Forgotten History with Dan O'Donnell: Recent Episodes
Dan O'Donnell
A train ride with America's founding documents helps prove the nation's commitment to its ideals and strikes a significant blow against segregation.
A down-on-his luck copywriter with dreams of becoming a novelist instead comes up with the quintessentially American Christmas character.
A year before the first Thanksgiving, the very first pilgrim to set foot on American soil wasn't a governor or wealthy investor--it was a young girl overwhelmed with joy and excitement over the promise of a new and better life.
A skinny kid from Pennsylvania becomes a legend for his heroism and sacrifice in Israel.
In the most destructive fire in American history, a priest witnesses a miracle while helping save as many people as he can.
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but one of the most iconic (and fun) pieces of Americana was invented entirely by accident.
It's said that the price of love is grief, but through that grief, the price can be paid in brilliance and innovation that changes the world forever.
A brave woman fights for America's independence and then returns home to fight for eqaulity.
The American spirit is infused with the hunger for discovery, and when that hunger is matched by an insatiable work ethic, the most incredible discoveries can come from the most unexpected sources.
The biggest St. Patrick's Day party in America isn't in Boston or New York, it's in Savannah, Georgia. Here's the fascinating reason why.
What does psychological warfare have to do with American attitudes toward breakfast? Quite a bit, actually.
A brilliant, adventurous woman goes on the expedition of a lifetime and sacrifices everything in the name of human exploration.
The things we don't do can have just as big an impact as the things we do, and even the smallest decisions can change our destiny...and that of America itself.
A true Christmas miracle lives forever as perhaps history's greatest embodiment of peace on Earth and goodwill to men.
The wounds of war fade in a powerful story about the power of friendship and forgiveness.
What happens when the impossible becomes possible just days after even pursuing it is deemed a foolish pursuit? The miracle of human ingenuity.
Think Republicans and Democrats are divided now? Once upon a time, they couldn't agree on what date Thanksgiving should be an celebrated it on different days!
A radio cast frantically works on a new story that they are all convinced will be a disaster, but the show they perform shocks the entire world.
A furious desire for revenge produces the most lopsided football game ever and threatens to ruin a great coach's legacy.
During Queen Elizabeth's very first visit to California, a terrifying drive through the mountains helped to strengthen her bond with President Ronald Reagan.
During Queen Elizabeth's very first visit to California, a terrifying drive through the mountains helped to strengthen her bond with President Ronald Reagan.
An armed rebellion against the United States ends after just a few hours...and too much partying to continue the fight.
A strange thing happens when George Washington has the Declaration of Independence read to his troops just a few days after it was ratified.
An act of extreme compassion and mercy proves the common ties of humanity are even stronger than the horrors of war.
A tough Civil War soldier comes up with a tender way to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the Union.
America normally battles against severe weather, but on one incredible afternoon it seemed as if the weather was fighting for America.
A young military colonel discovers the secret to winning elections in pre-Revolutionary America
One of the most controversial and censored films of all time produces an historic first.
A young soldier from Wisconsin makes good on a promise to dedicate his life to serve God if only his life would be spared from the battlefield.
A dedicated man and a deep-seated desire to differentiate America from its enemies create a big change in the Pledge of Allegiance.
An American GI with nothing to give but himself makes Christmas merry for children in war-torn Luxembourg.
A Christmas special so poorly animated and voiced that its creators worried the had killed the beloved characters who starred in it instead becomes one of television's biggest hits of all time.
A writer's fantastical tale causes a stir and helps to create one of America's most beloved Christmas traditions.
An entire nation gives thanks to a woman who refused to give up until Thanksgiving was declared a federal holiday.
The story of the brave sailors and marines who refused to leave the side of a fallen soldier on his final trip home.
A rough and tumble youth takes on and defeats all comers, but his real strength is the sense of sportsmanship and fairness that takes him far further than his athletic career ever could.
The scariest part of the scariest film of all-time wasn't anything on screen; it was a real-life horror that makes the frights of "The Exorcist" seem tame.
One of the darkest, most haunting chapters of the American story might have been written by something frighteningly ordinary.
The inspiring story of two Marines who felt called to put on their old uniforms and dig.
How the work of an innovative dentist gave rise to the legend of George Washington's wooden teeth.
A former preacher turned famous comedian teaches a timeless lesson about the power of faith in America.
50 years after America's independence, two of its founding fathers teach a lasting lesson about the power of freedom and fellowship.
Fame is fleeting, and it nearly escaped one celebrated author because of an unfortunate editorial error.
The trial of the young 19th century shaped American history, but not as much as what the defense attorneys did afterwards.
The Shot Heard 'Round the World was very nearly fired before the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
One of "our boys" fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War...but he wasn't a boy at all!
Everyone knows that Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, but he also invented something that was even more significant.
The inspiring story of a brave police officer and the light he shined on one of America's darkest days.
In 1876, Ulysses S. Grant seems to have predicted the ideological conflict that America is fighting against itself today.
A Scottish immigrant just may have been the greatest conman in American history...or was he?
The story of the majesty and beauty of the Stars and Stripes...which couldn't even muster an A in a high school history class!
A brave woman challenged her own status as a slave in court and in so doing set America on its long journey toward emancipation.
A disastrous encounter with former President Theodore Roosevelt helps to shape a young man's destiny and change the world.
Thanks to some brilliant marketing, a World War I gas mask filter has become one of America's most popular products
Sometimes, in the biggest of tragedies, the smallest of items can help a nation mourn and rebuild.
The rebellion against the government that led to the creation of an important government institution.
Think today's War on Christmas is bad? In the 1600s, Puritans literally banned celebrating!
Allegations of a stolen election and police brutality that led to rioting and even open insurrection. 2020? Nope. 1946 in the sleepy community of McMinn County, Tennessee.
A British invasion of Baltimore is thwarted by merchant sailors who sacrificed everything they had for America.
The tiny village of New Harmony, Indiana becomes a warning for the rest of the country.
Just who were the two people who on V-J Day shared what is perhaps America's most famous kiss?
A chance encounter created a coincidence so incredible that it just may have been guided by destiny itself.
Even at 68 years old and walking with a cane, President Andrew Jackson had one last fight in him.