President Barack Obama to Open 'AMERICA THE STORY OF US' Series on HISTORY(TM)

NEW YORK, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama will introduce AMERICA THE STORY OF US, a new 12-hour series on HISTORY™, sharing reflections on the spirit and resilience that continue to shape our country.  The President's remarks will open the premiere episode on Sunday, April 25, at 9pm ET. New episodes of AMERICA THE STORY OF US air on Sundays through Memorial Day, covering 400 years of our nation's history.

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The President will say that the turning points in American history "remind us that our American story has never been inevitable.  It was made possible by ordinary people who kept their moral compass pointed straight and true when the way seemed treacherous; when the climb seemed steep; and when the future seemed uncertain. People who recognized a fundamental part of our American character: that we can remake ourselves -- and our nation -- to fit our larger dreams."

Nancy Dubuc, President & General Manager of HISTORY, said, "It's an honor to launch our new epic series about the making of America with the personal reflections of our President – a leader whose own path marks an important chapter in our nation's ongoing story. Our hope is that by reliving the great moments of our history, Americans will reconnect with the spirit that made us who we are and will better appreciate how we all participate in creating our history every day."

AMERICA THE STORY OF US, the largest programming event the network has ever undertaken, tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented, looking at the moments where Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress -- from the rigors of linking the continent by transcontinental railroad, the internet of its day, to triumphing over vertical space through construction of steel structured buildings. The series is also a story of conflict -- with Native American peoples, slavery, the revolutionary war that birthed the nation, the Civil War that divided it and the great world war that shaped its future.

AMERICA THE STORY OF US also includes the most extensive education initiative History has ever launched in association with a broadcast.  The full series will be made available on DVD to every school and accredited college in the country, and additional educational resources and grant contests will be offered to students, faculty and institutions. Resources for teachers will be created in collaboration with the Library of Congress.

AMERICA THE STORY OF US is produced for HISTORY by Nutopia, a new production company started by Jane Root, former President of Discovery Channel. Prior to that Jane ran BBC2, and was a founder of the production company Wall to Wall Television. Jane Root is Executive Producer, Michael Jackson is co-Executive Producer and Ben Goold is Series Showrunner. For HISTORY, Nancy Dubuc, David McKillop and Julian P. Hobbs are Executive Producers.

HISTORY™ and HISTORY HD™ are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as Ax Men, Battle 360, How The Earth Was Made, Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars and The Universe, as well as acclaimed specials including 102 Minutes That Changed America, 1968 with Tom Brokaw, King, Life After People, Nostradamus: 2012, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed and WWII in HD. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, seven Primetime Emmy® Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History® campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's latest initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY web site, located at www.history.com, is the definitive historical online source that delivers entertaining and informative content featuring broadband video, interactive timelines, maps, games and more.

SOURCE HISTORY(TM)