Loading...

PODCAST

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.

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

38:16

Wally Amos: The Real Man Behind Famous Amos Cookies

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/28

On this episode of Our American Stories, Wally Amos was a talent agent who worked with some of the biggest names in show business before a chocolate chip cookie changed his life. In 1975, with backing from friends including Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, Amos opened a cookie shop on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. His Famous Amos cookies soon became a national sensation.His daughter, Sarah Amos, shares the remarkable and complicated story of her father, from his childhood in segregated Tallahassee,

en-US

10:49

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

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/28

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 as one of the most infamous promotions in baseball history. Known as “Ten Cent Beer Night,” the evening promised cheap drinks to boost attendance. What followed was a riot on the field, a forfeit, and a chapter of baseball history that still stuns fans today.The History Guy recounts the unbelievable story of the night chaos replaced

en-US

9:29

When a Bathroom Drug Deal Was Interrupted by Jesus

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/28

On this episode of Our American Stories, it started in a bathroom, where a man trapped in addiction waited to make another bad decision. Pastor Greg Laurie didn’t know what he was walking into—only that something told him to go. Inside, he found a man on the edge: tired, angry, and ready to give up. Instead of turning away, Greg spoke about grace, and in that small, stained room, something began to shift.The encounter led to a renewed faith and a brand-new life rebuilt from the ruins of

en-US

17:58

My Father’s Escape from Castro’s Cuba

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/28

On this episode of Our American Stories, Cuba’s 1959 revolution brought Fidel Castro to power and forced countless families to make an impossible choice: stay under a communist regime or flee their homeland. Mike Gonzalez’s father once called Castro a friend, but soon discovered the price of living under his rule. With freedoms stripped away and fear taking hold, escape became the only option.Mike shares his family’s story of exile, revealing what Cuba was like before Castro and

en-US

10:49

Dwayne Johnson’s Heartfelt Goodbye to His Father,...

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/25

On this episode of Our American Stories, Rocky “Soulman” Johnson spent his life fighting for a place in professional wrestling. As a Black wrestler performing before largely white audiences in the 1960s and ’70s, he faced racism inside and outside the ring, but kept winning over crowds with his charisma and athleticism. Years later, when his son Dwayne decided to become a wrestler himself, Rocky became his trainer, pushing him through grueling workouts and passing down the lessons

en-US

9:29

What It Means to Be the Only Lawyer in Town

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/25

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Bryk may be the only practicing lawyer in his small New Hampshire town, so when a 17-year-old neighbor got a speeding ticket, her family knew who to call. The problem was that she had already paid the fine, assuming that would be the end of it. Instead, she'd unknowingly put her driver's license at risk. Bill agreed to help her fight to keep it.Regular contributor Bill Bryk shares what happened when a seemingly ordinary speeding ticket ended up before a

en-US

17:58

How the USPS Stamped Itself onto American History

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/25

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Founders knew firsthand that a postal system could be used as a tool of government surveillance. Before the Revolution, British officials had opened and inspected colonial mail, giving Americans good reason to distrust putting their letters in government hands. But the new nation faced a different problem. Its people were scattered across vast distances, and a republic could hardly function if they couldn't remain connected.Daniel Piazza of the

en-US

10:49

A Jewish Soldier’s Unbelievable Survival at the...

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/25

On this episode of Our American Stories, Milton Nadler grew up fast. The day after Pearl Harbor, his paper route turned into a rush of headlines about war. Within a few short years, he was living those headlines himself. During the Battle of the Bulge, Milton found himself surrounded, outnumbered, and facing death in the frozen forests of Europe. What happened next defied every expectation.Here's Milton himself with the story of how he survived an encounter by the skin of his teeth... kinda. We'd

en-US

27:27

The Mad Scientists of Malibu: Surfing’s Early Pioneers

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/25

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Roger McGrath first paddled out at Malibu as a boy in the 1950s, surfing was still a small fraternity with only a few decades of history in California. The boards were heavy, the crowds were thin, and many of the men riding those waves were quietly reinventing the sport. Roger grew up among them, and decades later, he shares the story of the surfers who built the culture he fell in love with.It begins with George Freeth, who brought stand-up surfing to

en-US

10:49

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

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/24

On this episode of Our American Stories, few commercials have left a mark like Coca-Cola’s “Hey Kid, Catch!” starring "Mean" Joe Greene. Greene, already one of the greatest defensive players in the NFL, gained a new kind of fame as the spot played during football broadcasts nationwide.Our own Greg Hengler (and others) share the story of how a 60-second spot became one of the most memorable moments in sports and advertising history. Support the show

en-US

9:29

“Son of a Gun” & “Steal My Thunder” and the Wonderful...

