Our American Stories

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 early 1900’s. Beyond the Four-Legged Woman, the sword swallowers, and “Lionel the Lion-Faced Man,” was an entirely different exhibit: rows of tiny, premature human babies living in glass incubators. Here to tell the story is Dawn Raff...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Fawn Weaver happened upon the story of Uncle Nathan "Nearest" Green, the former slave who taught Jack Daniels how to make whiskey. Here she is to tell it.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Rocky 'Soulman' Johnson was a WWE Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer and the father of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Here’s Dwayne paying tribute to his father who taught him so much about life. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in a career spanning more than four decades and appearing in 149 movies, Western star Tim Holt could be seen on the big screen in films such as Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, and Swiss Family Robinson.  Here to tell another Hollywood Goes to War story is Roger McGrath. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show:...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph shares vivid, compelling stories of one constant struggle for police, and for communities: The care and safety of those with mental health battles. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from a veteran of the U.S. Army. He served with the 82nd Airborne Division in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s Fernando Arroyo. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, it was the West that molded Theodore Roosevelt into a man. Also, it was here where he learned to "carry a big stick." Roger McGrath and Michael Blake are here to tell the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Father Stu is a motion picture starring Mark Wahlberg (who plays Father Stu) and Mel Gibson. It is based on the true life story of Father Stuart Long, the Golden Gloves Heavyweight Boxing Champion-turned-Catholic priest. We want to thank the Diocese of Helena, MT, for providing the footage you are about to hear of Father Stuart Long who will be sharing his...

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 carrier. Here’s The History Guy with the story of the USS Kitty Hawk collision. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

On this episode of Our American Stories, did you know "radar" is actually an acronym? It stands for RAdio, Detection, And Ranging—created in 1940 by our Navy. Tim Harford, author of the bestselling book 50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, shares the stories of three inventions that changed the way we live today. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support...

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 (It's a Wonderful Life)—while, at the same time, and from the same movie—also has one of the most famous lines in movie history. Her story is as wonderful as both of these accomplishments. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) S...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before it became a Federal Holiday—June 26, 1870—the way we celebrated Christmas would be unrecognizable to us. Here's the story of how Christmas as we know it came to be.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

On this episode of Our American Stories, OAS listener Jim Johnson shares the story of his search for the perfect Christmas tree. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, it's called the first “American” Christmas because the Declaration of Independence was created the previous summer, essentially “divorcing” America from England and declaring our country an independent nation. Brian Benjamin shares the story from his book, Christmas, 1776 . Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate...

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 acclaim on December 9th, 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.ouramericanst...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the crew of Apollo 8 and Steve Kates (AKA Dr. Sky) tell the story of the Christmas time mission to the moon—and the reading of Genesis over its surface. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Greg McDonald got his start in show business as a teenager after meeting Elvis Presley and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, shortly after Parker began managing Elvis in the ‘50s. Here’s Greg with a Colonel and Elvis Christmas story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Karl Marlantes, the award-winning author of  Matterhorn  and  What It Is Like To Go To War , tells the story of how he received his medals in Vietnam—and how he grappled with them when so many had done more and gotten less than him. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericans...

On this episode of Our American Stories, doing maintenance in mansions, you could meet anyone, talk about anything - even find your career as an agent! Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor to the show and author Winter Prosapio dives into some of the strange laws we have....and why we have them. You can find her book on weird laws HERE . Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in his book-turned-docudrama  Why the Nativity?  Dr. David Jeremiah looks in detail at the people and events that surround the Christmas story and why each of them was chosen for their specific purpose. Here's the story of the nativity!  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanst...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Toti, former captain of the  USS Indianapolis  submarine, tells the story of his experience with Admiral Hyman Rickover—the father of the nuclear navy.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Frederick Douglass escaped slavery when he was 20 and went on to become one of the most important Americans to fight for emancipation and the equality of all people. He was the most photographed American of the 19th century, sitting for more portraits than even Abraham Lincoln. But this famed abolitionist’s story is even more fascinating than what man...

On this episode of Our American Stories, only weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made an all-important stop in the United States to visit with President Roosevelt and to address Congress about the hard path before them...as he knew more than anybody else in the world what that path looked like. He'd been walking it alone for a while.  Support the...

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. The book is  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases . Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/do...