On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became president of the United States, Ronald Reagan was a young radio announcer in Des Moines, Iowa, calling sports for WHO Radio during the golden age of broadcasting. Armed with little more than a microphone and his imagination, Reagan recreated baseball games from telegraph reports, covered football and track events, and learned how to captivate an audience through storytelling.

In his own words, Reagan reflects on the early days of radio, how he got his start at WHO, and the broadcasting career that helped shape one of the most recognizable communicators in American political history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when the brand-new Saturday Night Live first took the airwaves by storm, it was Chevy Chase’s clumsy impression of Gerald Ford, an All-American athlete turned commander in chief, that changed the way Americans saw their president. The sketch also helped shape the future of political satire, presidential impersonations, and even the 1976 election itself.

Peter Funt, author of Playing POTUS: The Power of America's 'Acting Presidents', tells the story behind one of comedy’s most consequential impressions.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Harry S. Truman was never expected to become president of the United States. He grew up as a farm boy in rural Missouri, and though he later served as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vice president, he was not Roosevelt’s first choice for the role, nor did Truman initially seek it.

But his presidency would shape the course of history. Truman oversaw the end of World War II with the use of the atomic bomb, introduced the Truman Doctrine to confront Soviet expansion, and led the country into the beginning of the Korean War. Here’s the story of Truman’s presidency and how his decisions helped shape the modern United States.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, people often talk about the past as something to be missed, but history tells a much harder story. Johan Norberg argues that many of the most interesting periods in history were also the hardest to survive, and that modern innovations have made everyday life more secure than at any other point in human history.

Johan Norberg, author of Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future, tells the story of why we are living in the best moment in human history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War II, women entered the military and workforce in record numbers, taking on roles once occupied by men. The Women’s Army Corps became a path for thousands who wanted to support the war effort.

But for Ilene Hall, the decision was personal. After marrying in March 1943, and with her husband completing his training and preparing to ship overseas, the young woman from Canton, Ohio, decided not to let an ocean separate them. Here she is to share her story!

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On this episode of Our American Stories, learning how to ride a horse is hard enough, but getting in the saddle at 60 years old can seem impossible. Not so for Our American Stories regular contributor Bill Bryk. Bill tells the story of the exciting and sometimes frightening experience of learning the basics of horseback riding after six decades.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before the United States expanded westward, the young nation ended at the banks of the Mississippi River. France controlled the vast territory beyond these borders until Thomas Jefferson brokered a deal that doubled the size of the country. Despite his own reservations and personal view of the Constitution, Jefferson moved forward, expanding the nation and setting the stage for westward expansion.

As part of our ongoing Story of Us, Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of how the Louisiana Purchase changed the nation forever.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on August 26, 2021, a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate in Kabul killed 13 American service members. Among them was Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz. His father, Mark Schmitz, became part of what is known as a Gold Star family, a term used for the parents and loved ones of those killed in military service.

In the months that followed, he chose to carry forward his son’s legacy, founding The Freedom 13, a nonprofit focused on supporting military families and honoring the fallen. Here to share the story of his son’s life and the legacy that continues in his name is Mark Schmitz.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1856, the steamboat Steamboat Arabia struck a snag and slipped beneath the Missouri River, taking with it cargo bound for stores and towns across the frontier. The Arabia did not stay buried forever. As the river changed course over time, the wreck was left behind beneath layers of earth.

More than a century later, a group of Kansas City men set out to uncover the long-buried treasure. Matt Hawley tells the story of his family’s quest to dig up the steamboat Arabia from the middle of a cornfield.

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