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.
Three Months Into Retirement He Started Over
John F. Kennedy’s Forgotten Independence Day Address
On this episode of Our American Stories, during some of the tensest moments of the Cold War, President Kennedy on July 4th, 1962 visited Independence Hall to give a motivating speech highlighting the importance of democracy and free enterprise around the world.
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Thomas Bennett and the Growth of the Winchester Rifle Brand
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Winchester name carries weight in American history, especially when it comes to rifles and repeating firearms. But brands are not built by products alone. They are built by people who understand how to grow them.
Thomas Bennett worked alongside John Moses Browning during a defining period for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. His leadership helped transform Winchester rifles from strong products into a national force. Ashley Hlebinsky shares the story of this forgotten, but all-important, man.
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VHS vs Betamax and the Battle for the Living Room
On this episode of Our American Stories, there was a moment when the future of home entertainment was uncertain. VHS and Betamax were locked in a format war, and the VCR you bought determined which tapes you could play.
VHS eventually became the dominant video cassette system, reshaping movie rentals, television recording, and 1980s pop culture. Engineer Guy Bill Hammack explains how VHS won the format war and why Betamax slowly disappeared.
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B.B. King, Lucille, and the Rise of a Blues Legend
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became known worldwide as B.B. King, he was Riley B. King, a young musician working the radio circuit in Memphis. Over time, his blues style, marked by precise bends and expressive vibrato, influenced rock, jazz, and rhythm and blues artists alike.
With his guitar Lucille in hand, B.B. King developed a tone and phrasing that set him apart from other electric guitar players and helped earn him the title “King of the Blues.” Here to tell the story is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Daniel de Visé, author of the first in-depth biography of B.B. in almost 30 years: King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King.
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Couple Adopts 7 Siblings Separated Across Four Foster Homes!
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.
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Why Chick-fil-A Says “My Pleasure”
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you have ever ordered at Chick-fil-A, you know the reply almost by heart: “My pleasure.” But this chicken giant didn't come up with its famous catchphrase.
The phrase traces back to a visit founder Truett Cathy made to the Ritz-Carlton, where he noticed how consistently employees used those same two words with guests. The language was part of the hotel’s service standard, and it stayed with him long after he left. Cathy later adopted the phrase inside Chick-fil-A, where it became a defining part of the company’s culture. Horst Schulze, the co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton, shares the story.
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Walt Disney’s Long Fight to Make Mary Poppins
On this episode of Our American Stories, more than half a century after Mary Poppins premiered in 1964, it still sits near the top of the list of most beloved family films. But getting it made took years of persistence and a long fight over rights, creative control, and what the story should look like on screen. Our own Greg Hengler shares how Mary Poppins came to life and the filmmaking breakthroughs that helped turn it into a classic that continues to reach new generations.
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The Eating Contest That Earned Her a Reputation
On this episode of Our American Stories, some competitions end when the plates are cleared. This one kept going in the form of a nickname. Lindsey Gallant shares the story of being challenged to an eating contest at church and walking away with a legendary nickname, “The Stomach.”
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Christopher Columbus: The Last Crusader
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Age of Discovery launched European exploration across the Atlantic, but Columbus’s motivations were more complicated than simple curiosity or greed. He wrote about prophecy, Christian expansion, and the belief that history was moving toward a final reckoning.
George Grant, author of The Last Crusader: The Untold Story of Christopher Columbus, shares how faith, medieval politics, and apocalyptic expectation shaped Columbus' vision, and why the man saw himself not as a navigator, but as a servant in a divine plan.
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