Stories of America’s Past

Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly

Kate Kelly

  • Song Pluggers in the American Music Industry

    Song pluggers were a big part of the growing music industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before recorded music could be distributed, publishers hired professional songwriters to churn out new hits. Then songs were aggressively promoted through “pluggers,” who performed songs in vaudeville theaters and other venues to boost sheet music sales. The job of a song plugger was to get the public excited enough to buy the sheet music and play…
    Read More Song Pluggers in the American Music Industry

  • The Invention of the Jukebox

    A jukebox!  If you walk into a themed restaurant where they have jukeboxes, it’s still a thrill. The thought of choosing some tunes that remind us of our teen years can’t help but bring back fun memories.  But times have changed. We all have phones that carry a multitude of our favorite songs, and personal earbuds let us listen anytime and anywhere to what we want.  Opportunities for communal listening are rare.  When the first…
    Read More The Invention of the Jukebox

  • Winged Warriors of World Wars I and II

    Homing pigeons saved thousands of lives during both World Wars.  Despite amazing technological progress in warfare during the early 20th century, there were times when the military needed to rely on other methods of communication. An estimated 500,000 homing pigeons were used in the first World War. It was an old “technology” for new warfare. Sometimes the front line moved forward faster than the Signal Corps could string new wiring for telephones or telegraphs. At…
    Read More Winged Warriors of World Wars I and II

  • The Enduring Role of Animals in World War I

    World War I marked a turning point in warfare, ushering in an era of large-scale mechanization. Trains, trucks, tanks, cars, and motorcycles were deployed for the war, yet animals remained indispensable. Before the United States entered the war, France and Britain were importing horses, mules, and donkeys from the U.S. But buying and importing animals was both difficult and expensive. Many of the animals became ill during transatlantic transit. When the United States entered the…
    Read More The Enduring Role of Animals in World War I

On
This
Day

On September 17, 1996, Oprah began her television book club, picking Jacquelyn Mitchard’s The Deep End of the Ocean for her first book. So many people responded by reading the books she chose and watching Oprah’s interviews with the authors that she had quite an impact on the publishing world. Her efforts were good for the book business, but even better for instilling the importance of reading.

Heroes & Trailblazers

Love what you’re reading?

Skip the noise and get compelling stories about America delivered to your inbox. Mailings arrive about every other week.

Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly

Who Thought of That?

Recent Stories

Part of the inspiration for this site comes from this remark: “People do not want to hear about simple things. They want to hear about great things – simply told.”

Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Translate »
Scroll to Top