1847 – The California Gold Rush
In a valley in northern California on January 24, 1847, a man named James Marshall discovered flakes of gold in a creek at a place called Sutter’s Mill. That di…
Explore this lecture
History · Literature · The human story
Explore the personalities and events that have shaped our world, through the stories Ken Sorensen loves to tell.
There’s always another story worth knowing.
116 lectures to exploreThe lecture collection
Discover a familiar name, an unexpected connection, or a topic for your next program. Browse by subject or find a lecture suited to a particular month.
In a valley in northern California on January 24, 1847, a man named James Marshall discovered flakes of gold in a creek at a place called Sutter’s Mill. That di…
Explore this lectureDuring the developmental century of the founding of our country, there were very distinctive voices that spoke of a people trying to find their identity. Some o…
Explore this lectureA year of tragedy in a decade of turmoil. The 1960s changed how America viewed the world. One of those years, 1968, was heart wrenching. With the assassinations…
Explore this lectureAs we started this century, some very distinctive American voices began to take shape. Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller and other Transcendentalists let it be known tha…
Explore this lectureDuring the first two decades of the new century, our nation struggled with development and then with war. When the 1920s began, many were disillusioned with the…
Explore this lectureFrom the most humble of beginnings, Abraham Lincoln rose to the pinnacle of achievement; not only in politics but also in the hearts of Americans. Elected at a …
Explore this lectureOn December 7th, 1941, the world changed for America. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The next day, President Roosevelt declared war. In response to the attack, Ad…
Explore this lectureThese two men will be forever tied together because of the duel. Both created lasting impressions and both made people wonder about them. Both had friends in hi…
Explore this lectureFor someone who wrote such incredible stories, how close did fiction replicate the truth? This Alexandre had his father die when he was 4. The father was a bani…
Explore this lectureHe came from a working family in Baltimore. He had a rugged youth so that he was left in a Baltimore orphanage to be raised. It became obvious that he was talen…
Explore this lectureMore than the kite. Most know of the story of the kite. It is a great story and scientifically put Franklin at the lead of his generation. But, he was also an a…
Explore this lectureShe came from a background that wouldn’t have implied greatness. She was very persistent and maybe that was the first clue as to how she would be in her life. …
Explore this lectureThe complete collection · Alphabetical by title
Meet your storyteller
Understanding people brings their stories—and their world—to life.
Not quite an Arizona native, Ken Sorensen moved here with his family as a young child. He grew up in Glendale and attended high school and junior college there. As Ken married and started a family, he worked in construction equipment related jobs until an economic downturn hit the Valley of the Sun. Being unemployed, Ken and his young family made the sacrifices necessary for him to return to school. He completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and began teaching high school; a life-long dream. Ken is certified to teach both history and English and, during a 30-year career in education, has taught high school in two states. He also taught junior college at both Mesa and Chandler-Gilbert Community Colleges for 12 of those years. Ken has always taught with a humanities approach believing that if we understand who people are and what their motives are, we will more likely understand what they have written.
In the summer of 2005, Ken won a scholarship to attend Exeter College in Oxford, England for a summer term of graduate studies. That experience changed his life. Ken was able to experience things he had read about and taught all his life. In 2013, Ken was honored to be elected Teacher of the Year by the Mesa Arizona Chamber of Commerce following a student’s recommendation.
Ken is an avid reader and has an extensive collection of books. He also enjoys woodworking and has made children’s furniture, inlaid clocks, and finely crafted pens and pencils.
Ken lives in Gilbert with his wife Susan. They have seven children and many grandchildren.
Upcoming events
Browse the calendar for upcoming topics, dates, and locations. Open an event to see its details.
For questions about attending or arranging a lecture, please contact Ken directly.
Open Google CalendarCalendar times are shown in Arizona time. If the calendar doesn’t load, open it in Google Calendar.
Bring a story to your audience
Please feel free to reach out to Ken to discuss a topic, ask about his schedule, or arrange a lecture.