Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tony Mandarich’s story became immortalized by two Sports Illustrated covers—one hailing him as “The Incredible Bulk” heading into the 1989 draft, and another in 1992 labeling him “The NFL’s Incredible BUST” as his four-year career in Green Bay came to an end. Here’s Tony Mandarich himself, with his story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sophia and Deshaun Olds were married in 2004 but didn’t immediately think about starting a family. They were busy serving overseas and pursuing their education. That all changed when, after 13 years without children, they became a family of nine—literally overnight. Here they are with their story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1938, many Americans were scared. As the news from Europe grew increasingly grim, radio listeners had grown accustomed to urgent bulletins about a crisis that threatened to plunge the world into another war. Sensing an opportunity, Orson Welles—not yet a household name—seized on the public's anxiety and, on Halloween night, delivered a broadcast that gave America a scare it would never forget. It was a dramatic adaptation of a science fiction novel about an alien invasion. The fallout from that night would forever change the way news was presented. Here to share the story is A. Brad Schwartz, author of Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles's War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ben Franklin holds the distinction of many "firsts" in American history. He invented the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, bifocals, the urinary catheter, swim fins, and the odometer. He also founded America's first public library, the first volunteer fire company, fire insurance company, and hospital, and became the nation's first Postmaster General. As Chess.com notes, Franklin was also America's first known chess player and the first American to write about the game. Elliott Drago, a historian and the Editorial Officer at the Jack Miller Center, shares the story.  Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Professor Jeff Bloodworth tells the story of John McCormack, who rose from humble beginnings in South Boston to become a masterful legislator and the first Catholic Speaker of the House. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Britney Ruby Miller is the CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, where she leads a team of more than 500 employees across seven luxury steakhouses in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. She’s also the author of 5-Star Life: The Faithful Fight to Overcome Obstacles and Pursue Excellence. Here she is with her story! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when a stadium full of excited sports fans pressed downhill against inadequate crowd control, tragedy struck in an instant. Michael Brin—a player on the field that day and now an emergency physician—shares his harrowing story of the infamous University of Wisconsin stampede and its aftermath. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Marovich, a writer for the Journal of Gospel Music, shares the story of Thomas A. Dorsey and how the tragic loss of his wife and newborn child in 1932 led him to write the gospel classic "Precious Lord, Take My Hand"—a hymn that would later become a favorite of Martin Luther King Jr. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Theodore Schwartz, a neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and best-selling author of Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, shares how he approaches the difficult task of delivering bad news to patients with terminal and late-stage brain cancer. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick, share the unedited truth behind TLC’s hit television show that captivated the nation, 19 Kids and Counting. Their story has become a New York Times instant bestseller with their memoir, Counting the Cost. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.