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 August 18, 1965, Operation Starlite, the first major U.S. ground battle of the Vietnam War occurred. Fifty-five hundred marines were deployed and over a six-day period, they scored a huge victory. Few realized how difficult the war would become.
Inspirational Women
Biddy Mason was one of the first Black landowners in Los Angeles. She was trained as a nurse midwife, saved her money, and invested carefully …
Title IX–the law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any programs or activities in all federally funded educational institutions—was instrumental to bringing women into athletics.
University …
Sacagawea’s story is everywhere. She is part of every book written about Lewis and Clark’s journey. There are many, many children’s books about her, and …
During the late 19th century, Native Americans had healers within their tribes, but few white doctors would undertake the care of a Native American. Susan …

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Recent Stories
The collies of Sunnybank were one of the best-loved kennels for collie breeding in the twentieth century. The dogs were bred by newsman Albert Payson …
Comanche was a U.S. cavalry horse who participated in many battles in the West including the Battle of Little Bighorn. He achieved fame because he …
Biddy Mason was one of the first Black landowners in Los Angeles. She was trained as a nurse midwife, saved her money, and invested carefully …
Today we take air conditioning for granted. There can be community “brown-outs,” household power outages, or families who prefer open windows. But for the most …
Marathon-running was very popular in the early 20th century. The sport was low cost and offered a new option for blue-collar workers. The industrial age …
The concept for the first drive-in movie business originated with one man in the late 1920s. Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. came up with the concept …
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)