the greatest speech in history

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10 famous speeches in history that continue to stand the test of time

A great speech is something that combines persuasive writing, a comfort with public speaking , and a meaningful message to create an impression greater than the sum of its parts. There’s no one set of rules to govern the ideal speech, and plenty of people struggle with them even with teams of experts to help them out — just see the majority of speeches given by politicians. But once in a while, a truly great speaker and a truly great speech come together to create something that stands out and withstands the test of time, carrying meaning with it through generations even to those who weren’t yet born when it was given.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Demosthenes, queen elizabeth i, george washington, abraham lincoln, chief joseph, winston churchill, john f. kennedy, barack obama, more famous speeches to inspire you.

Great speeches are more than just rhetorical flourish or impressive performance — they’re also calls to action, able to persuade and embolden the listener. These speeches can be inspiring, informative, and instructive, whether you’re interested in learning more about history or working on a speech of your own .

We’ve rounded up 10 of history’s greatest speeches, including excerpts so you can learn about how the power of a great speech can last for years.

1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. ‘s I Have a Dream speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, is one of the finest pieces of oratory in human history. It blended masterful, rich language with the oratorical technique of repetition and it was utterly fearless.

King would be dead by an assassin’s bullet less than five years after delivering his most famous speech. His words were no mere rhetoric; they were an affirmation of the value of human life and the expression of a cause for which he would give his own.

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ … “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

341 BCE ‘Third Philippic’

Though you may not have heard of the Athenian orator Demosthenes, consider the fact that one of history’s most famed speakers of all time, Cicero, cited his ancient forebear 300 years later. Demosthenes’ Third Philippic , so-called because it was the third speech he gave devoted to convincing his fellow Athenians to take up arms against the encroaching forces of Phillip of Macedon, literally led men to war. At the end of his speech, delivered in 341 BCE, the Athenian Assembly moved at once against their rival, spurred on by lines damning the past inaction of his fellow citizens:

“You are in your present plight because you do not do any part of your duty, small or great; for of course, if you were doing all that you should do, and were still in this evil case, you could not even hope for any improvement. As it is, Philip has conquered your indolence and your indifference; but he has not conquered Athens. You have not been vanquished, you have never even stirred.

1588 ‘Spanish Armada’ speech t o the troops at Tilbury

In 1588, English monarch Queen Elizabeth I gave one of the manliest speeches in history, even at one point, putting down her own body for being female. As the “mighty” Spanish Armada, a flotilla of some 130 ships, sailed toward Britain with plans of invasion, the queen delivered a rousing address at Tilbury, Essex, England. As it turned out, a storm and some navigational errors took care of the Spanish warships for the most part. Still, it was a bold speech that helped bolster a nation. This speech also made Queen Elizabeth famous for the armor she wore in front of her troops.

“I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm: To which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.”

1783 Resignation speech

To grasp the true power of George Washington ‘s resignation as the commander-in-chief of the U.S. military (then known as the Continental Army) on December 23, 1783, you have to go beyond the words themselves and appreciate the context. Washington was in no way obliged to resign his commission, but did so willingly and even gladly, just as he would later refuse a third term as president of the nation, establishing a precedent honored into the 1940s and thereafter enshrined in law. Despite being the most powerful man in the fledgling military and then becoming the most powerful man in the United States, the staid and humble Washington was never hungry for power for himself; he just happened to be the best man for the job(s).

Even in his last address as leader of the nation’s armed forces, Washington made it all about America, and not about himself:

“Happy in the confirmation of our Independence and Sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable Nation, I resign with satisfaction the Appointment I accepted with diffidence. A diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task, which however was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our Cause, the support of the Supreme Power of the Union, and the patronage of Heaven.”

1863 ‘Gettysburg Address’

There’s a reason many people consider the Gettysburg Address to be the best speech in American history: It probably is. In just 275 words on November 19, 1863, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, President Abraham Lincoln managed to express the following sentiments:

• America is both a place and a concept, both of which are worth fighting.
• Fighting is horrible, but losing is worse.
• We have no intention of losing.

Ironically, one line in Lincoln’s speech proved to be laughably inaccurate. Midway through the speech, he humbly said: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.” In fact, the world continues to remember his brief yet very stirring address.

“In a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract …

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

1877 Surrender speech

On October 5, 1877, Nez Perce tribe leader Chief Joseph delivered a short, impromptu, and wrenching speech that many see as the lamentation of the end of an era for Native Americans and the lands that were stolen from them. Overtaken by the United States Army during a desperate multi-week retreat toward Canada, Chief Joseph surrendered to General Howard with this bleak, moving message:

“I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say, ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ He who led the young men [Olikut] is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are — perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”

1939 ‘Luckiest Man’ speech

No one wants a deadly disease named after them, but that’s what happened to baseball legend Lou Gehrig , who died at 37 after a brief battle with ALS, commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.” Following a career in which the Hall of Fame player earned many of baseball’s top honors and awards, Gehrig delivered one of the most touching speeches of the 20th century, a speech in which he brought comfort to those mourning his illness even as his health fell apart.

In essence, Gehrig told people not to worry about one dying man, but instead to celebrate all life had to offer as he listed all the wonderful things that occurred in his own life. In so doing, he brought solace to many and created a model of selflessness. Gehrig delivered this short speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939.

“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for 17  years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans … “So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.”

1940 ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’ speech

Winston Churchill delivered many superlative speeches in his day, including the 1946 address that created the term “Iron Curtain” to describe the boundary of Britain’s recent ally, the Soviet Union, and a 1940 speech praising the heroism of the British Royal Air Force in which he uttered the line: “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

But it was his bold and bolstering speech delivered on June 4, 1940, to the British Parliament’s House of Commons — commonly referred to as We Shall Fight on the Beaches — that most exemplifies the famed leader. These were more than just words — these were a promise to his nation that they were all in the fight wholeheartedly together and it was a heads-up to the Axis powers that attacking the Brits had been a bad idea.

“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

1961 inaugural address

Much of President John F. Kennedy ‘s pithy 1,366-word inaugural address, delivered on January 20, 1961, was well-written and meaningful, but as often happens, his speech has stood the test of time thanks to one perfect phrase. Amidst an address filled with both hope and dire warnings (“Man holds in his hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life,” the latter being a clear reference to atomic weapons), he issued a direct appeal to Americans everywhere to stand up for their country. You know the line:

“And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address

When our future president – then a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Illinois – Barack Obama delivered a 17-minute speech on the evening of July 27, 2004, at the Democratic National Convention endorsing presidential candidate John Kerry, the personal trajectory of one man and the history of an entire nation shifted dramatically. Already an up-and-coming politician gaining traction in his home state of Illinois, Obama’s keynote address that night transformed him into a national figure and paved the way for his journey to becoming the first POTUS of color. What was it about the speech that so moved the country?

Partly, it was simply the excellent writing, most of which Obama handled himself. Perhaps more so, it was the message of the speech, which spoke to the “abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.” In short, Obama reminded us of who we were supposed to be as citizens of this nation. And for a flickering moment, many of us heard him.

“There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America. There’s not a Black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America … “We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or do we participate in a politics of hope?”

While we’ve taken an in-depth look at some of history’s most famous speeches, the list goes much further than those 10. Here are a few more great speeches that helped shape history that still have the power to inspire.

• 1941 – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt – Day of Infamy speech – Roosevelt’s address to Congress on December 8, 1941, came the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s best known for its opening line: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” The speech spurred Congress to declare war on Japan and thrust the U.S. into World War II.
• 1933 – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt – First Inaugural Address – Considering FDR served four terms during the end of the Great Depression and through World War II, it stands to reason that he would have some pretty famous speeches. His first inaugural address from 1933 is also remembered for one powerful line. As he discussed his plan to pull the country out of the Great Depression, he uttered this iconic line: “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is … fear itself.”
• 1986 – President Ronald Reagan – Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger – when Reagan addressed the country on the night of January 28, 1986, the U.S. was reeling from seeing the Space Shuttle Challenger explode, just seconds after launch, killing the crew, which included Christa McAuliffe, who was to be NASA’s first teacher in space. Reagan was to have delivered his State of the Union speech to Congress that night but canceled it in the wake of the Challenger disaster. The speech included these memorable words of condolence: “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.'”
• 2001 – President George W. Bush – Address to the nation after 9/11 –  The morning of September 11, 2001, Bush was at a Florida elementary school to meet with children. He would have no idea that the day would end with him addressing the country after the horrific terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon. That night, Bush gave the country words of hope, saying that the attacks did nothing to damage the American spirit. “Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts,” Bush said. “The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.”

We hope you’re feeling more inspired and determined to make your own history after perusing this list. For more historical inspiration, check out ten of our favorite Black History films , a list of fantastic history books to read , a group of iconic photographs of people who changed history , and seven amazing books documenting LGBTQ+ history — not to mention the importance of historical heroes who have been often overlooked . However you intend to change your present and future, we wish you nothing but the best of luck.

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10 of the Most Famous and Inspirational Speeches from History

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

What makes a great and iconic speech? There are numerous examples of brilliant orators and speechmakers throughout history, from classical times to the present day. What the best speeches tend to have in common are more than just a solid intellectual argument: they have emotive power, or, for want of a more scholarly word, ‘heart’. Great speeches rouse us to action, or move us to tears – or both.

But of course, historic speeches are often also associated with landmark, or watershed, moments in a nation’s history: when Churchill delivered his series of wartime speeches to Britain in 1940, it was against the backdrop of a war which was still in its early, uncertain stages. And when Martin Luther King stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, he was addressing a crowd who, like him, were marching for justice, freedom, and civil rights for African Americans.

Let’s take a closer look at ten of the best and most famous speeches from great moments in history.

Abraham Lincoln, ‘ Gettysburg Address ’ (1863).

The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches in American history, yet it was extremely short – just 268 words, or less than a page of text – and Abraham Lincoln, who gave the address, wasn’t even the top billing .

The US President Abraham Lincoln gave this short address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on 19 November 1863. At the time, the American Civil War was still raging, and the Battle of Gettysburg had been the bloodiest battle in the war, with an estimated 23,000 casualties.

Lincoln’s speech has been remembered while Edward Everett’s – the main speech delivered on that day – has long been forgotten because Lincoln eschewed the high-flown allusions and wordy style of most political orators of the nineteenth century. Instead, he addresses his audience in plain, homespun English that is immediately relatable and accessible.

Sojourner Truth, ‘ Ain’t I a Woman? ’ (1851).

Sometimes known as ‘Ar’n’t I a Woman?’, this is a speech which Sojourner Truth, a freed African slave living in the United States, delivered in 1851 at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. The women in attendance were being challenged to call for the right to vote.

In her speech, Sojourner Truth attempts to persuade the audience to give women the vote . As both an ex-slave and a woman, Sojourner Truth knew about the plight of both groups of people in the United States. Her speech shows her audience the times: change is coming, and it is time to give women the rights that should be theirs.

John Ball, ‘ Cast off the Yoke of Bondage ’ (1381).

The summer of 1381 was a time of unrest in England. The so-called ‘Peasants’ Revolt’, led by Wat Tyler (in actual fact, many of the leaders of the revolt were more well-to-do than your average peasant), gathered force until the rebels stormed London, executing a number of high-ranking officials, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor, Simon Sudbury.

Alongside Tyler, the priest John Ball was an important leading figure of the rebellion. His famous couplet, ‘When Adam delved and Eve span, / Who was then the gentleman?’ sums up the ethos of the Peasants’ Revolt: social inequality was unheard of until men created it.

Winston Churchill, ‘ We Shall Fight on the Beaches ’ (1940).

Winston Churchill had only recently assumed the role of UK Prime Minister when he gave the trio of wartime speeches which have gone down in history for their rhetorical skill and emotive power. This, for our money, is the best of the three.

