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
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 Terhune. Terhune had two loves besides his wife: his beloved collies and his home in New Jersey, Sunnybank.
Sunnybank is located in Wayne, New Jersey. Though …
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 was the only survivor—human or animal–when reinforcements arrived at Little Bighorn.
All 200 of George Custer’s men were killed by the Native Americans. A few other …
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 part, Americans are able to spend a good deal of their time in a climate-controlled environment.
However, the invention of air conditioning had little to …
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 of Arizona Special Collections
But pioneers in women’s sports had to precede the hard-fought battle for a law. Ina (pronounced Eena) Gittings was among the women …
Curb cuts—the slight slope from a sidewalk to a roadway—are preferred by most people: walkers, bikers, and parents pushing children in strollers—yet they came about only because of a hard-fought battle by disability rights activists.
Enjoy them, use them, just don’t ever take them for granted.
The Issue With Curbs
For most people, …
Mar-a-Lago, now owned by presidential candidate Donald Trump, was built by Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973) in the 1920s.
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)