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

On
This
Day
On October 17, 1968, Olympic medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos were stripped of their medals. They came to the awards ceremony barefoot, symbolizing the poverty of black Americans. Carlos wore black beads for those “who were lynched or killed.” During the Star Spangled Banner, both bowed their heads and lifted their hands in a “black power” salute. Reaction was negative. But on September 29, 2016, President Obama invited the two to the White House to recognize them for taking a stand.
Heroes & Trailblazers
Song Pluggers in the American Music Industry
The Invention of the Jukebox
Cher Ami and Other Heroic Birds
Winged Warriors of World Wars I and II
The U.S. Constitution: Explained in Less Than an Hour
Elizabeth Keckly, Slave Turned Entrepreneur, Confidante to Mary Lincoln
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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
Dissolvable Pills: An Important Invention by Upjohn
First Elephants Brought to the United States
James A. Bailey, Circus Impresario
P.T. Barnum, Extraordinary Showman
Alice S. Wells: Among First Policewomen
What the Montgomery Boycott Showed Us
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)