners, and familiar rituals passed down for generations. But in early America, Christmas caused trouble. Celebrations spilled into the streets. Drinking, violence, and disorder followed. Some towns had had enough; they banned Christmas outright. So how did a holiday once viewed...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before  Christmas Under the Stars  became a Hallmark Channel staple, it was a quiet story written by a Chicago-area janitor. By day, Rikk Dunlap fixed leaky faucets and gym bleachers. By night, he wrote fiction, never expecting one of his midnight works to become the hit it is now. Rikk joins us to explain how one Christmas tree lot, one unforgett...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, tells how a meeting in his church turned into a Boy Scouts project, a Christmas tradition, and 50,000 free beds for needy families every year. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ashley Freeman came home from overseas determined to help people in her own town. When she asked her neighbors for Christmas donations for a family in crisis, the response was overwhelming. Gifts, decorations, and support came from across the state and beyond. One act of generosity led to another, and what started with one woman turned into a community-wide...

On this episode of Our American Stories, dealing with a small budget and a short deadline, A Charlie Brown Christmas was released to critical acclaim on December 9, 1965. While audiences loved it, there were many doubters behind the scenes at CBS. Our host, Lee Habeeb, tells the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in what would be Bing Crosby’s final Christmas special, he teamed up with glam rock legend David Bowie for a duet that defied expectations. “Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” went on to become one of the most cherished Christmas songs of all time. Discover how this strange and beautiful collaboration almost fell apart—and what mad...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the final Christmas of World War II, American soldier Keith Ginther found himself behind enemy lines in a German POW camp. But on that quiet night in 1944, something unexpected happened. Shared through journalist Kristen Inbody, this story is a rare glimpse into how faith, music, and memory helped carry one man through one of the darkest seasons of war....

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Michigan and Ohio State ever lined up on the football field, their rivalry started with a fight over land and a cartographer’s mistake. Known as the Toledo War, this little-known border dispute between the two states set the stage for what would become one of the most heated rivalries in college football history. Tedd Long, founder of Holy Tole...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s not every day a U.S. president’s funeral has to be paused because of a swearing parrot—but then again, Andrew Jackson never followed the rules, even in death. As guests gathered to mourn the seventh president, his longtime pet had other ideas. Historian Mark Cheatham, a professor of history at Cumberland University and a leading schol...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Ruth McKeaney and her husband stepped into a historic home that was falling off its foundation, they had no idea it would be the first of many. Over the years, they’ve raised five kids while flipping one broken house after another, including a 300-year-old home once tied to William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, himself. Ruth shares how trial...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers defined late-night television. Carson ruled The Tonight Show as its steady center, while Rivers became his most trusted guest host, winning audiences with her sharp timing and fearless comedy. Night after night, viewers came to see them as a natural pairing, shaping what a late-night talk show could be. Then, in nine...

On this episode of Our American Stories, born into the nation’s first political dynasty, John Quincy Adams spent his childhood in the shadow of revolution and his adulthood navigating diplomacy, Congress, and his presidency. But his defining stand came late in life, when he returned to the House of Representatives and refused to look away from slavery’s grip on the republic. As the las...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story most people know about Monopoly  is charming—and false. It was never just the invention of one down-on-his-luck salesman. The real roots of the game stretch back to a politically charged board game called  The Landlord’s Game , created by a woman named Lizzie Magie to warn people about the dangers of unchecked greed. Her game...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before it became a greasy icon or a late-night craving, the hamburger was an immigrant invention trying to make itself useful. German farmers working the fairgrounds needed something fast and portable, so someone tucked spiced beef between slices of bread, and the hamburger was born. It wasn’t fancy, but it worked. Then came Upton Sinclair, whose book...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s not carved into marble or codified into law, but you’ll hear it whispered in cockpits and painted on the walls of Navy offices across the world: “Don’t Give Up the Ship.” The phrase didn’t come from a slogan factory. It came from the dying words of Captain James Lawrence during the Battle of Lake Erie, shouted in def...

On this episode of Our American Stories, most restaurant founders fade into the background. Colonel Harland Sanders did the opposite.  Long before fast food chains had PR teams and brand strategies, Sanders was out there shaking hands in his signature white suit, pitching his secret recipe, and turning himself into a walking trademark. Adam Chandler, author of Drive Thru Dreams , joins us to...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the laughs, the monologues, and the unforgettable guests, there was a man whose story seldom got told. Love Johnny Carson , writer and obsessive researcher Mark Malkoff dives deep into the life of the man who ruled The Tonight Show for three decades. Through exclusive interviews and unseen material, Malkoff builds the most complete picture yet of Joh...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he ever stepped onto a film set, Peter Ortiz had already survived more danger than most action heroes face in a lifetime. A decorated Marine, fluent in multiple languages and trained in espionage, he parachuted into Nazi-occupied France in 1944 with one mission: aid the resistance and disrupt the enemy from within. The Gestapo put a price on his head...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. His book is  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings and Fun Phrases.  This time, Andrew explores the backstories of phrases like “wild goose chase” and “wrong end of the s...

On this episode of Our American Stories, why was Jesus born in a manger? Why were shepherds the first to know? And why did a Roman census set the stage for it all? In Why the Nativity? , Dr. David Jeremiah walks through the entire Christmas narrative to explain why each person was part of it. Mary, Joseph, the wise men, and even the animals in the stable each carry meaning beyond tradition. Dr. Je...