Churchill gave this speech in the House of Commons on 4 June 1940. Having brought his listeners up to speed with what has happened, Churchill comes to the peroration of his speech : by far the most famous part. He reassures them that if nothing is neglected and all arrangements are made, he sees no reason why Britain cannot once more defend itself against invasion: something which, as an island nation, it has always been susceptible to by sea, and now by air.

Even if it takes years, and even if Britain must defend itself alone without any help from its allies, this is what must happen. Capitulation to the Nazis is not an option. The line ‘if necessary for years; if necessary, alone’ is sure to send a shiver down the spine, as is the way Churchill barks ‘we shall never surrender!’ in the post-war recording of the speech he made several years later.

William Faulkner, ‘ The Agony and the Sweat ’ (1950).

This is the title sometimes given to one of the most memorable Nobel Prize acceptance speeches: the American novelist William Faulkner’s acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature at Stockholm in 1950.

In his speech, Faulkner makes his famous statement about the ‘duty’ of writers: that they should write about ‘the human heart in conflict with itself’, as well as emotions and themes such as compassion, sacrifice, courage, and hope. He also emphasises that being a writer is hard work, and involves understanding human nature in all its complexity. But good writing should also remind readers what humankind is capable of.

Emmeline Pankhurst, ‘ The Plight of Women ’ (1908).

Pankhurst (1858-1928) was the leader of the British suffragettes, campaigning – and protesting – for votes for women. After she realised that Asquith’s Liberal government were unlikely to grand women the vote, the Women’s Social and Political Union, founded by Pankhurst with her daughter Christabel, turned to more militant tactics to shift public and parliamentary opinion.

Her emphasis in this speech is on the unhappy lot most women could face, in marriage and in motherhood. She also shows how ‘man-made’ the laws of England are, when they are biased in favour of men to the detriment of women’s rights.

This speech was given at the Portman Rooms in London in 1908; ten years later, towards the end of the First World War, women over 30 were finally given the vote. But it would be another ten years, in 1928 – the year of Pankhurst’s death – before the voting age for women was equal to that for men (21 years).

Franklin Roosevelt, ‘ The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself ’ (1933).

This is the title by which Roosevelt’s speech at his inauguration in 1933 has commonly become known, and it has attained the status of a proverb. Roosevelt was elected only a few years after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 which ushered in the Great Depression.

Roosevelt’s famous line in the speech, which offered hope to millions of Americans dealing with unemployment and poverty, was probably inspired by a line from Henry David Thoreau, a copy of whose writings FDR had been gifted shortly before his inauguration. The line about having nothing to fear except fear itself was, in fact, only added into the speech the day before the inauguration took place, but it ensured that the speech went down in history.

Marcus Tullius Cicero, ‘ Among Us You Can Dwell No Longer ’ (63 BC).

Of all of the great classical orators, perhaps the greatest of all was the Roman statesman, philosopher, and speechmaker, Cicero (whose name literally means ‘chickpea’).

This is probably his best-known speech. At the Temple of Jupiter in Rome, Cicero addressed the crowd, but specifically directed his comments towards Lucius Catiline, who was accused of plotting a conspiracy to set fire to the capital and stage and insurrection. The speech was considered such a fine example of Roman rhetoric that it was a favourite in classrooms for centuries after, as Brian MacArthur notes in The Penguin Book of Historic Speeches .

Queen Elizabeth I, ‘ The Heart and Stomach of a King ’ (1588).

Queen Elizabeth I’s speech to the troops at Tilbury is among the most famous and iconic speeches in English history. On 9 August 1588, Elizabeth addressed the land forces which had been mobilised at the port of Tilbury in Essex, in preparation for the expected invasion of England by the Spanish Armada.

When she gave this speech, Elizabeth was in her mid-fifties and her youthful beauty had faded. But she had learned rhetoric as a young princess, and this training served her well when she wrote and delivered this speech (she was also a fairly accomplished poet ).

She famously tells her troops: ‘I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too’. She acknowledged the fact that her body was naturally less masculine and strong than the average man’s, but it is not mere physical strength that will win the day. It is courage that matters.

Martin Luther King, ‘ I Have a Dream ’ (1963).

Let’s conclude this selection of the best inspirational speeches with the best-known of all of Martin Luther King’s speeches. The occasion for this piece of oratorical grandeur was the march on Washington , which saw some 210,000 men, women, and children gather at the Washington Monument in August 1963, before marching to the Lincoln Memorial. King reportedly stayed up until 4am the night before he was due to give the speech, writing it out.

King’s speech imagines a collective vision of a better and more equal America which is not only shared by many Black Americans, but by anyone who identifies with their fight against racial injustice, segregation, and discrimination.

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40 famous persuasive speeches you need to hear.

Written by Kai Xin Koh

Across eras of calamity and peace in our world’s history, a great many leaders, writers, politicians, theorists, scientists, activists and other revolutionaries have unveiled powerful rousing speeches in their bids for change. In reviewing the plethora of orators across tides of social, political and economic change, we found some truly rousing speeches that brought the world to their feet or to a startling, necessary halt. We’ve chosen 40 of the most impactful speeches we managed to find from agents of change all over the world – a diversity of political campaigns, genders, positionalities and periods of history. You’re sure to find at least a few speeches in this list which will capture you with the sheer power of their words and meaning!

1. I have a dream by MLK

“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification – one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”

Unsurprisingly, Martin Luther King’s speech comes up top as the most inspiring speech of all time, especially given the harrowing conditions of African Americans in America at the time. In the post-abolition era when slavery was outlawed constitutionally, African Americans experienced an intense period of backlash from white supremacists who supported slavery where various institutional means were sought to subordinate African American people to positions similar to that of the slavery era. This later came to be known as the times of Jim Crow and segregation, which Martin Luther King powerfully voiced his vision for a day when racial discrimination would be a mere figment, where equality would reign.

2. Tilbury Speech by Queen Elizabeth I

“My loving people, We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.”

While at war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth I was most renowned for her noble speech rallying the English troops against their comparatively formidable opponent. Using brilliant rhetorical devices like metonymy, meronymy, and other potent metaphors, she voiced her deeply-held commitment as a leader to the battle against the Spanish Armada – convincing the English army to keep holding their ground and upholding the sacrifice of war for the good of their people. Eventually against all odds, she led England to victory despite their underdog status in the conflict with her confident and masterful oratory.

3. Woodrow Wilson, address to Congress (April 2, 1917)

“The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them. Just because we fight without rancor and without selfish object, seeking nothing for ourselves but what we shall wish to share with all free peoples, we shall, I feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without passion and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of right and of fair play we profess to be fighting for. … It will be all the easier for us to conduct ourselves as belligerents in a high spirit of right and fairness because we act without animus, not in enmity toward a people or with the desire to bring any injury or disadvantage upon them, but only in armed opposition to an irresponsible government which has thrown aside all considerations of humanity and of right and is running amuck. We are, let me say again, the sincere friends of the German people, and shall desire nothing so much as the early reestablishment of intimate relations of mutual advantage between us—however hard it may be for them, for the time being, to believe that this is spoken from our hearts. We have borne with their present government through all these bitter months because of that friendship—exercising a patience and forbearance which would otherwise have been impossible. We shall, happily, still have an opportunity to prove that friendship in our daily attitude and actions toward the millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathy who live among us and share our life, and we shall be proud to prove it toward all who are in fact loyal to their neighbors and to the government in the hour of test. They are, most of them, as true and loyal Americans as if they had never known any other fealty or allegiance. They will be prompt to stand with us in rebuking and restraining the few who may be of a different mind and purpose. If there should be disloyalty, it will be dealt with with a firm hand of stern repression; but, if it lifts its head at all, it will lift it only here and there and without countenance except from a lawless and malignant few. It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.”

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the USA delivered his address to Congress, calling for declaration of war against what was at the time, a belligerent and aggressive Germany in WWI. Despite his isolationism and anti-war position earlier in his tenure as president, he convinced Congress that America had a moral duty to the world to step out of their neutral observer status into an active role of world leadership and stewardship in order to liberate attacked nations from their German aggressors. The idealistic values he preached in his speech left an indelible imprint upon the American spirit and self-conception, forming the moral basis for the country’s people and aspirational visions to this very day.

4. Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth

“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman? … If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”

Hailing from a background of slavery and oppression, Sojourner Truth was one of the most revolutionary advocates for women’s human rights in the 1800s. In spite of the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827, her slavemaster refused to free her. As such, she fled, became an itinerant preacher and leading figure in the anti-slavery movement. By the 1850s, she became involved in the women’s rights movement as well. At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, she delivered her illuminating, forceful speech against discrimination of women and African Americans in the post-Civil War era, entrenching her status as one of the most revolutionary abolitionists and women’s rights activists across history.

5. The Gettsyburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

“Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

President Abraham Lincoln had left the most lasting legacy upon American history for good reason, as one of the presidents with the moral courage to denounce slavery for the national atrocity it was. However, more difficult than standing up for the anti-slavery cause was the task of unifying the country post-abolition despite the looming shadows of a time when white Americans could own and subjugate slaves with impunity over the thousands of Americans who stood for liberation of African Americans from discrimination. He urged Americans to remember their common roots, heritage and the importance of “charity for all”, to ensure a “just and lasting peace” among within the country despite throes of racial division and self-determination.

6. Woman’s Rights to the Suffrage by Susan B Anthony

“For any State to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people is to pass a bill of attainder, or an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of the supreme law of the land. By it the blessings of liberty are for ever withheld from women and their female posterity. To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the right govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household–which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord and rebellion into every home of the nation. Webster, Worcester and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office. The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as in every one against Negroes.”

Susan B. Anthony was a pivotal leader in the women’s suffrage movement who helped to found the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and fight for the constitutional right for women to vote. She courageously and relentlessly advocated for women’s rights, giving speeches all over the USA to convince people of women’s human rights to choice and the ballot. She is most well known for her act of righteous rebellion in 1872 when she voted in the presidential election illegally, for which she was arrested and tried unsuccessfully. She refused to pay the $100 fine in a bid to reject the demands of the American system she denounced as a ‘hateful oligarchy of sex’, sparking change with her righteous oratory and inspiring many others in the women’s suffrage movement within and beyond America.

7. Vladimir Lenin’s Speech at an International Meeting in Berne, February 8, 1916

“It may sound incredible, especially to Swiss comrades, but it is nevertheless true that in Russia, also, not only bloody tsarism, not only the capitalists, but also a section of the so-called or ex-Socialists say that Russia is fighting a “war of defence,” that Russia is only fighting against German invasion. The whole world knows, however, that for decades tsarism has been oppressing more than a hundred million people belonging to other nationalities in Russia; that for decades Russia has been pursuing a predatory policy towards China, Persia, Armenia and Galicia. Neither Russia, nor Germany, nor any other Great Power has the right to claim that it is waging a “war of defence”; all the Great Powers are waging an imperialist, capitalist war, a predatory war, a war for the oppression of small and foreign nations, a war for the sake of the profits of the capitalists, who are coining golden profits amounting to billions out of the appalling sufferings of the masses, out of the blood of the proletariat. … This again shows you, comrades, that in all countries of the world real preparations are being made to rally the forces of the working class. The horrors of war and the sufferings of the people are incredible. But we must not, and we have no reason whatever, to view the future with despair. The millions of victims who will fall in the war, and as a consequence of the war, will not fall in vain. The millions who are starving, the millions who are sacrificing their lives in the trenches, are not only suffering, they are also gathering strength, are pondering over the real cause of the war, are becoming more determined and are acquiring a clearer revolutionary understanding. Rising discontent of the masses, growing ferment, strikes, demonstrations, protests against the war—all this is taking place in all countries of the world. And this is the guarantee that the European War will be followed by the proletarian revolution against capitalism”

Vladimir Lenin remains to this day one of the most lauded communist revolutionaries in the world who brought the dangers of imperialism and capitalism to light with his rousing speeches condemning capitalist structures of power which inevitably enslave people to lives of misery and class stratification. In his genuine passion for the rights of the working class, he urged fellow comrades to turn the “imperialist war” into a “civil” or class war of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. He encouraged the development of new revolutionary socialist organisations, solidarity across places in society so people could unite against their capitalist overlords, and criticised nationalism for its divisive effect on the socialist movement. In this speech especially, he lambasts “bloody Tsarism” for its oppression of millions of people of other nationalities in Russia, calling for the working class people to revolt against the Tsarist authority for the proletariat revolution to succeed and liberate them from class oppression.

