It鈥檚 human nature to tell stories about people performing heroic actions. Every good story needs a hero.
A podcast hosted by Malcolm Gladwell, journalist and author of five New York Times bestsellers, including 鈥�,鈥� shares the remarkable stories of some of our country鈥檚 heroes, .
The 鈥�鈥� podcast is co-produced by Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts. The podcast鈥檚 first episode aired on June 26, 2024, and releases weekly episodes that profile one Medal of Honor recipient鈥檚 life and brave actions while delving into themes such as what defines a hero, why individuals risk their lives for others, the potential of human beings and the essence of sacrifice.
鈥淲e tell stories about heroes because of a simple fact about the human mind: Courage is contagious,鈥� Gladwell said. 鈥淎nd when you hear about someone doing something heroic, it makes you want to be a hero too. And these days, we could use more heroes.鈥�
The first season featured stories of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to the Iraq War. Highlights include Henry Johnson, a WWI 鈥淗arlem Hellfighter鈥� who faced racial battles at home; Mary Walker, the only female recipient; and Douglas A. Munro, the first Coast Guard honoree.
The full list of Medal of Honor recipients profiled in Season 1 includes Mike Thornton, Henry Johnson, Douglas A. Munro, Alwyn Cashe, Mary Walker, Tibor Rubin, Jay R. Vargas, Robert Bush and John Chapman.
Gladwell has written several books and is the host of the podcast 鈥淩evisionist History.鈥� His newest book, , was released on October 1, 2024.
Recognizing National Medal of Honor Day
To mark National Medal of Honor Day, observed annually on March 25, the 鈥淢edal of Honor: Stories of Courage鈥� podcast released a bonus clip commemorating the 162nd anniversary of the first Medal of Honor awarded to Jacob Wilson Parrott, a private in the 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
In the bonus segment, Gladwell highlights stories of past honorees such as Michael Thornton, Molly Hudgens and Henry Johnson 鈥� calling their bravery 鈥渃ontagious鈥� and offering a glimpse of what鈥檚 to come in Season 2.
Season 2 of the podcast is set to launch in May.
This article, originally published on June 28, 2024, has been updated to reflect National Medal of Honor Day.
