Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, a group home’s night out turned unforgettable when two strangers stepped in with a silent gift. Laurie Seibert had brought her group out for a well-earned dinner, never expecting someone across the room to cover the full bill. But that’s exactly what happened. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Wayne Gretzky didn’t have the size or speed most scouts looked for. But what he did have couldn’t be measured. With unmatched vision, timing, and instinct, he rewrote what was possible on the ice. He holds more than 60 NHL records and remains the only player to score over 200 points in a season, a feat he accomplished four times. We take a look at the life and legacy of “The Great One,” a player who saw the game differently and left behind a record book no one has come close to matching. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when John O’Leary was nine years old, a house fire left him with burns over 100 percent of his body. Doctors said he wouldn’t survive. He did. They said he’d never walk again. He did. And when he returned home, his mother insisted he do one more thing no one thought possible: learn to play the piano. John had no fingers, but she believed he had more strength than anyone could see. The bestselling author of On Fire shares how one act of motherly determination helped him face the world again and taught him that no obstacle is bigger than love, hope, and the will to try. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, few musicians have soared as high—or fallen as hard—as Brian Wilson. After redefining American music with the Beach Boys and producing Pet Sounds, Wilson began working on a follow-up so ambitious that it became his undoing. The project, SMiLE, pushed the boundaries of sound and pushed Wilson to the edge. For decades, he disappeared from the spotlight, battling mental illness and enduring abuse at the hands of those who claimed to help him. Only with the support of devoted fans and friends did he reclaim his music... and his voice. David Leaf, author of SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson, reveals how genius, pain, and redemption shaped one of music’s most complicated legends. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevlar is now a staple of body armor, trusted by law enforcement, military personnel, and first responders, but when Stephanie Kwolek first developed the fiber in a DuPont lab, it was almost thrown away. The material didn’t behave like others, and no one saw a use for it. Kwolek pushed for further testing, convinced it was worth more. That decision led to one of the most important safety innovations of the twentieth century. Kaela Rider from the Bill of Rights Institute shares how one overlooked discovery became the foundation for the modern bulletproof vest. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob McLalan, a regular contributor to Our American Stories, shares why—after half a century—he still chats with his high school teacher. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before air conditioning, summer shaped how people worked, where they lived, and which cities could survive the heat. That all began to change in 1902, when Willis Carrier designed a machine to solve humidity problems in a printing plant. His invention cooled the air around us and quietly reshaped modern life. From factories and theaters to homes and highways, air conditioning took hold—one building at a time. Jesse Edwards, a frequent Our American Stories contributor, explores how this once-overlooked breakthrough became one of the most influential innovations in American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Red Sox were once a powerhouse in professional baseball, but for decades, their legacy was shaped by disappointment. Many fans pointed to the Curse of the Bambino, a superstition born the day Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees. What followed were generations of heartbreak, near misses, and unanswered hope. When the curse was finally broken, it marked one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the sport. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert E. Lee is best known for leading Confederate forces during the Civil War, but his final role may be one of his most revealing. After the war, he accepted a position as president of a struggling college in Virginia, where he devoted himself to rebuilding and mentoring the next generation. Historian Allen Guelzo shares how this quiet period helped redefine Lee’s legacy and shaped what would later become Washington and Lee University. We'd like to thank the Bill of Rights Institute for allowing us access to this wonderful audio, originally a part of their Scholar Talks series on YouTube. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, C.S. Lewis is best known for The Chronicles of Narnia, but behind those pages lies a spiritual journey that shaped one of the most important Christian voices of the twentieth century. Lewis abandoned his faith during his years as a rising scholar at Oxford and identified as an atheist. But as fascism and communism gained ground across Europe, he reexamined everything he believed. He eventually embraced Christianity and became one of its most compelling modern defenders. His book, The Screwtape Letters, offered a sharp and imaginative look at human temptation and quickly became one of the most influential Christian works of the twentieth century. Our own Greg Hengler and other special contributors reflect on Lewis’s transformation from skeptic to apologist and the enduring impact of The Screwtape Letters. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.