Our American Stories
Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 20 minutes
- Episodes
- 3863
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
The True Story of Father Stu, the Boxer Who Became a Priest
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was known as Father Stu, Stuart Long was a Golden Gloves boxing champion with dreams of fame. A near-fatal motorcycle accident changed the course of…
What Exactly Is Bubblegum Flavor — and Why Pink?
On this episode of Our American Stories, we all know the look and taste of bubblegum, but few people know where it came from. The first bubblegum was invented in 1928 by Walter Diemer, who used the o…
Robert Heft Got a B-Minus for Designing the U.S. Flag
On this episode of Our American Stories, The American flag that flies over every state capitol, school, and battlefield began as a high school assignment. Robert Heft, a 17-year-old student from Ohio…
Slavery Slayer: The Story of William Wilberforce
On this episode of Our American Stories, William Wilberforce was not a soldier, but he fought one of history’s fiercest battles. From the floor of Parliament, he challenged the powerful slave trade t…
Bat Masterson: The Lawman, Gambler, and Gunfighter Who Redefined the Wild West
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bat Masterson’s name still echoes through Wild West history, but unlike most gunfighters, he didn’t meet his end in a dusty street. Born William Barclay Maste…
Merian C. Cooper Went to War Before He Brought King Kong to Life
On this episode of Our American Stories, Merian C. Cooper never settled for an ordinary life. Before he created King Kong, he was chasing stories as a journalist, flying combat missions in two world …
"Dark Horse & Dead Ringer" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
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 phrases …
What David McCullough Wanted Congress to Hear About History
On this episode of Our American Stories, on March 2, 1989, David McCullough stood before a joint session of Congress with a simple message: the past matters now more than ever. He spoke not as a pund…
The Death Sentence That Turned Into One of Lincoln’s Most Famous Pardons
On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Civil War, falling asleep on guard duty was a crime punishable by death. That was the fate awaiting William Scott, a young Union soldier who drifte…
Trader Joe’s Didn’t Try to Be the Biggest. It Became the Most Beloved
On this episode of Our American Stories, before it became a national name, Trader Joe’s was just a small Los Angeles shop with a big idea. Founded by Joe Coulombe, the store broke every rule of tradi…
The Story of Black Sam Bellamy, the Richest Pirate in History
On this episode of Our American Stories, few figures loomed larger on the seas than Black Sam Bellamy. He was young, charismatic, and ruthless enough to seize more ships and gold than nearly any pira…
David McCullough on the Life and Legacy of John Adams
On this episode of Our American Stories, John Adams carried the weight of a nation that was still fragile and untested. He was the second president of the United States, a man caught between loyalty …
How the Bible Became the Most Influential Book in History
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Bible is the best-selling book in history, but it did not arrive fully formed. It was written over centuries, first passed along in fragments, then gather…
Why Tim Holt Traded Hollywood for the Cockpit in WWII
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Holt built a career as one of Hollywood’s most familiar Western actors, appearing in 149 films over four decades. Audiences saw him ride through classics …
50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy: The iPhone, Radar, and TV Dinners
On this episode of Our American Stories, did you know “radar” is actually an acronym? It stands for Radio Detection and Ranging — a term coined in 1940 by the U.S. Navy. Tim Harford, author of the be…
The Life and Legacy of Hairstylist Jay Sebring Before the Manson Murders
On this episode of Our American Stories Jay Sebring was Hollywood’s most sought-after men’s hairstylist. At his Fairfax Avenue salon, Frank Sinatra came for a trim, Jim Morrison’s iconic look was sha…
Why a Family Chose Forgiveness After a Fatal Drunk Driving Crash
On this episode of Our American Stories, Laura Treppendahl was only beginning her adult life when it ended in a drunk driving crash. Her family’s grief was immediate and overwhelming, but so was thei…
What It Was Like to Stand in the Shadow of an Atomic Blast
On this episode of Our American Stories, from 1945 to 1992, the United States conducted more than a thousand nuclear weapons tests. Many took place in Nevada, where young Marines were ordered into tr…
The WWII Pilot Who Survived a Shootdown and Joined the Resistance
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Lt. Howard Snyder’s B-17 Susan Ruth was shot down over Belgium in February 1944, he could have ended up a prisoner or worse. Instead, he vanished into th…
Esther de Berdt Reed and the Revolution That Women Raised
On this episode of Our American Stories, Esther de Berdt Reed wasn’t content to sit on the sidelines during the Revolutionary War. While the fighting dragged on and morale among Patriot soldiers drop…