8. I Have A Dream Speech by Mary Wollstonecraft

“If, I say, for I would not impress by declamation when Reason offers her sober light, if they be really capable of acting like rational creatures, let them not be treated like slaves; or, like the brutes who are dependent on the reason of man, when they associate with him; but cultivate their minds, give them the salutary, sublime curb of principle, and let them attain conscious dignity by feeling themselves only dependent on God. Teach them, in common with man, to submit to necessity, instead of giving, to render them more pleasing, a sex to morals. Further, should experience prove that they cannot attain the same degree of strength of mind, perseverance, and fortitude, let their virtues be the same in kind, though they may vainly struggle for the same degree; and the superiority of man will be equally clear, if not clearer; and truth, as it is a simple principle, which admits of no modification, would be common to both. Nay, the order of society as it is at present regulated would not be inverted, for woman would then only have the rank that reason assigned her, and arts could not be practised to bring the balance even, much less to turn it.”

In her vindication of the rights of women, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the pioneers of the feminist movement back in 1792 who not only theorised and advocated revolutionarily, but gave speeches that voiced these challenges against a dominantly sexist society intent on classifying women as irrational less-than-human creatures to be enslaved as they were. In this landmark speech, she pronounces her ‘dream’ of a day when women would be treated as the rational, deserving humans they are, who are equal to man in strength and capability. With this speech setting an effective precedent for her call to equalize women before the law, she also went on to champion the provision of equal educational opportunities to women and girls, and persuasively argued against the patriarchal gender norms which prevented women from finding their own lot in life through their being locked into traditional institutions of marriage and motherhood against their will.

9. First Inaugural Speech by Franklin D Roosevelt

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. … More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly. … I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken Nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption. But in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis — broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.”

Roosevelt’s famous inaugural speech was delivered in the midst of a period of immense tension and strain under the Great Depression, where he highlighted the need for ‘quick action’ by Congress to prepare for government expansion in his pursuit of reforms to lift the American people out of devastating poverty. In a landslide victory, he certainly consolidated the hopes and will of the American people through this compelling speech.

10. The Hypocrisy of American Slavery by Frederick Douglass

“What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy – a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour. Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”

On 4 July 1852, Frederick Douglass gave this speech in Rochester, New York, highlighting the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while slavery continues. He exposed the ‘revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy’ of slavery which had gone unabolished amidst the comparatively obscene celebration of independence and liberty with his potent speech and passion for the anti-abolition cause. After escaping from slavery, he went on to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York with his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. To this day, his fierce activism and devotion to exposing virulent racism for what it was has left a lasting legacy upon pro-Black social movements and the overall sociopolitical landscape of America.

11. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.”

With her iconic poem Still I Rise , Maya Angelou is well-known for uplifting fellow African American women through her empowering novels and poetry and her work as a civil rights activist. Every bit as lyrical on the page, her recitation of Still I Rise continues to give poetry audiences shivers all over the world, inspiring women of colour everywhere to keep the good faith in striving for equality and peace, while radically believing in and empowering themselves to be agents of change. A dramatic reading of the poem will easily showcase the self-belief, strength and punch that it packs in the last stanza on the power of resisting marginalization.

12. Their Finest Hour by Winston Churchill

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.””

In the darkest shadows cast by war, few leaders have been able to step up to the mantle and effectively unify millions of citizens for truly sacrificial causes. Winston Churchill was the extraordinary exception – lifting 1940 Britain out of the darkness with his hopeful, convicted rhetoric to galvanise the English amidst bleak, dreary days of war and loss. Through Britain’s standalone position in WWII against the Nazis, he left his legacy by unifying the nation under shared sacrifices of the army and commemorating their courage.

13. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

“Life for both sexes – and I looked at them (through a restaurant window while waiting for my lunch to be served), shouldering their way along the pavement – is arduous, difficult, a perpetual struggle. It calls for gigantic courage and strength. More than anything, perhaps, creatures of illusion as we are, it calls for confidence in oneself. Without self-confidence we are babes in the cradle. And how can we generate this imponderable quality, which is yet so invaluable, most quickly? By thinking that other people are inferior to oneself. By feeling that one has some innate superiority – it may be wealth, or rank, a straight nose, or the portrait of a grandfather by Romney – for there is no end to the pathetic devices of the human imagination – over other people. Hence the enormous importance to a patriarch who has to conquer, who has to rule, of feeling that great numbers of people, half the human race indeed, are by nature inferior to himself. It must indeed be one of the great sources of his power….Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. Without that power probably the earth would still be swamp and jungle. The glories of all our wars would be on the remains of mutton bones and bartering flints for sheepskins or whatever simple ornament took our unsophisticated taste. Supermen and Fingers of Destiny would never have existed. The Czar and the Kaiser would never have worn their crowns or lost them. Whatever may be their use in civilised societies, mirrors are essential to all violent and heroic action. That is why Napoleon and Mussolini both insist so emphatically upon the inferiority of women, for if they were not inferior, they would cease to enlarge. That serves to explain in part the necessity that women so often are to men. And it serves to explain how restless they are under her criticism; how impossible it is for her to say to them this book is bad, this picture is feeble, or whatever it may be, without giving far more pain and rousing far more anger than a man would do who gave the same criticism. For if she begins to tell the truth, the figure in the looking-glass shrinks; his fitness in life is diminished. How is he to go on giving judgment, civilising natives, making laws, writing books, dressing up and speechifying at banquets, unless he can see himself at breakfast and at dinner at least twice the size he really is?”

In this transformational speech , Virginia Woolf pronounces her vision that ‘a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction’. She calls out the years in which women have been deprived of their own space for individual development through being chained to traditional arrangements or men’s prescriptions – demanding ‘gigantic courage’ and ‘confidence in oneself’ to brave through the onerous struggle of creating change for women’s rights. With her steadfast, stolid rhetoric and radical theorization, she paved the way for many women’s rights activists and writers to forge their own paths against patriarchal authority.

14. Inaugural Address by John F Kennedy

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility–I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it–and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

For what is probably the most historically groundbreaking use of parallelism in speech across American history, President JFK placed the weighty task of ‘asking what one can do for their country’ onto the shoulders of each American citizen. Using an air of firmness in his rhetoric by declaring his commitment to his countrymen, he urges each American to do the same for the broader, noble ideal of freedom for all. With his crucial interrogation of a citizen’s moral duty to his nation, President JFK truly made history.

15. Atoms for Peace Speech by Dwight Eisenhower

“To pause there would be to confirm the hopeless finality of a belief that two atomic colossi are doomed malevolently to eye each other indefinitely across a trembling world. To stop there would be to accept helplessly the probability of civilization destroyed, the annihilation of the irreplaceable heritage of mankind handed down to us from generation to generation, and the condemnation of mankind to begin all over again the age-old struggle upward from savagery towards decency, and right, and justice. Surely no sane member of the human race could discover victory in such desolation. Could anyone wish his name to be coupled by history with such human degradation and destruction?Occasional pages of history do record the faces of the “great destroyers”, but the whole book of history reveals mankind’s never-ending quest for peace and mankind’s God-given capacity to build. It is with the book of history, and not with isolated pages, that the United States will ever wish to be identified. My country wants to be constructive,not destructive. It wants agreements, not wars, among nations. It wants itself to live in freedom and in the confidence that the peoples of every other nation enjoy equally the right of choosing their own way of life. So my country’s purpose is to help us to move out of the dark chamber of horrors into the light, to find a way by which the minds of men, the hopes of men, the souls of men everywhere, can move forward towards peace and happiness and well-being.”

On a possibility as frightful and tense as nuclear war, President Eisenhower managed to convey the gravity of the world’s plight in his measured and persuasive speech centred on the greater good of mankind. Using rhetorical devices such as the three-part paratactical syntax which most world leaders are fond of for ingraining their words in the minds of their audience, he centers the discourse of the atomic bomb on those affected by such a world-changing decision in ‘the minds, hopes and souls of men everywhere’ – effectively putting the vivid image of millions of people’s fates at stake in the minds of his audience. Being able to make a topic as heavy and fraught with moral conflict as this as eloquent as he did, Eisenhower definitely ranks among some of the most skilled orators to date.

16. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action by Audre Lorde

“I was going to die, if not sooner then later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. But for every real word spoken, for every attempt I had ever made to speak those truths for which I am still seeking, I had made contact with other women while we examined the words to fit a world in which we all believed, bridging our differences. What are the words you do not have yet? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence? Perhaps for some of you here today, I am the face of one of your fears. Because I am a woman, because I am black, because I am myself, a black woman warrior poet doing my work, come to ask you, are you doing yours?”

Revolutionary writer, feminist and civil rights activist Audre Lorde first delivered this phenomenal speech at Lesbian and Literature panel of the Modern Language Association’s December 28, 1977 meeting, which went on to feature permanently in her writings for its sheer wisdom and truth. Her powerful writing and speech about living on the margins of society has enlightened millions of people discriminated across various intersections, confronting them with the reality that they must speak – since their ‘silence will not protect’ them from further marginalization. Through her illuminating words and oratory, she has reminded marginalized persons of the importance of their selfhood and the radical capacity for change they have in a world blighted by prejudice and division.

17. 1965 Cambridge Union Hall Speech by James Baldwin

“What is dangerous here is the turning away from – the turning away from – anything any white American says. The reason for the political hesitation, in spite of the Johnson landslide is that one has been betrayed by American politicians for so long. And I am a grown man and perhaps I can be reasoned with. I certainly hope I can be. But I don’t know, and neither does Martin Luther King, none of us know how to deal with those other people whom the white world has so long ignored, who don’t believe anything the white world says and don’t entirely believe anything I or Martin is saying. And one can’t blame them. You watch what has happened to them in less than twenty years.”

Baldwin’s invitation to the Cambridge Union Hall is best remembered for foregrounding the unflinching differences in white and African Americans’ ‘system of reality’ in everyday life. Raising uncomfortable truths about the insidious nature of racism post-civil war, he provides several nuggets of thought-provoking wisdom on the state of relations between the oppressed and their oppressors, and what is necessary to mediate such relations and destroy the exploitative thread of racist hatred. With great frankness, he admits to not having all the answers but provides hard-hitting wisdom on engagement to guide activists through confounding times nonetheless.

18. I Am Prepared to Die by Nelson Mandela

“Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs as it certainly must, it will not change that policy. This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live. During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Apartheid is still considered one of these most devastating events of world history, and it would not have ended without the crucial effort and words of Nelson Mandela during his courageous political leadership. In this heartbreaking speech , he voices his utter devotion to the fight against institutionalised racism in African society – an ideal for which he was ‘prepared to die for’. Mandela continues to remind us today of his moral conviction in leading, wherein the world would likely to be a better place if all politicians had the same resolve and genuine commitment to human rights and the abolition of oppression as he did.