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/24

On this episode of Our American Stories, we use them without thinking. Someone gets “sold down the river.” A project has to “start from scratch.” An idea “steals our thunder.” But behind these familiar expressions are stories involving ancient athletes, biblical passages, British sailors, American slavery, theater rivalries, and baseball.Andrew Thompson, author of Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings and Fun Phrases,

en-US

17:58

Empathy Is Not Optional: The Professor Who Changed...

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/24

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Leven was studying law at the University of Chicago when a bad grade sent him to his professor's office looking for help. Instead, the professor gave him a verdict: “You don't understand contracts, and I don't think you ever will.” Mike walked out, sold his law books, and went home. His legal career was over almost as soon as it had begun.Leven would go on to become one of America's most successful hoteliers, but he never forgot how it felt

en-US

30:17

Bloodletting, Whiskey, and the Strange History of...

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/24

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1918, influenza swept across the world with terrifying speed, killing millions. Doctors were desperate to stop it, but there was a fundamental problem: they didn't even know what caused the flu. Patients were subjected to bloodletting and enemas, prescribed whiskey, and even exposed to toxic factory gases, while scientists pursued theories involving bacteria, the weather, and tainted Russian oats. Somewhere among the confusion was a disease medicine could

en-US

7:59

How “Women and Children First” Began

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/24

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the HMS Birkenhead struck rocks off the coast of South Africa in 1852, chaos should have followed. Instead, what happened that night became one of history’s clearest displays of courage and order in the face of disaster. With lifeboats too few for the hundreds aboard, British soldiers stood their ground so that women and children could be saved. Their calm obedience became known as the Birkenhead Drill: a model of discipline that would inspire

en-US

10:49

Smokin’ Ed Currie on The Miracle That Gave Him a Family

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/23

On this episode of Our American Stories, before “Smokin’” Ed Currie became famous for breeding the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X, he nearly destroyed his life with addiction. Recovery gave Ed a second chance, but it didn't erase the guilt he carried over the person he had once been. Years later, after he and his wife, Linda, endured miscarriage after miscarriage, they finally accepted that they might never have children of their own. Then, in the middle of the night, the phone

en-US

19:28

The Boys of Milo: The Marine Recon Veteran Who Kept...

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/23

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ted Godlove was only months out of high school in Milo, Iowa, when he volunteered for the United States Marine Corps. Before long, he was serving with a reconnaissance unit deep in the jungles of Vietnam, where small teams of Marines operated dangerously close to much larger enemy forces. Godlove survived firefights, desperate escapes, and one helicopter extraction that ended with him and his fellow Marines being dragged through a river. Then, during a deadly

en-US

7:59

How Johnny Carson Saved Twister

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/23

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1966, Twister looked like a flop. Retailers thought Milton Bradley's new game was too risqué, Sears refused to put it in its Christmas catalog, and the company was preparing to pull it from stores. Then Johnny Carson spread the colorful mat across the stage of The Tonight Show and invited actress Eva Gabor to play.Our Ameican Stories regular contributor Christopher Klein shares what happened next. As Carson and Gabor tangled themselves across the

en-US

30:17

Did Benjamin Franklin Believe in God?

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/23

On this episode of Our American Stories, Benjamin Franklin rarely attended church and questioned some of Christianity's central doctrines. Yet he never abandoned belief in God. He believed in Providence, immortality, moral accountability, and the importance of religion to a healthy society. Franklin's faith never fit neatly into a single category, and he spent much of his long life thinking, questioning, and occasionally changing his mind about what he believed.Dr. D. G. Hart, author of Benjamin

en-US

7:59

The Best Worst Counterfeiter in American History

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/23

On this episode of Our American Stories, for nearly a decade, the Secret Service couldn't catch one of America's most persistent counterfeiters. The strange thing was that he wasn't very good at counterfeiting. Mister 880 produced only one-dollar bills, printed them on the wrong paper, drew a lousy George Washington, and occasionally even misspelled Washington's name. Still, the phony dollars kept appearing across New York City, one or two at a time, and their mysterious maker kept slipping away.Our

en-US

30:17

James Madison: The Quiet Founder Who Built a Nation

Our American Stories ·

2026/09/22

On this episode of Our American Stories, James Madison rarely chased the spotlight, and he knew his character flaws. He was short, balding, awkward, and didn’t always play well in group settings. Yet despite his stature, his big ideas built and shaped America. He drafted the Bill of Rights, argued for ratification in The Federalist Papers, and turned quiet conviction into lasting policy through partnerships with Washington, Jefferson, and Monroe. His marriage to Dolley Madison added another

en-US

2,720 results

Similar Podcasts

وجوه من الـظل

Medi1 Podcast

New Books in Intellectual History

New Books Network

New Books in Biography & Memoir

Marshall Poe

The Wom Travel

Mondadori Digital

Our American Stories

iHeartPodcasts