Our American Stories

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What Exactly Is Bubblegum Flavor — and Why Pink? Aug 05, 2026

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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 only food dye available: pink. That color stuck, and so did the flavor, a blend of fruit notes now simply called "bubblegum."
Simon Whistler, from the Today I Found Out YouTube channel and its sister podcast, The Brain Food Show, shares the story of how bubblegum was created and how a simple candy became a lasting invention of the 20th century.

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“Black Harry” Hoosier: The Story Behind Indiana’s Namesake Aug 05, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Indiana did not choose its nickname so much as grow into it. The term Hoosier appeared in jokes, travel accounts, and frontier banter, yet no one ever agreed on where it started. Despite the uncertainty, the name kept rising to the surface until it became part of the state's character.
What survives is a word tied closely to the people who shaped Indiana in its earliest years. Dr. Stephen Flick explains how a bit of regional language became a lasting identity.

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Louis Zamperini's Story—in His Own Words Aug 04, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Olympian, World War II airman, Pacific castaway, and prisoner of war, Louis Zamperini lived one of the most extraordinary lives in American history. In this rare recording, he tells his own remarkable story—from his troubled childhood and the 1936 Berlin Olympics to surviving 47 days adrift at sea, enduring brutal captivity in Japan, and ultimately finding peace through forgiveness and faith.
While Unbroken introduced millions to Zamperini's story, some of its most powerful chapters were left out of the film. You'll hear them here—from Louis himself.

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George Washington and the Day He Refused a Crown Aug 04, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at the end of the Revolutionary War, with soldiers restless and unpaid, whispers spread about replacing Congress with a monarchy. Some even suggested that George Washington take the throne. In what became known as the Newburgh Conspiracy, Washington faced a decision that could have reshaped America’s future.
Instead of seizing power, he delivered words that calmed his officers and secured the path of a republic. Washington interpreter Brian Hilton, along with Vince Benedetto, shares the story of the day Washington refused to be king.

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The Inventor of the Machine Gun Became Deaf—So His Son Invented the Silencer Aug 04, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Hiram Percy Maxim grew up in the shadow of firepower. His father invented the machine gun, a weapon that changed modern warfare. But when that same weapon left his father deaf, Hiram took a different path. In 1902, he invented the first commercial gun silencer and later applied the same technology to early automobile engines.
His work shaped not only the future of firearms but also the way engines and mechanical noise evolved across the 20th century. A pioneer of American invention, Maxim's legacy includes firearms suppressors, automotive mufflers, and a quieter world. Our regular contributor, Ashley Hlebinsky, shares the story.

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A Good Name Is the Greatest Inheritance Aug 04, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Steve Rakeman was young, his father gave him a simple instruction: “I’m giving you my name. There’s nothing wrong with it. Make sure you pass it on as clean as I gave it to you.”
Steve and his son, Mike, share how that lesson shaped three generations of their family, guiding them through dangerous work, tempting opportunities, costly mistakes, and the everyday responsibility to earn an honest living, care for their families, and do what is right.

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I Once Killed for Money. Then I Couldn't Bear to Hurt a Grasshopper Aug 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Bill Corum lived as an enforcer in the Kansas City underworld, surrounded by violence, drugs, money, and power. He smuggled guns, dealt cocaine, spent time in prison, and admits he was willing to kill for money. None of it brought him peace.
In his remarkable story, Bill shares how a dramatic encounter with God changed his life, leading him from a life of crime to decades of prison ministry and redemption. Bill's book, The Ultimate Pardon, is a must read.

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“Put a Sock in It” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 18) Aug 03, 2026

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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 exploring the phrase “put a sox in it” and others. His book, Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases, uncovers the quirky roots behind the words we use every day. Be sure to check it out!

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How the Memoir I Never Wanted to Write Changed My Life Aug 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, author Leslie Leyland Fields believed the best stories belonged to other people. Then her literary agent challenged her to write the one book she never wanted to write: her own memoir.
Leslie, a regular contributor to Our American Stories, shares how writing Surviving the Island of Grace forced her to confront the deeper story beneath her experiences living on a remote Alaska island, transforming not only her writing but her understanding of grace, healing, and the power of telling the truth about our own lives.

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A Wrestling Match Made Abraham Lincoln a Frontier Legend? Aug 03, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln had another claim to fame: he was one of the toughest men on the Illinois frontier.
When a local champion named Jack Armstrong challenged the young Lincoln to a wrestling match, the showdown became the stuff of legend. Wrestling historian Mike Chapman, author of The Sport of Lincoln, shares the forgotten story of the bout that made "Honest Abe" a hometown hero long before he entered the White House.

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