19. Critique on British Imperialism by General Aung San

“Do they form their observations by seeing the attendances at not very many cinemas and theatres of Rangoon? Do they judge this question of money circulation by paying a stray visit to a local bazaar? Do they know that cinemas and theatres are not true indicators, at least in Burma, of the people’s conditions? Do they know that there are many in this country who cannot think of going to these places by having to struggle for their bare existence from day to day? Do they know that those who nowadays patronise or frequent cinemas and theatres which exist only in Rangoon and a few big towns, belong generally to middle and upper classes and the very few of the many poor who can attend at all are doing so as a desperate form of relaxation just to make them forget their unsupportable existences for the while whatever may be the tomorrow that awaits them?”

Under British colonial rule, one of the most legendary nationalist leaders emerged from the ranks of the thousands of Burmese to boldly lead them towards independence, out of the exploitation and control under the British. General Aung San’s speech criticising British social, political and economic control of Burma continues to be scathing, articulate, and relevant – especially given his necessary goal of uniting the Burmese natives against their common oppressor. He successfully galvanised his people against the British, taking endless risks through nationalist speeches and demonstrations which gradually bore fruit in Burma’s independence.

20. Nobel Lecture by Mother Teresa

“I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the Body Of Christ 24 hours. We have 24 hours in this presence, and so you and I. You too try to bring that presence of God in your family, for the family that prays together stays together. And I think that we in our family don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy to bring peace–just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world. There is so much suffering, so much hatred, so much misery, and we with our prayer, with our sacrifice are beginning at home. Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. It is to God Almighty–how much we do it does not matter, because He is infinite, but how much love we put in that action. How much we do to Him in the person that we are serving.”

In contemporary culture, most people understand Mother Teresa to be the epitome of compassion and kindness. However, if one were to look closer at her speeches from the past, one would discover not merely her altruistic contributions, but her keen heart for social justice and the downtrodden. She wisely and gracefully remarks that ‘love begins at home’ from the individual actions of each person within their private lives, which accumulate into a life of goodness and charity. For this, her speeches served not just consolatory value or momentary relevance, as they still inform the present on how we can live lives worth living.

21. June 9 Speech to Martial Law Units by Deng Xiaoping

“This army still maintains the traditions of our old Red Army. What they crossed this time was in the true sense of the expression a political barrier, a threshold of life and death. This was not easy. This shows that the People’s Army is truly a great wall of iron and steel of the party and state. This shows that no matter how heavy our losses, the army, under the leadership of the party, will always remain the defender of the country, the defender of socialism, and the defender of the public interest. They are a most lovable people. At the same time, we should never forget how cruel our enemies are. We should have not one bit of forgiveness for them. The fact that this incident broke out as it did is very worthy of our pondering. It prompts us cool-headedly to consider the past and the future. Perhaps this bad thing will enable us to go ahead with reform and the open policy at a steadier and better — even a faster — pace, more speedily correct our mistakes, and better develop our strong points.”

Mere days before the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping sat with six party elders (senior officials) and the three remaining members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the paramount decision-making body in China’s government. The meeting was organised to discuss the best course of action for restoring social and political order to China, given the sweeping economic reforms that had taken place in the past decade that inevitably resulted in some social resistance from the populace. Deng then gave this astute and well-regarded speech, outlining the political complexities in shutting down student protests given the context of reforms encouraging economic liberalization already taking place, as aligned with the students’ desires. It may not be the most rousing or inflammatory of speeches, but it was certainly persuasive in voicing the importance of taking a strong stand for the economic reforms Deng was implementing to benefit Chinese citizens in the long run. Today, China is an economic superpower, far from its war-torn developing country status before Deng’s leadership – thanks to his foresight in ensuring political stability would allow China to enjoy the fruits of the massive changes they adapted to.

22. Freedom or Death by Emmeline Pankhurst

“You won your freedom in America when you had the revolution, by bloodshed, by sacrificing human life. You won the civil war by the sacrifice of human life when you decided to emancipate the negro. You have left it to women in your land, the men of all civilised countries have left it to women, to work out their own salvation. That is the way in which we women of England are doing. Human life for us is sacred, but we say if any life is to be sacrificed it shall be ours; we won’t do it ourselves, but we will put the enemy in the position where they will have to choose between giving us freedom or giving us death. Now whether you approve of us or whether you do not, you must see that we have brought the question of women’s suffrage into a position where it is of first rate importance, where it can be ignored no longer. Even the most hardened politician will hesitate to take upon himself directly the responsibility of sacrificing the lives of women of undoubted honour, of undoubted earnestness of purpose. That is the political situation as I lay it before you today.”

In 1913 after Suffragette Emily Davison stepped in front of King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby and suffered fatal injuries, Emmeline Pankhurst delivered her speech to Connecticut as a call to action for people to support the suffragette movement. Her fortitude in delivering such a sobering speech on the state of women’s rights is worth remembering for its invaluable impact and contributions to the rights we enjoy in today’s world.

23. Quit India by Mahatma Gandhi

“We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery. Every true Congressman or woman will join the struggle with an inflexible determination not to remain alive to see the country in bondage and slavery. Let that be your pledge. Keep jails out of your consideration. If the Government keep me free, I will not put on the Government the strain of maintaining a large number of prisoners at a time, when it is in trouble. Let every man and woman live every moment of his or her life hereafter in the consciousness that he or she eats or lives for achieving freedom and will die, if need be, to attain that goal. Take a pledge, with God and your own conscience as witness, that you will no longer rest till freedom is achieved and will be prepared to lay down your lives in the attempt to achieve it. He who loses his life will gain it; he who will seek to save it shall lose it. Freedom is not for the coward or the faint-hearted.”

Naturally, the revolutionary activist Gandhi had to appear in this list for his impassioned anti-colonial speeches which rallied Indians towards independence. Famous for leading non-violent demonstrations, his speeches were a key element in gathering Indians of all backgrounds together for the common cause of eliminating their colonial masters. His speeches were resolute, eloquent, and courageous, inspiring the hope and admiration of many not just within India, but around the world.

24. 1974 National Book Award Speech by Adrienne Rich, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde

“The statement I am going to read was prepared by three of the women nominated for the National Book Award for poetry, with the agreement that it would be read by whichever of us, if any, was chosen.We, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Alice Walker, together accept this award in the name of all the women whose voices have gone and still go unheard in a patriarchal world, and in the name of those who, like us, have been tolerated as token women in this culture, often at great cost and in great pain. We believe that we can enrich ourselves more in supporting and giving to each other than by competing against each other; and that poetry—if it is poetry—exists in a realm beyond ranking and comparison. We symbolically join together here in refusing the terms of patriarchal competition and declaring that we will share this prize among us, to be used as best we can for women. We appreciate the good faith of the judges for this award, but none of us could accept this money for herself, nor could she let go unquestioned the terms on which poets are given or denied honor and livelihood in this world, especially when they are women. We dedicate this occasion to the struggle for self-determination of all women, of every color, identification, or derived class: the poet, the housewife, the lesbian, the mathematician, the mother, the dishwasher, the pregnant teen-ager, the teacher, the grandmother, the prostitute, the philosopher, the waitress, the women who will understand what we are doing here and those who will not understand yet; the silent women whose voices have been denied us, the articulate women who have given us strength to do our work.”

Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, and Alice Walker wrote this joint speech to be delivered by Adrienne Rich at the 1974 National Book Awards, based on their suspicions that the first few African American lesbian women to be nominated for the awards would be snubbed in favour of a white woman nominee. Their suspicions were confirmed, and Adrienne Rich delivered this socially significant speech in solidarity with her fellow nominees, upholding the voices of the ‘silent women whose voices have been denied’.

25. Speech to 20th Congress of the CPSU by Nikita Khruschev

“Considering the question of the cult of an individual, we must first of all show everyone what harm this caused to the interests of our Party. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin had always stressed the Party’s role and significance in the direction of the socialist government of workers and peasants; he saw in this the chief precondition for a successful building of socialism in our country. Pointing to the great responsibility of the Bolshevik Party, as ruling Party of the Soviet state, Lenin called for the most meticulous observance of all norms of Party life; he called for the realization of the principles of collegiality in the direction of the Party and the state. Collegiality of leadership flows from the very nature of our Party, a Party built on the principles of democratic centralism. “This means,” said Lenin, “that all Party matters are accomplished by all Party members – directly or through representatives – who, without any exceptions, are subject to the same rules; in addition, all administrative members, all directing collegia, all holders of Party positions are elective, they must account for their activities and are recallable.””

This speech is possibly the most famed Russian speech for its status as a ‘secret’ speech delivered only to the CPSU at the time, which was eventually revealed to the public. Given the unchallenged political legacy and cult of personality which Stalin left in the Soviet Union, Nikita Khruschev’s speech condemning the authoritarian means Stalin had resorted to to consolidate power as un-socialist was an important mark in Russian history.

26. The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt

“It is my belief, and I am sure it is also yours, that the struggle for democracy and freedom is a critical struggle, for their preservation is essential to the great objective of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Among free men the end cannot justify the means. We know the patterns of totalitarianism — the single political party, the control of schools, press, radio, the arts, the sciences, and the church to support autocratic authority; these are the age-old patterns against which men have struggled for three thousand years. These are the signs of reaction, retreat, and retrogression. The United Nations must hold fast to the heritage of freedom won by the struggle of its people; it must help us to pass it on to generations to come. The development of the ideal of freedom and its translation into the everyday life of the people in great areas of the earth is the product of the efforts of many peoples. It is the fruit of a long tradition of vigorous thinking and courageous action. No one race and on one people can claim to have done all the work to achieve greater dignity for human beings and great freedom to develop human personality. In each generation and in each country there must be a continuation of the struggle and new steps forward must be taken since this is preeminently a field in which to stand still is to retreat.”

Eleanor Roosevelt has been among the most well-loved First Ladies for good reason – her eloquence and gravitas in delivering every speech convinced everyone of her suitability for the oval office. In this determined and articulate speech , she outlines the fundamental values that form the bedrock of democracy, urging the rest of the world to uphold human rights regardless of national ideology and interests.

27. The Ballot or The Bullet by Malcolm X

“And in this manner, the organizations will increase in number and in quantity and in quality, and by August, it is then our intention to have a black nationalist convention which will consist of delegates from all over the country who are interested in the political, economic and social philosophy of black nationalism. After these delegates convene, we will hold a seminar; we will hold discussions; we will listen to everyone. We want to hear new ideas and new solutions and new answers. And at that time, if we see fit then to form a black nationalist party, we’ll form a black nationalist party. If it’s necessary to form a black nationalist army, we’ll form a black nationalist army. It’ll be the ballot or the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death.”

Inarguably, the revolutionary impact Malcolm X’s fearless oratory had was substantial in his time as a radical anti-racist civil rights activist. His speeches’ emancipatory potential put forth his ‘theory of rhetorical action’ where he urges Black Americans to employ both the ballot and the bullet, strategically without being dependent on the other should the conditions of oppression change. A crucial leader in the fight for civil rights, he opened the eyes of thousands of Black Americans, politicising and convincing them of the necessity of fighting for their democratic rights against white supremacists.

28. Living the Revolution by Gloria Steinem

“The challenge to all of us, and to you men and women who are graduating today, is to live a revolution, not to die for one. There has been too much killing, and the weapons are now far too terrible. This revolution has to change consciousness, to upset the injustice of our current hierarchy by refusing to honor it, and to live a life that enforces a new social justice. Because the truth is none of us can be liberated if other groups are not.”

In an unexpected commencement speech delivered at Vassar College in 1970, Gloria Steinem boldly makes a call to action on behalf of marginalized groups in need of liberation to newly graduated students. She proclaimed it the year of Women’s Liberation and forcefully highlighted the need for a social revolution to ‘upset the injustice of the current hierarchy’ in favour of human rights – echoing the hard-hitting motto on social justice, ‘until all of us are free, none of us are free’.

