Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, in Durham, North Carolina, an ordinary railroad bridge has become one of the internet's most unlikely celebrities. Nicknamed the "11-foot-8 Can Opener," it has shredded the roofs off hundreds of trucks despite flashing lights, warning signs, and every effort to stop drivers from hitting it.

Our own Jesse Edwards shares the remarkable story of the bridge, the YouTube channel that made it famous, and why people around the world can't stop watching trucks make the same mistake over and over again.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the founding of the United States didn't happen in a single moment. It unfolded across one of the most difficult years in American history. The late, great historian and author of 1776, David McCullough, shares the story of how a fragile army, led by an untested commander, struggled to hold the cause together against overwhelming odds. Between Boston and New York, the future of the Revolution was shaped not by grand strategy or stirring speeches, but by exhaustion, retreat, and the lingering question of whether the American experiment would survive.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Satchel Paige didn’t just pitch; he dazzled. Known for fastballs with names like the Midnight Creeper and the Bat Dodger, he played for five decades without a relief pitcher in sight. Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, shares the life and legend of one of the greatest to ever take the mound.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, expands upon the story of Theodore Roosevelt, the energetic and fiercely ambitious president who believed America needed a stronger executive and a more active federal government. Even after leaving the White House, Roosevelt was convinced his work was unfinished, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic presidential campaigns in American history.

Roosevelt's decision to challenge his own political party as the Bull Moose candidate divided Republicans, captivated the nation, and cleared the way for Woodrow Wilson's victory in 1912. McClay explains how that election reshaped American politics, further expanded the power of the federal government, and marked the beginning of a new era in the nation's history, one that America's Founding Fathers likely would not have recognized.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, listener Paul Kotz has a habit that's becoming increasingly rare: he talks to strangers. Whether it's a lost set of keys, a chance encounter in an elevator, or a conversation with a family at a hotel pool, Paul has discovered that some of life's most memorable moments begin with a simple hello. In this warmhearted story, he reflects on the unexpected friendships, laughter, and lessons that can come from taking the time to connect with the people we usually pass by.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before Audie Murphy became the most decorated American soldier of World War II, he was a poor Texas farm boy who spent his childhood picking cotton, hunting rabbits to feed his family, and struggling to survive during the Great Depression. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Murphy was determined to serve his country, even though he was underage, undersized, and repeatedly turned away by military recruiters.

Roger McGrath returns with another installment of our Hollywood Goes to War series to share the remarkable true story of Audie Murphy's rise from an impoverished teenager to a Medal of Honor recipient and beyond.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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