On this episode of Our American Stories, at the dawn of the twentieth century, radium was hailed as a miracle of modern science. Factories across the country began hiring young women to paint watch dials and instrument panels that lit up in the dark. It was considered a respectable, even glamorous job. No one warned them that the glow they wore on their skin and teeth came with a deadly cost.

Kate Moore, author of Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, brings to life the story of the women who unknowingly poisoned themselves while doing their jobs. In time, their fight for justice helped build the foundation of modern workplace safety and occupational health standards across the United States.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, everyone has a funny Thanksgiving story, but this one still makes Stephen Rusiniak cringe. He promised his mom he’d be on time for Thanksgiving dinner. He wasn’t. What followed was a mix of family drama, cold turkey, and a lesson in what it means to keep your word.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before chewing gum became part of American life, William Wrigley Jr. was selling soap door to door. He gave away gum as a bonus and discovered people wanted that more than anything else. From that moment, he built one of the oldest gum brands in history and a life that revolved as much around his wife as his business.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, William C. Rhodes started as a kid tagging along with his dad on Saturdays in Memphis. Years later, he was guiding AutoZone across the Americas as Chairman, President, and CEO. Along the way, he learned what leadership looks like on the floor, in the field, and in the boardroom, and how corporate governance turns good instincts into durable results. Here's Rhodes with his story of success.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel "Big Mitch" Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama. Each call traces the shape of faith, regret, and forgiveness inside a place built for punishment.

In this fourth installment, Mitch reflects on what love has meant to him after decades behind bars. It wasn't romance that changed him, but a friendship that grew slowly and taught him what genuine care looks like. That bond opened his heart to a different kind of truth that he began to find in the books of the Bible. As he turned to his daily readings, the stories of endurance and redemption took on new meaning. The lessons of those Bible stories guided him toward forgiveness, both for others and for himself.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty “Hi-Yo Silver!” — it's the story of the Lone Ranger. Stephen Eoannou, author of Yesteryear, tells the story of how a tenacious scriptwriter out of Buffalo and a shrewd businessman out of Detroit managed to create one of America's most enduring cultural figures

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before he helped fill stadiums, George Herman Ruth was a restless boy growing up near the Baltimore waterfront. His father ran a saloon, his mother rarely had time to spare, and discipline came from the brothers at St. Mary's Industrial School. There, he met Brother Matthias, who taught him baseball and provided the structure he needed to find his purpose.

His baseball talent carried him from the Red Sox to the Yankees, where his swing reshaped the game and turned him into a national symbol.

Mike Gibbons, director of the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, shares the real story about the boy who became the Babe.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in Carlisle, Iowa, Chef Steve Reed had one job: bring home the Thanksgiving turkey. After years in the kitchen and decades of perfect holiday meals, this one seemed easy. He found the bird, hauled it through a packed grocery store, and tossed it into the back of his truck for the short drive home. There was just one problem...his truck didn’t have a tailgate.

By the time he pulled into his driveway, the turkey was gone. A few streets back, a man in a tweed jacket stood quietly on the curb, staring down at the runaway bird like it had fallen from the sky. What followed was part rescue mission, part comedy sketch, and pure Thanksgiving magic.

Chef Steve joins us for the story.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Karl Marlantes returned from Vietnam carrying memories he couldn’t share and questions he couldn’t shake. Like many who served, he tried to move on and focus on the next chapter of his life. For a long time, that seemed easier than explaining what the war had taken out of him.

Writing became his way through it. In Matterhorn and What It Is Like to Go to War, he began to put words to experiences that had stayed unspoken for years. Marlantes joins us to bridge the distance between surviving a war and living after one.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.