29. The Last Words of Harvey Milk by Harvey Milk

“I cannot prevent some people from feeling angry and frustrated and mad in response to my death, but I hope they will take the frustration and madness and instead of demonstrating or anything of that type, I would hope that they would take the power and I would hope that five, ten, one hundred, a thousand would rise. I would like to see every gay lawyer, every gay architect come out, stand up and let the world know. That would do more to end prejudice overnight than anybody could imagine. I urge them to do that, urge them to come out. Only that way will we start to achieve our rights. … All I ask is for the movement to continue, and if a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door…”

As the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, Harvey Milk’s entire political candidature was in itself a radical statement against the homophobic status quo at the time. Given the dangerous times he was in as an openly gay man, he anticipated that he would be assassinated eventually in his political career. As such, these are some of his last words which show the utter devotion he had to campaigning against homophobia while representing the American people, voicing his heartbreaking wish for the bullet that would eventually kill him to ‘destroy every closet door’.

30. Black Power Address at UC Berkeley by Stokely Carmichael

“Now we are now engaged in a psychological struggle in this country, and that is whether or not black people will have the right to use the words they want to use without white people giving their sanction to it; and that we maintain, whether they like it or not, we gonna use the word “Black Power” — and let them address themselves to that; but that we are not going to wait for white people to sanction Black Power. We’re tired waiting; every time black people move in this country, they’re forced to defend their position before they move. It’s time that the people who are supposed to be defending their position do that. That’s white people. They ought to start defending themselves as to why they have oppressed and exploited us.”

A forceful and impressive orator, Stokely Carmichael was among those at the forefront of the civil rights movement, who was a vigorous socialist organizer as well. He led the Black Power movement wherein he gave this urgent, influential speech that propelled Black Americans forward in their fight for constitutional rights in the 1960s.

31. Speech on Vietnam by Lyndon Johnson

“The true peace-keepers are those men who stand out there on the DMZ at this very hour, taking the worst that the enemy can give. The true peace-keepers are the soldiers who are breaking the terrorist’s grip around the villages of Vietnam—the civilians who are bringing medical care and food and education to people who have already suffered a generation of war. And so I report to you that we are going to continue to press forward. Two things we must do. Two things we shall do. First, we must not mislead the enemy. Let him not think that debate and dissent will produce wavering and withdrawal. For I can assure you they won’t. Let him not think that protests will produce surrender. Because they won’t. Let him not think that he will wait us out. For he won’t. Second, we will provide all that our brave men require to do the job that must be done. And that job is going to be done. These gallant men have our prayers-have our thanks—have our heart-felt praise—and our deepest gratitude. Let the world know that the keepers of peace will endure through every trial—and that with the full backing of their countrymen, they are going to prevail.”

During some of the most harrowing periods of human history, the Vietnam War, American soldiers were getting soundly defeated by the Vietnamese in guerrilla warfare. President Lyndon Johnson then issued this dignified, consolatory speech to encourage patriotism and support for the soldiers putting their lives on the line for the nation.

32. A Whisper of AIDS by Mary Fisher

“We may take refuge in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long, because HIV asks only one thing of those it attacks. Are you human? And this is the right question. Are you human? Because people with HIV have not entered some alien state of being. They are human. They have not earned cruelty, and they do not deserve meanness. They don’t benefit from being isolated or treated as outcasts. Each of them is exactly what God made: a person; not evil, deserving of our judgment; not victims, longing for our pity ­­ people, ready for  support and worthy of compassion. We must be consistent if we are to be believed. We cannot love justice and ignore prejudice, love our children and fear to teach them. Whatever our role as parent or policymaker, we must act as eloquently as we speak ­­ else we have no integrity. My call to the nation is a plea for awareness. If you believe you are safe, you are in danger. Because I was not hemophiliac, I was not at risk. Because I was not gay, I was not at risk. Because I did not inject drugs, I was not at risk. The lesson history teaches is this: If you believe you are safe, you are at risk. If you do not see this killer stalking your children, look again. There is no family or community, no race or religion, no place left in America that is safe. Until we genuinely embrace this message, we are a nation at risk.”

Back when AIDS research was still undeveloped, the stigma of contracting HIV was even more immense than it is today. A celebrated artist, author and speaker, Mary Fisher became an outspoken activist for those with HIV/AIDS, persuading people to extend compassion to the population with HIV instead of stigmatizing them – as injustice has a way of coming around to people eventually. Her bold act of speaking out for the community regardless of the way they contracted the disease, their sexual orientation or social group, was an influential move in advancing the human rights of those with HIV and spreading awareness on the discrimination they face.

33. Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

“The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values which shape the course of a nation’s development. A revolution which aims merely at changing official policies and institutions with a view to an improvement in material conditions has little chance of genuine success. Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration. It is not enough merely to call for freedom, democracy and human rights. There has to be a united determination to persevere in the struggle, to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influences of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear. Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. So free men are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society. Among the basic freedoms to which men aspire that their lives might be full and uncramped, freedom from fear stands out as both a means and an end. A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.”

Famous for her resoluteness and fortitude in campaigning for democracy in Burma despite being put under house arrest by the military government, Aung San Suu Kyi’s speeches have been widely touted as inspirational. In this renowned speech of hers, she delivers a potent message to Burmese to ‘liberate their minds from apathy and fear’ in the struggle for freedom and human rights in the country. To this day, she continues to tirelessly champion the welfare and freedom of Burmese in a state still overcome by vestiges of authoritarian rule.

34. This Is Water by David Foster Wallace

“Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom all to be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the centre of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about much in the great outside world of wanting and achieving…. The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day. That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.”

Esteemed writer David Foster Wallace gave a remarkably casual yet wise commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005 on the importance of learning to think beyond attaining a formal education. He encouraged hundreds of students to develop freedom of thought, a heart of sacrificial care for those in need of justice, and a consciousness that would serve them in discerning the right choices to make within a status quo that is easy to fall in line with. His captivating speech on what it meant to truly be ‘educated’ tugged at the hearts of many young and critical minds striving to achieve their dreams and change the world.

35. Questioning the Universe by Stephen Hawking

“This brings me to the last of the big questions: the future of the human race. If we are the only intelligent beings in the galaxy, we should make sure we survive and continue. But we are entering an increasingly dangerous period of our history. Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill. But our genetic code still carries the selfish and aggressive instincts that were of survival advantage in the past. It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million. Our only chance of long-term survival is not to remain inward-looking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space. The answers to these big questions show that we have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space. That is why I am in favor of manned — or should I say, personned — space flight.”

Extraordinary theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking was a considerable influence upon modern physics and scientific research at large, inspiring people regardless of physical ability to aspire towards expanding knowledge in the world. In his speech on Questioning the Universe, he speaks of the emerging currents and issues in the scientific world like that of outer space, raising and answering big questions that have stumped great thinkers for years.

36. 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech by Michelle Obama

“I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history — knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work. The same conviction that drives the men and women I’ve met all across this country: People who work the day shift, kiss their kids goodnight, and head out for the night shift — without disappointment, without regret — that goodnight kiss a reminder of everything they’re working for. The military families who say grace each night with an empty seat at the table. The servicemen and women who love this country so much, they leave those they love most to defend it. The young people across America serving our communities — teaching children, cleaning up neighborhoods, caring for the least among us each and every day. People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters — and sons — can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher. People like Joe Biden, who’s never forgotten where he came from and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again. All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do — that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack’s journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope. That is why I love this country.”

Ever the favourite modern First Lady of America, Michelle Obama has delivered an abundance of iconic speeches in her political capacity, never forgetting to foreground the indomitable human spirit embodied in American citizens’ everyday lives and efforts towards a better world. The Obamas might just have been the most articulate couple of rhetoricians of their time, making waves as the first African American president and First Lady while introducing important policies in their period of governance.

37. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

“I’m not talking about blind optimism here — the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope — Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.”

Now published into a book, Barack Obama’s heart-capturing personal story of transformational hope was first delivered as a speech on the merits of patriotic optimism and determination put to the mission of concrete change. He has come to be known as one of the most favoured and inspiring presidents in American history, and arguably the most skilled orators ever.

38. “Be Your Own Story” by Toni Morrison

“But I’m not going to talk anymore about the future because I’m hesitant to describe or predict because I’m not even certain that it exists. That is to say, I’m not certain that somehow, perhaps, a burgeoning ménage a trois of political interests, corporate interests and military interests will not prevail and literally annihilate an inhabitable, humane future. Because I don’t think we can any longer rely on separation of powers, free speech, religious tolerance or unchallengeable civil liberties as a matter of course. That is, not while finite humans in the flux of time make decisions of infinite damage. Not while finite humans make infinite claims of virtue and unassailable power that are beyond their competence, if not their reach. So, no happy talk about the future. … Because the past is already in debt to the mismanaged present. And besides, contrary to what you may have heard or learned, the past is not done and it is not over, it’s still in process, which is another way of saying that when it’s critiqued, analyzed, it yields new information about itself. The past is already changing as it is being reexamined, as it is being listened to for deeper resonances. Actually it can be more liberating than any imagined future if you are willing to identify its evasions, its distortions, its lies, and are willing to unleash its secrets.”

Venerated author and professor Toni Morrison delivered an impressively articulate speech at Wellesley College in 2004 to new graduates, bucking the trend by discussing the importance of the past in informing current and future ways of living. With her brilliance and eloquence, she blew the crowd away and renewed in them the capacity for reflection upon using the past as a talisman to guide oneself along the journey of life.

39. Nobel Speech by Malala Yousafzai

“Dear brothers and sisters, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call “strong” are so powerful in creating wars but so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so difficult? As we are living in the modern age, the 21st century and we all believe that nothing is impossible. We can reach the moon and maybe soon will land on Mars. Then, in this, the 21st century, we must be determined that our dream of quality education for all will also come true. So let us bring equality, justice and peace for all. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. It is our duty. So we must work … and not wait. I call upon my fellow children to stand up around the world. Dear sisters and brothers, let us become the first generation to decide to be the last. The empty classrooms, the lost childhoods, wasted potential-let these things end with us.”

At a mere 16 years of age, Malala Yousafzai gave a speech on the severity of the state of human rights across the world, and wowed the world with her passion for justice at her tender age. She displayed tenacity and fearlessness speaking about her survival of an assassination attempt for her activism for gender equality in the field of education. A model of courage to us all, her speech remains an essential one in the fight for human rights in the 21st century.

40. Final Commencement Speech by Michelle Obama

“If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too. In fact, that’s why people first came to this country — to worship freely. And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh — these religions are teaching our young people about justice, and compassion, and honesty. So I want our young people to continue to learn and practice those values with pride. You see, our glorious diversity — our diversities of faiths and colors and creeds — that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are. So the young people here and the young people out there: Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter, or like you don’t have a place in our American story — because you do. And you have a right to be exactly who you are. But I also want to be very clear: This right isn’t just handed to you. No, this right has to be earned every single day. You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms. … It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can be whatever we dream, regardless of the limitations that others may place on us. The hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe they, too, will be inspired to rise to their best possible selves.”

Finally, we have yet another speech by Michelle Obama given in her final remarks as First Lady – a tear-inducing event for many Americans and even people around the world. In this emotional end to her political tenure, she gives an empowering, hopeful, expressive speech to young Americans, exhorting them to take hold of its future in all their diversity and work hard at being their best possible selves.

Amidst the bleak era of our current time with Trump as president of the USA, not only Michelle Obama, but all 40 of these amazing speeches can serve as sources of inspiration and hope to everyone – regardless of their identity or ambitions. After hearing these speeches, which one’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Article Written By: Kai Xin Koh

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Great Talks Most People Have Never Heard

Not long ago, I came across a little-known speech titled, “You and Your Research”.

