On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1926, two men set their sights on the same prize: the North Pole. Roald Amundsen took to the air in the Norge, a giant hydrogen airship, while Richard Byrd climbed into a Fokker trimotor and gambled on speed. Both faced bitter cold, unreliable machines, and a wilderness with no safe landing. What happened over those icebound miles changed the future of exploration and cemented the North Pole as one of the last great frontiers. The History Guy shares the story. 

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1926, two men set their sights on the same prize: the North Pole. Roald Amundsen took to the air in the Norge, a giant hydrogen airship, while Richard Byrd climbed into a Fokker trimotor and gambled on speed. Both faced bitter cold, unreliable machines, and a wilderness with no safe landing. What happened over those icebound miles changed the future of exploration and cemented the North Pole as one of the last great frontiers. The History Guy shares the story.&nbsp;
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>&nbsp;

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

The 1926 Race to the North Pole and the Explorers Who Risked Everything to Get There

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f672bda9-1987-4645-9c72-b33f009b43ae/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Lee Habeeb, host of Our American Stories, reflects on his mother’s life and the quiet legacy she left behind. Set in the patch of Northern New Jersey she cared for and shaped, this is a deeply personal meditation on love, grace, character, and the influence a parent carries long after they are gone. It’s the eulogy he never gave, and the story he chose to share.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, Lee Habeeb, host of&nbsp;Our American Stories, reflects on his mother&rsquo;s life and the quiet legacy she left behind. Set in the patch of Northern New Jersey she cared for and shaped, this is a deeply personal meditation on love, grace, character, and the influence a parent carries long after they are gone. It&rsquo;s the eulogy he never gave, and the story he chose to share.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

The Eulogy Lee Habeeb Never Gave for His Mother

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9d61807b-bad6-491e-b442-b3cc01680d31/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 29, 1774, Benjamin Franklin was summoned before the King’s advisers in an octagonal chamber at Whitehall Palace known as the Cockpit. Intended as a public humiliation, the encounter instead became a turning point. Franklin entered as a loyal servant of the British Empire and left deeply disillusioned, newly committed to the American cause.

Sheila Skemp, author of The Making of a Patriot: Benjamin Franklin at the Cockpit, tells the story of the extraordinary hour that helped turn one of Britain’s most famous subjects into an American patriot and set him on a collision course with his own son. We'd like to thank the U.S. Library of Congress for originally hosting this audio.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 29, 1774, Benjamin Franklin was summoned before the King&rsquo;s advisers in an octagonal chamber at Whitehall Palace known as the Cockpit. Intended as a public humiliation, the encounter instead became a turning point. Franklin entered as a loyal servant of the British Empire and left deeply disillusioned, newly committed to the American cause.
Sheila Skemp, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMaking-Patriot-Benjamin-Historical-Encounters%2Fdp%2F0195386566&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Cee65a3e720bb48bcf5d208de4eedb0e9%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639034979961065437%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=DeYPgxl59QrHgIMXXyDZ8U3JUQOsMpZz%2BHk3XVa%2BClo%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">The Making of a Patriot: Benjamin Franklin at the Cockpit</a>, tells the story of the extraordinary hour that helped turn one of Britain&rsquo;s most famous subjects into an American patriot and set him on a collision course with his own son. We'd like to thank the U.S. Library of Congress for originally hosting this audio.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

How British Elites Turned Benjamin Franklin into an American Patriot

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7f431523-47ac-4375-a3e6-b3cc01680d38/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ken Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, reflects on two profound college friendships that shaped his life long after graduation. In this deeply personal story, Kendrick recounts intimate conversations with two fraternity brothers before their deaths, moments that left a lasting imprint on his understanding of loyalty, mortality, and what it means to live with purpose. It’s a moving reflection on friendship, loss, and the words we carry with us long after goodbye.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ken Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, reflects on two profound college friendships that shaped his life long after graduation. In this deeply personal story, Kendrick recounts intimate conversations with two fraternity brothers before their deaths, moments that left a lasting imprint on his understanding of loyalty, mortality, and what it means to live with purpose. It&rsquo;s a moving reflection on friendship, loss, and the words we carry with us long after goodbye.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

What Two Fraternity Brothers Taught Me Before They Died

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/064ac831-a8f2-47c0-baac-b3cc01680d36/transcript

The 1926 Race to the North Pole and the Explorers Who Risked Everything to Get There

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