Our American Stories

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How a Single Facebook Post Transformed Christmas for a Family in Need Dec 25, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Ashley Freeman came home from overseas determined to help people in her own town. When she asked her neighbors for Christmas donations for a family in crisis, the response was overwhelming. Gifts, decorations, and support came from across the state and beyond. One act of generosity led to another, and what started with one woman turned into a community-wide effort that reached far more people than expected.

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Why CBS Nearly Pulled the Plug on A Charlie Brown Christmas Dec 25, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, dealing with a small budget and a short deadline, A Charlie Brown Christmas was released to critical acclaim on December 9, 1965. While audiences loved it, there were many doubters behind the scenes at CBS. Our host, Lee Habeeb, tells the story.

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How Bing Crosby and David Bowie Created a Christmas Classic—By Accident Dec 25, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in what would be Bing Crosby’s final Christmas special, he teamed up with glam rock legend David Bowie for a duet that defied expectations. “Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” went on to become one of the most cherished Christmas songs of all time. Discover how this strange and beautiful collaboration almost fell apart—and what made it a timeless part of classic Christmas music history.

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A Silent Night Behind Barbed Wire: Christmas in a WWII POW Camp Dec 25, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the final Christmas of World War II, American soldier Keith Ginther found himself behind enemy lines in a German POW camp. But on that quiet night in 1944, something unexpected happened. Shared through journalist Kristen Inbody, this story is a rare glimpse into how faith, music, and memory helped carry one man through one of the darkest seasons of war.

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Why Michigan and Ohio State Hate Each Other Dec 24, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before Michigan and Ohio State ever lined up on the football field, their rivalry started with a fight over land and a cartographer’s mistake. Known as the Toledo War, this little-known border dispute between the two states set the stage for what would become one of the most heated rivalries in college football history. Tedd Long, founder of Holy Toledo History, explains what shaped the OSU–Michigan face-off long before kickoff was even a thing.

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A Bird Had to Be Removed from Andrew Jackson’s Funeral — Here’s Why Dec 24, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s not every day a U.S. president’s funeral has to be paused because of a swearing parrot—but then again, Andrew Jackson never followed the rules, even in death. As guests gathered to mourn the seventh president, his longtime pet had other ideas. Historian Mark Cheatham, a professor of history at Cumberland University and a leading scholar on Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian era, joins us with the true story of the funeral crash that left everyone stunned—and the historical scandal no one saw coming.

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Turning a Historic House Into a Home: A 300-Year Journey Dec 24, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Ruth McKeaney and her husband stepped into a historic home that was falling off its foundation, they had no idea it would be the first of many. Over the years, they’ve raised five kids while flipping one broken house after another, including a 300-year-old home once tied to William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, himself. Ruth shares how trial, grit, and grace turned a collapsing structure into a space where others could feel real belonging.

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Inside Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers’ Rise and Fall on The Tonight Show Dec 24, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers defined late-night television. Carson ruled The Tonight Show as its steady center, while Rivers became his most trusted guest host, winning audiences with her sharp timing and fearless comedy. Night after night, viewers came to see them as a natural pairing, shaping what a late-night talk show could be. Then, in nineteen eighty-six, everything changed. Joan Rivers accepted her own late-night show, a move that fractured one of television’s most influential relationships. Mark Malkoff, author of Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend, tells the story.

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The President Who Found His Greatest Purpose After the White House Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, born into the nation’s first political dynasty, John Quincy Adams spent his childhood in the shadow of revolution and his adulthood navigating diplomacy, Congress, and his presidency. But his defining stand came late in life, when he returned to the House of Representatives and refused to look away from slavery’s grip on the republic.

As the last living link to the Founding Fathers, Adams carried their language and ideals into the Supreme Court during the Amistad case, arguing for the freedom of enslaved Africans with unmatched moral force. James Traub, author of John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit, traces how the sixth president’s most enduring legacy lay in his final, unyielding defense of human dignity.

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Who Really Invented Monopoly? The Story the Box Never Told Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story most people know about Monopoly is charming—and false. It was never just the invention of one down-on-his-luck salesman. The real roots of the game stretch back to a politically charged board game called The Landlord’s Game, created by a woman named Lizzie Magie to warn people about the dangers of unchecked greed. Her game was borrowed, reworked, and eventually published without her name on the box. Mary Pilon, author of The Monopolists, is here to share how Charles Darrow got the credit, how Parker Brothers sold the story, and why the truth behind Monopoly is far more interesting than fiction.

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