The speech had been delivered in 1986 by Richard Hamming, an accomplished mathematician and computer engineer, as part of an internal series of talks given at Bell Labs. I had never heard of Hamming, the internal lecture series at Bell Labs, or this particular speech. And yet, as I read the transcript, I came across one useful insight after another.

After reading that talk, I got to thinking… what other great talks and speeches are out there that I’ve never heard?

I’ve been slowly searching for answers to that question and the result is this list of my favorite interesting and insightful talks that are not widely known. You may see a few famous speeches on this list, but my guess is that most people are not aware of many of them—just as I wasn’t when I first started looking around.

As far as I know this is the only place where you can read transcripts of these speeches in one place.

Famous Speeches and Great Talks

This list is organized by presenter name and then speech topic. Click the links below to jump to a specific speech. On each page, you’ll find a full transcript of the speech as well as some additional background information.

• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “The Danger of a Single Story”
• Jeff Bezos, “Statement by Jeff Bezos to the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary”
• Jeff Bezos, “What Matters More Than Your Talents”
• John C. Bogle, “Enough”
• Brené Brown, “ The Anatomy of Trust “
• John Cleese, “Creativity in Management”
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• Richard Feynman, “Seeking New Laws”
• Neil Gaiman, “Make Good Art”
• John W. Gardner, “Personal Renewal”
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• Bill Gurley, “Runnin Down a Dream”
• Richard Hamming, “Learning to Learn”
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• Steve Jobs, “2005 Stanford Commencement Address”
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• Charlie Munger, “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment”
• Nathan Myhrvold, “ Roadkill on the Information Highway “
• Randy Pausch, “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”
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• John Roberts, “I Wish You Bad Luck”
• Sir Ken Robinson, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”
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• George Saunders, “Failures of Kindness”
• Claude Shannon, “Creative Thinking”
• BF Skinner, “How to Discover What You Have to Say”
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• Bret Victor, “Inventing on Principle”
• David Foster Wallace, “This is Water”
• Art Williams, “Just Do It”
• Evan Williams,  “A Journey on the Information Highway”

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The first amendment, looking at 10 great speeches in american history.

August 28, 2017 | by NCC Staff

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech certainly ranks highly in the pantheon of public speaking. Here is a look at the Dream speech and other addresses that moved people – and history.

King’s “Dream” speech from August 28, 1963 topped the list, followed by John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address and Franklin Roosevelt’s first inaugural address in 1933. In fact, three of King’s speeches were included in the top 50 speeches listed by the experts.

The eclectic list included public speeches from Barbara Jordan, Richard Nixon, Malcom X and Ronald Reagan in the top 10 of the rankings.

Link : Read The List

Public speaking has played an important role in our country’s story. Here is a quick look at some of the landmark speeches that often pop up in the discussion about public rhetoric.

1. Patrick Henry. “ Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death .” In March 1775, Henry spoke to a Virginia convention considering a breakaway from British rule. “The war is actually begun. The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms,” said Henry, who spoke without notes. “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”

2. George Washington’s first inaugural address . In 1789, the First President addressed the First Congress after his inauguration, setting the precedent for all inaugural speeches to follow. Washington enforced the need for the Constitution, concluding that “Parent of the Human Race  … has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness.”

3. Frederick Douglass. “ The Hypocrisy Of American Slavery .” In 1852, Douglass was invited to speak at a public Fourth of July celebration in Rochester, N.Y. Instead of talking about the celebration, Douglass addressed the issue that was dividing the nation. “I will, in the name of humanity, which is outraged, in the name of liberty, which is fettered, in the name of the Constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery,” he said.

4. Abraham Lincoln. “ The Gettysburg Address .” The best known of Lincoln’s speeches was one of his shortest. Lincoln was asked to make a few remarks in November 1863 after featured speaker Edward Everett spoke for about two hours. “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” Lincoln said in his opening paragraph. He spoke for two minutes.

5. William Jennings Bryan. “ Cross of Gold Speech .” A lesser-known contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1896, Bryan created a sensation with his speech that condemned the gold standard and held the promise of debt relief for farmers. “We shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold,” Bryan said with his arms spread in a crucifix-like position.

6. FDR’s first inaugural address . In 1933, the new President faced a nation in the grips of a deep economic recession. “First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance,” Roosevelt said as he opened his powerful speech. The inaugural set the agenda for FDR’s 12 years in office.

7. Richard Nixon’s Checkers speech . Facing controversy as a vice presidential candidate, Nixon showed how television could be used as a powerful communications tool. In a stroke of political genius, Nixon spoke to the nation about his family finances, and then said the only gift he wouldn’t return was Checkers, the family dog.

8. JFK’s first inaugural address . The well-written 1961 speech is considered one of the best inaugural speeches ever. Rhetoric expert Dr. Max Atkinson told the BBC in 2011 what made the Kennedy speech special. “Tt was the first inaugural address by a U.S. president to follow the first rule of speech-preparation: analyze your audience - or, to be more precise at a time when mass access to television was in its infancy, analyze your audiences.”

9. Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech . King’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, in front of 250,000 people, is also one of the most-analyzed speeches in modern history. But King hadn’t included the sequence about the “Dream” in his prepared remarks. Singer Mahalia Jackson yelled for King to speak about “the Dream,” and King improvised based on remarks he had made in earlier speeches.

10. Ronald Reagan in Berlin . President Reagan appeared at the 750 th birthday celebration for Berlin in 1987, speaking about 100 yards away from the Berlin Wall. Reagan first cited President Kennedy’s famous 1963 speech in Berlin, and then asked, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” A Reagan speech writer later said the State Department didn’t want Reagan to use the famous line, but Reagan decided to do it anyway.

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10 Famous Speeches That Shaped History

These powerful speeches continue to linger in the public imagination.

• Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The best speeches have left a mark on society for generations. They reshaped our world, held us accountable, and inspired us to rise against all odds and achieve great things. These speeches transcend time and place, offering wisdom that stirs souls long after the original speakers have been silenced.

A speech can be charismatic and still lack true meaning, but truly great oratories appeal to the audience's hearts, minds, and values. These speeches rise above the rest both because of the passion with which they were delivered, and the very words themselves. Here, we’ve rounded up eight powerful speeches that captured important historical moments and have proven unforgettable.

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“ain’t i a woman”, sojourner truth, 1851.

Born into slavery in 1797, Sojourner Truth became a well-known abolitionist and women’s rights activist. She delivered this powerful speech at the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio. In it, she laid bare the double standards facing Black women, who were often pushed to the side when it came to conversations about racism and sexism. Her speech received greater publicity during the Civil War, when several different versions were circulated by feminists and abolitionists.

Related: Deepen Your Knowledge of the Past With 8 of the Most Influential Books in History

“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman?”

“When They Go Low, We Go High”

Michelle obama, 2016.

Michelle Obama uttered her now-famous catchphrase at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, when speaking in support of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency. She was referring to the importance of setting a good example for your children and the next generation by staying true to your values and not stooping to the level of those who would demean you. It's a message that's more important than ever in the age of Internet mud-slinging.

“Our motto is: when they go low, we go high. With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us. We as parents are their most important role models. Let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as President and First Lady because we know that our words and actions matter, not just to our girls but the children across this country.”

"I Have a Dream"

Dr. martin luther king jr., 1963.

One of the greatest speeches in American history is Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, which was delivered on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In it, he advocated for an end to racism in prose that continues to strike people’s hearts to this day.

Related: 16 Books About MLK That Reveal the Man Behind the Civil Rights Icon

King—a staunch social activist and Baptist minister—was arguably the most prominent leader of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s. King's speech brought into focus the injustice of racial inequality and police brutality in America. He delivered this speech to over 250,000 civil rights supporters. By the mid-1960s, both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were enacted in part due to King's words and actions.

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

The Farewell Address

George washington, 1796.

During George Washington’s time as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and later as the first president of the United States, he wielded a lot of power. He could have managed to overtake control of the nation, much like the king from whom the fledgling nation was determined to break free, and the world was watching to see what would happen.

Related: General George Washington: Before the Presidency

Instead, his modest resignation from his post as the commander-in-chief of the American military in 1783 strengthened the foundation of the republic, and his refusal to accept a third term as president of the nation established a precedent that was later enshrined into law. In the now-famous farewell address that he penned when he stepped down from the presidency, Washington discussed the importance of unity and checks and balances, and warned against the dangers of political factions and despotism.

"However [political factions] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government..."

"Tear down this wall!"

Ronald reagan, 1987.

The Berlin Wall divided East and West Germany into two different nations; one ruled by democracy and one by communism. Echoing many leaders in the international community, President Ronald Reagan demanded that General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev aid in reunifying Germany.

Related: The Best Presidential Biographies For History Buffs

Reagan delivered his speech when the Cold War was at its peak, and his advisors feared his address would anger the Soviet leader. But the President gave his speech nonetheless. Reagan’s words received little attention at the time, but when the Cold War ended a few years later it became one of the most well-known speeches by an American president.

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

"I Am Prepared to Die"

Nelson mandela, 1964.

Nelson Mandela is one of the most controversial and loved figures in history. His speech " I Am Prepared to Die" defined South African democracy. Mandela delivered his three-hour-long address from the defendant dock to testify while addressing the charges that faced him as a result of his fight against South Africa's apartheid. Although his words did not save him from being convicted, his powerful speech struck the minds of the people listening, and it stimulated unrest in the South African people. 

Related: Recharge with 10 Books About Inspirational People

Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, but his speech and courage were vital in demolishing the apartheid system in his country. He was later released in 1990, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, and became the country's first black head of state and the first leader to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Address to The United Nations On the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Eleanor roosevelt, 1948.

As the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt was America's First Lady for 12 years. She was described as a dedicated humanitarian and activist throughout her life. After the death of her husband, she was appointed the first U.S delegate to the United Nations by President Harry S. Truman. Eleanor Roosevelt achieved her life's most remarkable work when she drafted and presented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

Related: The Fascinating Platforms of 10 First Ladies

The cruelties of World War II inspired the declaration, whose purpose was to ensure that such tragic human rights abuses would not happen again. The most translated document globally, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lays out the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Roosevelt was instrumental in the adoption of the document, and she explained its significance in a passionate 1948 address to the United Nations.

“At a time when there are so many issues on which we find it difficult to reach a common basis of agreement, it is a significant fact that 58 states have found such a large measure of agreement in the complex field of human rights. This must be taken as testimony of our common aspiration...to lift men everywhere to a higher standard of life and to a greater enjoyment of freedom. Man’s desire for peace lies behind this Declaration.”

Inaugural Address

John f. kennedy, 1961.

On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. His pithy inaugural address on that day was well-written and meaningful, and it has become one of the most famous speeches by an American leader. JFK's speech was a call to service for the "new generation Americans - born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage." He issued a direct appeal to American citizens to stand up for their nation at the height of the Cold War and a time of great social change.

"And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

"We Shall Fight On The Beaches"

Winston churchill, 1940.

"We shall fight on the beaches" is the popular title given to the speech delivered by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the UK’s Parliament on June 4, 1940. He gave this speech around the time when Nazi Germany was invading many countries in Europe. In it, Churchill declared that British troops “shall go on to the end” in the face of Nazi aggression.

Related: Inspiring Winston Churchill Quotes That Will Help You Maintain a Stiff Upper Lip

With the threat of a Nazi invasion forthcoming, Churchill promised his nation would fight, alone if need be, and remain resilient. His words were designed to prompt a sense of security in the British people and inspire British troops, without which history would have been different. This strong speech was not just crucial for Churchill but also for the international stage, with America yet to enter the war.

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...”

Democratic National Convention Keynote Address

Barack obama, 2004.

