Covering every hamlet and precinct in America, big and small, the stories span arts and sports, business and history, innovation and adventure, generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love, past and present. In short, Our American Stories tells the story of America to Americans.
About Lee Habeeb
Lee Habeeb co-founded Laura Ingraham’s national radio show in 2001, moved to Salem Media Group in 2008 as Vice President of Content overseeing their nationally syndicated lineup, and launched Our American Stories in 2016. He is a University of Virginia School of Law graduate, and writes a weekly column for Newsweek.
For more information, please visit ouramericanstories.com.
Audie Murphy: The Most Decorated American Soldier of World War II
Steve Jobs and the iPhone That Almost Wasn't
On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs stepped onto the stage at Macworld and unveiled a device that would forever change the way we communicate. To the audience, it looked like a flawless presentation. Behind the scenes, however, Apple engineers were bracing for disaster. The iPhone prototype was so fragile that Jobs had to follow a carefully rehearsed sequence of demonstrations, secretly switching between multiple devices to keep the presentation from crashing.
Our own Greg Hengler shares the remarkable story behind one of the greatest product launches in business history.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I Was Stiffed $318,000... And Still Paid Back Everyone I Owed
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1980, contractor Steve Bell was left holding the bag after two of his biggest clients were arrested on drug charges, costing him more than $100,000, roughly $318,000 today. His attorney urged him to declare bankruptcy, but Steve refused.
In this installment of our "Do the Right Thing" series with the Daniels Fund, Steve shares the true story of how he paid back every person he owed and why keeping his word became the foundation of his business and his life.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How the Saddle Turned Horses Into the Engines of Civilization
On this episode of Our American Stories, before engines and asphalt, movement meant muscle, yours or the horse’s. But riding bareback could only take humans so far. The saddle changed that. With structure, control, and later, the stirrup transformed the horse into a game-changing force in human history. From mounted armies to long-distance trade, this one invention shaped how empires rose, how people connected, and how the world moved. Our own Reagan Habeeb shares the story.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who Invented the Barcode and How It Changed the World
On this episode of Our American Stories, you may see them everywhere today, but the UPC barcode didn’t become commonplace until well into the 1970s. What had started as a simple idea to speed up checkout lines took decades to develop, requiring advances in computing, scanning tech, and cooperation across different industries.
When the first barcode was scanned in 1974, it marked the beginning of a silent revolution. Retailers could track inventory more accurately, businesses could move products more efficiently, and everyday shopping was transformed in ways most people never noticed. Our regular contributor, The History Guy, shares the story of the barcode, how it came to be, why it took so long to catch on, and how it changed the way the world buys and sells goods forever.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Joplin’s EF-5 Tornado: A Story of Loss, Love, and Hope
On this episode of Our American Stories, on May 22, 2011, an EF-5 tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, killing 162 people and becoming the deadliest and costliest tornado in modern American history. As the storm approached, local meteorologist Jerimiah Cook realized the tornado was heading directly toward his hometown, his friends, and even his own pregnant wife.
Jerimiah Cook and reporter Gretchen Bolander share the story of that devastating evening, the chaos that followed, and the remarkable recovery that transformed Joplin in the years afterward for the better.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Night I Saved a Man With a Knife
On this episode of Our American Stories, as a military police officer in Germany, Richard Muniez expected another quiet night on patrol. Instead, he responded to a call involving a distraught soldier armed with a knife who was destroying a truck and begging officers to shoot him.
After a tense standoff, Richard tackled the soldier moments before he attempted to take his own life. The immediate danger ended that night, but the experience stayed with him for years. Richard shares the story of the life he helped save, the post-traumatic stress that followed, and the difficult lesson that asking for help is sometimes the bravest thing a person can do.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Duke’s Coach K Was Almost Fired in 1983
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he won five national championships and became one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, Mike Krzyzewski was on the brink of being fired. In his first three seasons at Duke, Coach K struggled to win games, angered boosters, and faced mounting criticism from fans and alumni. After a humiliating loss in the 1983 ACC Tournament, many believed his tenure was over.
Bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein, a longtime friend of Coach K and author of The Legends Club, shares the story of Duke's difficult early years, the late-night conversation at a Denny's that became a turning point, and how one struggling coach went on to build one of the greatest dynasties in college basketball history.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Real Story of Prohibition: Carrie Nation and the Fight to Save Families
On this episode of Our American Stories, prohibition is often remembered through the lens of gangsters, speakeasies, and organized crime. But long before bootleggers captured the public imagination, millions of Americans believed alcohol was destroying families, fueling violence, and corrupting politics.
Carrie Nation has largely been remembered as a hatchet-wielding fanatic who smashed saloons across the Midwest. Yet to many Americans of her day, she was something very different: a woman fighting against domestic abuse, poverty, and the social costs of alcoholism that she herself had suffered through. Travis Spangenberg of the American Prohibition Museum in Savannah, Georgia, shares the true story of Nation, the temperance movement she fought for, and the complicated legacy of America's 18th Amendment.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Flood That Took My Mother
On this episode of Our American Stories, when David LaBelle was a teenager, his mother was the one person who believed in him. She helped him stay in school, encouraged his interest in photography, and stood by him through difficult years. Then, during a devastating flood in Southern California, she was swept away while David and his family struggled to survive atop their collapsing home.
For decades, David carried the memory of losing his mother and the unanswered questions surrounding her death. Through photography, teaching, and eventually writing fiction, he discovered that while we cannot change the past, we can change the stories we tell ourselves about it. David shares a moving story about grief, memory, and how art can help us find peace after loss. Be sure to read David's book about the tragedy, Bridges and Angels.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.