On this episode of Our American Stories, in April 1865, just days after the Civil War ended, Abraham Lincoln experienced what many described as one of the happiest periods of his life. The war was coming to a close, and Lincoln’s schedule reflected a shift toward rebuilding the nation.

However, during what was supposed to be a relaxing night at the theater, John Wilkes Booth carried out the assassination that would change American history. Our own Lee Habeeb shares the story of the final hours before Lincoln was shot and the events that led to his death on April 15, 1865.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was known as a country music artist, Jelly Roll had a record that included multiple arrests and time behind bars. Years later, after turning his life around and using his music to help others facing the same struggles, his story entered Tennessee’s pardon process.

That process brought his case before Governor Bill Lee. But when Lee spoke about the decision, he didn’t just talk about the law. He spoke about loss, about the death of his wife, and about the faith that carried him through it.

Our own Lee Habeeb shares the story of two men, from very different walks of life, brought together by hardship, faith, and the belief that no life is beyond redemption.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Colin Bettles, an Our American Stories listener from Australia, had never heard of buffalo wings until a trip to upstate New York in the early 1990s. One plate was enough. The tender chicken, the heat of the sauce, and the cool bite of blue cheese made it love at first bite, and sparked a lifelong pursuit.

From discovering the dish’s roots at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, to trying to start his own wing shop in Australia, Bettles chased that original taste across continents. Here he is with his story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Nala Ray was an early success story on OnlyFans, building a large following and earning significant income as the platform was still evolving. Over time, she began to feel a growing disconnect between her life online and who she wanted to be.

Despite her lucrative career, she stepped away and turned her focus toward redefining her relationship with God. Nala joins us to share her remarkable redemption story, from the depths of the online adult industry to a new life in Christ.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Doug and Mary Ketchum moved to Tennessee to open a liquor store, only to run into a state residency law that blocked them from getting a license. What followed was a long legal battle that reached the Supreme Court, raising questions about constitutional law and whether states can limit who is allowed to run a business within their borders.

For our Rule of Law series, Doug and Mary share the story of how they brought a bottle of wine to the highest court in the land, and won.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Brian Wilson didn’t record “Good Vibrations” the way most songs were made at the time. He built it section by section, using different studios and techniques to create a new kind of sound. The result pushed the boundaries of pop music and influenced the evolution of rock.

For our Story of a Song series, our own Greg Hengler shares the story of how the Beach Boys, and Brian Wilson’s imagination, created one of the most important songs in music history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during the American Civil War, inventor Richard Gatling set out to solve a problem he believed defined modern warfare: too many soldiers were dying not only in battle, but from disease in overcrowded armies. His solution was the Gatling gun, a hand-cranked, rapid-fire weapon capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. It would reshape how wars would be fought in the decades to come.

Gun expert and Our American Stories regular contributor Ashley Hlebinsky shares the story of how a weapon intended to reduce the size of armies and limit suffering ultimately changed warfare forever.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early years of the United States, Washington Irving became one of the first writers to achieve both national and international fame. His stories, including Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, helped define early American literature and introduced elements of Gothic fiction and Romanticism to a wider audience. He also helped reshape Christmas; a holiday once associated more with rowdy and drunken celebration than with time-honored traditions and family.

Brian Jay Jones, author of Washington Irving: An American Original, shares how Irving built a lasting reputation through storytelling and became America’s first true literary celebrity.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during a quiet family visit, Brent Timmons, our regular contributor from Connecticut, found himself pulled out of conversation and into a situation with his young son that escalated quickly. A simple attempt to fix a small cut created a problem he hadn’t anticipated. He literally glued his finger to his son’s face.

Brent shares the story of the oddest parenting lesson he ever learned.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob Keeshan, a Marine, created Captain Kangaroo in 1955, at a time when television was still new and largely unstructured. He built the program around a simple idea: speak directly to children and hold their attention without noise or chaos.

The show ran for decades and became one of the longest-running and most influential children’s programs in television history. Our regular contributor, The History Guy, shares the story of Mr. Green Jeans himself, and his iconic children’s show.

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