Rising political star Barack Obama was just a candidate for the United States Senate when he gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention on July 27, 2004. However, his speech left a mark in the history of America. At the time, Obama was an upcoming politician gaining popularity in the state of Illinois.  His speech that day paved the way for him to become the first Black President of the United States. But why did his address have so much significance?

First of all, it was the quality of the writing, which Obama himself handled. Secondly, it was the message of the keynote address; he reminded Americans of what they had in common rather than their differences.

"Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us...Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America. There's not a Black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America."

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Influential Speeches

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Top 10 Greatest Speeches

As the political season heats up, TIME takes a tour of history's best rhetoric

From the Podium

• Patrick Henry
• Frederick Douglass
• Abraham Lincoln
• Susan B. Anthony
• Winston Churchill
• John F. Kennedy
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Lyndon B. Johnson
• Ronald Reagan

20 of the Greatest Speeches in History

The spoken word has always been powerful. From the time of ancient Greece, when orators would stand on a stage and plead cases in packed amphitheaters, speeches have held a special place in society. Words possess power — they can inspire, motivate, and change the course of history.

Over the centuries, many powerful speeches have changed the world and deeply impacted those who heard them. Here are 20 of the greatest speeches in history.

1. “We choose to go to the moon” by John F. Kennedy

2. “the ballot or the bullet” by malcolm x, 3. “i have a dream” by martin luther king jr., 4. “women’s rights are human rights” by hillary rodham clinton, 5. “statement to the court” by dennis shepard, 6. “y’all better quiet down” by sylvia rivera, 7. “quit india” by mahatma gandhi, 8. “i am prepared to die” by nelson mandela, 9. “hope speech” by harvey milk, 10. “the mexican american and the church” by césar chávez, 11. “we shall fight on the beaches” by winston churchill, 12. “gettysburg address” by abraham lincoln, 13. “ain’t i a woman” by sojourner truth, 14. “still i rise” by maya angelou, 15. “nobel lecture” by mother teresa, 16. “freedom or death” by emmeline pankhurst, 17. “duties of american citizenship” by theodore roosevelt, 18. “farewell to baseball address” by lou gehrig, 19. “their finest hour” by winston churchill, 20. “remarks at the brandenburg gate” by ronald reagan.

Rice Stadium , Houston, Texas (1962)

The Space Race peaked in 1962 as the U.S. and Soviet Union competed to put a human on the moon. The U.S. government debated the project’s funding. By emphasizing the urgency and importance of American decisions, he gave the speech a sense of destiny.

Despite some public criticism about the cost and value of the Apollo Moon landing effort, Kennedy’s speech still resonates today. His goal was achieved in 1969 with the successful Apollo 11 mission.

Cory Methodist Church , Cleveland, Ohio (1964)

Malcolm X consistently urged African Americans to vote but warned that taking up arms might be necessary if the government kept blocking their equality. He pointed out that despite President Johnson and the Democratic Party’s expressed support for the civil rights bill, they hadn’t turned it into effective legislation.

Malcolm noted that African Americans have become “politically mature” and realize they could decide the upcoming elections by staying independent and choosing candidates who heed their demands. He used unique imagery and language to creatively express his views on civilization and history, aiming to help his audience grasp the challenges and feel inspired to act.

Washington, D.C., Civil Rights March (1963)

King called for the end of racism in the US and the protection of economic and civil rights in his speech. Delivered to nearly 250,000 supporters in Washington, D.C., it is one of the most notable speeches in American history.

King speaks prophetically, conveying urgency and disaster. His speech, praised immediately after, was seen as the highlight of the March. That year, Time Magazine named him “Man of the Year.”

Fourth World Conference on Women by the United Nations, Beijing, China (1995)

In a large conference hall, Clinton gave a speech against behaviors mistreating women globally and in China. She firmly stated that issues affecting women and girls are often overlooked or “silenced,” going unaddressed. She also criticized governments, organizations, and individuals for this neglect.

Dowry killings and China’s one-child policy are key topics in the speech. Some female delegates clapped and banged tables during her talk. Chinese citizens couldn’t attend, and it wasn’t broadcasted on Chinese media. The speech made a huge impact , inspiring women and girls globally, marking one of the first times a First Lady directly addressed women’s rights.

Laramie Courtroom, Wyoming (1999)

Mr. Shepard delivered this moving address at Aaron McKinney’s trial to explain why they forgave their son’s killer. His son was brutally killed in 1998, causing public outcry against hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

During the sentencing, Shepard read his victim impact statement. He asked for forgiveness and showed empathy for McKinney. Shepard later became an advocate for LGBTQ rights. His son’s murder has driven the passing of hate crime laws in the US.

Washington Square Park, New York City (1973)

The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, was raided by police in 1969. The resulting riots sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. During the fourth anniversary of the Stonewall Inn incident, Sylvia Rivera participated in the protests. She was verbally heckled and booed off the stage while delivering her iconic speech.

Rivera, a Puerto Rican transwoman, engaged with the audience backstage after her speech, sharing her experiences at the Stonewall uprising. Her speech solidified her legacy as a pivotal figure in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Bombay, India (1942)

Gandhi’s speech was suppressed. His message spread through underground printers. The movement was inspired by his call to “either free India or die in the attempt.” One major aspect of India’s independence campaign was Britain’s reaction. The Quit India Movement’s 1942 actions convinced the British to leave India without maintaining any control.

Pretoria, South Africa (1964)

Nelson Mandela’s trial speech for alleged sabotage underscored the anti-apartheid movement and his status as a champion of equality in South Africa. He defended his actions and clarified his beliefs before his famous conclusion, declaring an equal and free state as “an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Sentenced to life in prison, Mandela didn’t die there. Over the next 27 years, he continued his advocacy from behind prison walls until his release. He observed that the communists were the only political group in South Africa willing to treat Africans as equals.

San Francisco, California (1978)

In 1977, Harvey Milk campaigned for the San Francisco Supervisory Board with his “Hope Speech.” He became the first openly gay person elected to a public office in California.

The stirring speech emphasizes the importance of electing LGBTQ+ leaders. Young LGBTQ+ individuals facing homophobia need role models for hope. Although Milk was murdered a few months later, he remains a powerful symbol for the LGBTQ+ community.

Delano, California (1968)

In the fight for Latino and worker rights, César Chávez stands out as a legendary figure. To support striking farm workers, Chávez employed nonviolent strategies like fasting. After completing a 25-day fast, Chávez delivered a speech at a symposium discussing Mexican Americans and the church.

His role with the NFWA was crucial for the Chicano Movement, which championed Mexican American rights in the 1960s. He remains an icon, remembered for his human rights work.

London, England (1940)

Winston Churchill delivered three speeches in the first five weeks of his tenure as Prime Minister. His second speech addressed France’s dire situation. Churchill had to discuss a recent military disaster and warn about a potential Nazi invasion while maintaining hope for eventual victory.

Though many were doubtful of Churchill, his speech won them over and it was clear it would be remembered for years.

Soldiers’ National Cemetery, Pennsylvania (1863)

Lincoln’s brief speech, once a minor part of the day’s events, has become one of the most important expressions of American identity. He emphasized that the U.S. was founded on Liberty and dedicated to equality, envisioning the Civil War as a test of the nation’s endurance in the Gettysburg Address.

The Gettysburg Address plays a critical role in American history and culture. Lincoln’s speech is celebrated for its historical impact, yet scholars debate the exact words. Various transcriptions show differences in punctuation and wording, whether from newspapers at the time or Lincoln’s handwritten copies.

Ohio Women’s Rights Convention (1851)

The Ohio Women’s Rights Convention of 1851 was a pivotal event in the fight for gender equality. Held in Akron, it brought together activists who championed women’s suffrage, education, and property rights. Sojourner Truth’s famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech was delivered here, highlighting the injustices faced by women and African Americans. This convention remains a significant milestone, inspiring future generations to continue the push for equal rights.

Sojourner Truth , a renowned abolitionist and women’s rights advocate, delivered her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech at the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. The Civil War didn’t stop her fight for equality for African Americans and women. As the antislavery movement grew, she became more active.

Having grown up as a slave and faced its hardships, Sojourner Truth’s words carried significant weight. In her speech, she highlights the double standard in how men and women are treated. Even though both sexes are human, women don’t get the same rights and opportunities as men.

West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. (1993)

Renowned for her empowering novels, poems, and civil rights activism, Maya Angelou uplifts African American women through her words. Her poem “Still I Rise” resonates deeply, giving audiences chills globally. As a beacon of hope for women of color, she reassures them that progress is achievable with faith and self-empowerment.

Despite any challenges she may face, she’s confident she can prevail—her skin color won’t determine her success. This conviction showcases the strength of African American women and inspires anyone marginalized for their appearance.

Oslo, Sweden (1979)

Mother Teresa is seen as a symbol of love and compassion today. However, if you look closely at her earlier talks, you’ll see she also had a strong passion for social justice and the oppressed, beyond her charitable donations.

She wisely says that “love begins at home,” emphasizing the importance of our personal activities, which add up to a life of goodness and generosity. Her words offer more than just comfort; they guide us to lead meaningful lives.

Hartford, Connecticut (1913)

Emmeline Pankhurst’s address in Connecticut was a powerful call for support of the suffragette movement. Her bold statement on women’s rights made a significant impact, contributing greatly to the freedoms we enjoy today.

Emmeline Pankhurst was a bold political activist who fought to secure women’s voting rights in England. She led countless protests, went on hunger strikes, and founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).

Buffalo, New York (1883)

TR’s speech on the “Duties of American Citizenship,” given as a New York assemblyman, explained why every man should be active in politics and provided steps to get involved. Roosevelt criticized those who avoided politics due to being busy, emphasizing that every man has a duty to contribute to good government.

Yankee Stadium (1939)

Lou Gehrig’s long and successful career seemed like it would last forever. The Yankees first baseman was durable , always giving 100% to the game, earning him the nickname “Iron Horse.” Gehrig was afflicted by the disease that would come to be known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The Yankees hosted a ceremony to honor him, where they announced his number was retired and gave glowing speeches of his greatness. They also presented him with plaques and trophies.

Gehrig gave a speech to the crowd, focusing on gratitude instead of self-pity. He expressed how lucky he felt, even calling himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Gehrig’s speech remains one of the most emotional and powerful moments in baseball history.

House of Commons, London (1940)

Churchill delivered this speech during the Battle of France, the third he gave during that time. He highlighted France’s lack of support due to the recent Dunkirk evacuation. He also announced the successful evacuation of most supporting forces.

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin (1987)

President Reagan aimed to unite the nation and defeat the “Evil Empire” when he took office. While debates continue about his influence on the end of the Cold War, his impact is undeniable.

Reagan’s speech at the Berlin Wall was a defining moment in history. He boldly urged Gorbachev to tear down the wall, a crucial symbol of the “Iron Curtain.” This powerful speech remains one of the most memorable of the 20th century.

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100 of the greatest speeches of the 20th century

100 greatest speeches of the 20th century.

The 20th century was one of the most varied, hopeful, and tumultuous in world history. From the Gilded Age to the beginning of the Internet Age—with plenty of stops along the way—it was a century punctuated by conflicts including two World Wars, the Cold War, the War in Vietnam, and the development of nuclear warfare. At the same time, the 20th century was characterized by a push for equality: Women in the United States received the right to vote after decades of activism, while the civil rights movement here ended the era of Jim Crow, inspired marginalized groups to take action, and introduced this country to great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Hundreds of people have used their voices along the way to heal, inspire, and enact change with speeches that helped to define these poignant moments in world history. Stacker has curated a list of 100 of the greatest speeches from the 20th century, drawing from research into great American speeches as determined by 137 scholars of American public address , as well as other historical sources. What follows is a gallery of speeches from around the U.S. and the world dealing with the most pressing issues of the day. Not all images show the speech event itself, but do feature the people who gave them.

