Our American Stories

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...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jesse Owens arrived in Berlin for the 1936 Olympics as one of the fastest men in the world. The long jump competition placed him beside Luz Long, a German athlete competing under the watchful eyes of the Nazi regime and in a stadium built to showcase its ideals. During the event, Long noticed Owens struggling with his approach and quietly offered advice tha...

On this episode of Our American Stories, after a flash flood tore through his church, Stephen Rusiniak stood ankle-deep in water and debris, not quite sure where to begin. The rooms where Sunday school once echoed had collapsed into a mess of ruined walls and floating Bibles. But it’s what happened next that really left a mark. What Stephen witnessed reminded him of a scene from  How th...

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories  host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel "Big Mitch" Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama. Each call traces the shape of faith, regret, and forgiveness inside a place built for punishment. Mitch opens with a memory that still sets the tone for how he sees prison: a place where y...

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Civil War had ended. Washington was alive with celebration, and President Lincoln was finally stepping into a season that promised hope. But that new beginning never arrived. John Wilkes Booth cut it short. Our host, Lee Habeeb, shares the story in a way you may not have heard before—one that begins with the happiest day of Lincoln’s life ju...

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, this time diving into how the phrase “bring home the bacon” came to be. His book,  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases , is a must-read. Be sure to check it...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Christmas has a way of slipping into the cracks of history, even in years when war tried to swallow the season whole. The History Guy pulls together the overlooked moments when Christmas and military history collided in unexpected ways. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Paul decided it was time to get serious about weight loss, he went all in on the kind of fitness plan that looks sensible on paper and slightly unhinged in practice. He wrestled with machines that never moved, counted laps he could never quite remember, and kept trying to turn discipline into something he enjoyed. His journey through healthy eating hab...

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Ford was already shaping the Golden Age of film, the force behind classics like Stagecoach  and  The Informer,  when World War II pulled him toward a different kind of frontier. At forty-seven, with Hollywood at his feet and a reputation as one of America’s greatest directors, Ford walked away from the studio lot and into the U.S....