Read on to discover which American author accepted his Nobel prize under protest and whether an American president accidentally called himself a jelly donut in German.

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#100. Maya Angelou's "On the Pulse of Morning"

Delivered Jan. 20, 1993, in Washington D.C.

Maya Angelou, a longtime supporter of the Clinton family , became the second poet (after Robert Frost in 1961), and the first African American poet, to read at a presidential inauguration. She delivered "On the Pulse of Morning" directly after President Bill Clinton gave his first address, a poem that spanned the entire history of America and ended with a hopeful "Good morning." She won the Best Spoken Word Grammy for her performance, and a new audience was introduced to her previous work with the recognition she'd gained from the performance.

#99. Robert M. La Follette's "Free Speech in Wartime"

Delivered Oct. 6, 1917, in Washington D.C.

Wisconsin Senator Robert La Follette was one of just six Senators to oppose U.S. entry into World War I and, after war was declared, an antiwar speech he gave was misleadingly portrayed in the media. As Senators threatened to expel him from the legislative body, he launched a lengthy filibuster that concluded with his rousing defense of "Free Speech in Wartime." He decisively stated that free speech during times of war was not only necessary, but that "the first step toward the prevention of war and the establishment of peace, permanent peace, is to give the people who must bear the brunt of war's awful burden more to say about it." Not everyone in the Senate was convinced, and La Follette was under investigation for treason until the end of the war.

#98. Yasser Arafat's "Gun and Olive Branch"

Delivered Nov. 13, 1974, at the UN General Assembly, New York City, N.Y.

A divisive historical figure at the center of one of the most controversial conflicts, Yasser Arafat served as the Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization for nearly half a century. In 1974, he became the first non-voting member to speak in front of a plenary session of the United Nations. He declared, " Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter's gun . Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand." His "olive branch" appeal to peace in the long-running conflict affected the audience, slightly boosted public support for the Palestinians, and PLO  was granted observer status in the international body .

#97. Audre Lorde's "Uses of Anger" keynote address

Delivered June 1981, in Storrs, Conn.

Well-known as a poet, writer, feminist, and civil rights activist, Audre Lorde wasn't afraid to critique the second-wave feminism movement for its disregard for the different ways women of color, particularly black women, suffered under the patriarchy. "Uses of Anger" was her keynote speech at the National Women's Studies Association Conference, but in it, Lorde doesn't only express rage at men and the white feminists who silence those marginalized voices. She also declares , "And I am not free as long as one person of color remains chained. Nor is anyone of you." Here and throughout she echoes the language of more inclusive intersectional feminism but also portends the modern solidarity movements between minority groups we see today.

#96. Charles de Gaulle's "Appeal of June 18"

Broadcast June 18, 19, and 22, 1940, via BBC radio

By 1940, things weren't looking great for Allied powers fighting in Europe, and in June 1940, France, one of the last remaining military powers on the continent, fell to the Nazi army. Escaping the country before a complete Nazi takeover, General Charles de Gaulle declared himself the leader of Free France (based in London), and broadcast several messages calling for resistance in his home country. He knew that "the flame of French resistance must not and shall not die," and ultimately he was proved correct four years later when France was liberated from the Nazi party. He would later become President of the French Republic.

#95. Margaret Sanger's "The Children's Era"

Delivered March 30, 1925, in New York City, N.Y.

The founder of what today is Planned Parenthood, and one of America's most famous birth control advocates, has both the reason and experience to be concerned with the plight of the country's children. In this speech at the Sixth International Neo-Malthusian and Birth Control Conference, Margaret Sanger uses the powerful imagery of turning the world into "a beautiful garden of children." This garden, she suggests, must be cultivated from a fetus' conception and lays out several criteria she thinks parents should be forced to meet before having children—echoing several eugenicist talking points popular before World War II.

#94. George C. Marshall's "Marshall Plan"

Delivered June 5, 1947, at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Following World War II, the European continent was in shambles, and after failing to negotiate German reconstruction with the Soviet Union, the United States decided it couldn't wait for the USSR to get involved before stepping in. Secretary of State George Marshall doesn't necessarily outline the specifics of the plan that today bears his name, instead calling on European leaders to accept U.S. help to rebuild (and of course, stop the spread of Communism). American journalists were kept as far away from the speech as possible because the Truman administration feared Americans wouldn't like the plan. But it was delivered and later accepted by Europe.

#93. Corazon Aquino's "Speech Before the Joint Session of the United States Congress"

Delivered: Sept. 18, 1986, in Washington D.C.

Corazon Aquino transformed from a self-described "plain housewife" to the presidency of the Philippines after the assassination of her husband Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. He was outspoken about the dictatorial rule of President Ferdinand Marcos, and Corazon took up the mantle, becoming the face of the People Power Revolution that ultimately ousted Marcos and elevated Aquino to the presidency. In this speech, the newly installed president eloquently recalls her journey thus far and reaffirms her commitment to bringing democracy and prosperity to the Filipino people.

#92. Jimmy Carter's "Energy and National Goals: Address to the Nation"

Delivered: July 15, 1979, in Washington D.C.

Energy policy is one of the signature domestic achievements of the Carter administration , reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and improving nuclear power in the U.S. However, President Carter's address on energy policy ended up being about more than those policies. Energy is the jumping-off point for those who have lost faith in government—who feel hopeless and fragmented. He tells these frightened people to "have faith in each other, faith in our ability to govern ourselves, and faith in the future of this nation," and that his energy policy is a start in the right direction for healing the nation.

#91. Eva Perón's "Renunciation of the Vice Presidency of Argentina"

Delivered Aug. 31, 1951, on Argentine radio

Immortalized by the people of Argentina, a Broadway musical, and a movie starring Madonna, Eva "Evita" Perón climbed from a childhood of poverty to First Lady when her husband Juan Perón became president in 1946 with the help of her campaigning. She was active as First Lady, helping women earn the right to vote, furthering her husband's Perónist movement, and meeting with the poor. She became something of a celebrity in the country, and in 1951 she announced her candidacy for the vice presidency alongside her husband, to the delight of the poor and working-class citizens she dedicated her time to. Their joy was short-lived; cancer left Perón unable to run for office, as she announces in this speech .

#90. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn's "Statement at the Smith Act Trial"

Delivered April 24, 1952, in New York City, N.Y.

The Smith Act Trial swept up huge numbers of Communist Party members and put them on trial for allegedly trying to overthrow the U.S. government. American Communist Party leader and co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, was one of those. She represented herself, made an impassioned statement to the court about her communist beliefs, and argued that she was not, as a communist, advocating for the fall of the government. Despite her remarks, she was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.

#89. Ronald Reagan's "Speech on the Challenger Disaster"

Delivered: Jan. 28, 1986, via TV broadcast

The explosion of the Challenger Shuttle just seconds after took  off into the sky left seven people dead, including a civilian school teacher, on the same day that President Reagan was to give the State of the Union. Instead, he called in a young speechwriter, Peggy Noonan , to write a new speech that would help the nation process the tragedy they had seen broadcast on live TV. Reagan's speech is lauded even today for its careful balance between honoring the dead while reminding listeners of the importance of exploring the vast and unknown reaches of space, a quest for exploration for which the Challenger astronauts died.

#88. Elizabeth Glaser's "Address at the 1992 Democratic National Convention"

Delivered July 14, 1992, in New York City

Elizabeth Glaser contracted HIV early in the AIDS epidemic after receiving a contaminated transfusion while giving birth; she passed it on to both her children either through breastmilk or in utero. After her daughter passed away at age seven from AIDS, Glasner and two friends started the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and this activism led to her invitation to speak at the DNC in 1992. There, she described the issue as "not politics" but a "crisis of caring" that led the Republican administration to fail to tackle the AIDS crisis, and she called out Democrats as well to do better. She passed away from complications of the disease two years later.

#87. Theodore Roosevelt's "The Man with the Muckrake"

Delivered April 14, 1906, in Washington D.C.

Investigative journalism was booming in the first decade of the 20th century, as Progressive Era muckraking writers continued to publicize injustices to the country. These journalists had one powerful enemy: President Theodore Roosevelt, as he disliked writers who focused on bad things at the exclusion of all the good that was happening. His speech didn't call for these journalists to stop their practices of uncovering corrupt businessmen but reminded writers that their work affects public outlook and opinion, so only focusing on the worst moments could have a negative impact on the fabric of the nation.

#86. Richard Nixon's "The Great Silent Majority"

Delivered Nov. 3, 1969, in Washington D.C.

Richard Nixon was sworn into office in January 1969 after a wave of anti-Vietnam protests across the country left opposition to the war at a peak. Eleven months after he took office, Nixon gave an Oval Office speech that made clear he believed those protesting the war didn't demonstrate what most Americans actually thought about Vietnam—their opinions were just louder. He called on "the great silent majority of Americans" watching to support him in his decision. It was a gamble, but it paid off as Nixon's approval ratings shot up overnight and popularized the use of the term "silent majority," which is still used in politics today .

#85. John F. Kennedy's "Ich Bin Ein Berliner"

Delivered June 26, 1963, in West Berlin, Germany

Huge crowds thronged around the stage where President John F. Kennedy threw away the speech written by his advisers designed not to offend the Soviet Union and instead read one he'd written himself. The president demonstrated his solidarity with the citizens of the divided city by declaring, "Ich bin ein Berliner," or essentially, "I'm a citizen of Berlin in spirit." (For those who may be wondering, it's a popular myth, but JFK did not accidentally call himself a jelly donut when he called himself a Berliner.) Those who saw the speech in West Berlin, as well as those who watched it around the globe, were inspired.

#84. Rachel Carson's "A New Chapter in Silent Spring"

Delivered Jan. 8, 1963, in New York City, N.Y.

In the '60s and '70s, environmentalism sprang up as a social justice organization inspired by the civil rights movement. A seminal text was Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," which detailed the effects of the harmful pesticide DDT. In a speech to the Garden Club of America after her book's publication, Carson discusses the importance of raising public awareness of environmental issues, the next steps for those against pesticides, and new environmental dangers emerging on the horizon.

#83. Dwight Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace"

Delivered Dec. 8, 1953, at the UN General Assembly, New York City, N.Y.

The development of nuclear warfare gave the Cold War higher stakes and led to fears of a potential nuclear holocaust should something go wrong. In his "Atoms for Peace" speech before the UN, Eisenhower admitted that he needed to speak in a " new language...the language of atomic warfare ," and for the first time let the public know what the atomic age actually meant. Ultimately, the speech demonstrated the need for nuclear disarmament due to its destructive power; at the same time, the huge danger offered the U.S. an excuse to continue the arms race with the USSR after the Soviets refused to disarm.

#82. Eugene V. Debs' "Statement to the Court"

Delivered Sept. 18, 1918, in Girard, Kan.

Eugene V. Debs ran for president five times as a candidate for the Socialist Party but ran his final campaign in 1920 from a prison cell. Debs made an enemy of President Woodrow Wilson for his repeated speeches denouncing U.S. entry into World War I and was arrested on 10 charges of sedition. At his trial, Debs was granted permission to testify on his own behalf; the two-hour speech is remembered for its beautiful passages that moved even people who did not support him, such as in his concluding call for listeners everywhere to "take heart of hope, for the cross is bending, the midnight is passing, and joy cometh with the morning." He was sentenced to a decade in prison but only served a few years before his sentence was commuted.

#81. Margaret Chase Smith's "Declaration of Conscience"

Delivered June 1, 1950, in Washington D.C.

Joseph Welch ultimately took down Joseph McCarthy during a 1953 trial investigating communism in the Army, but he was far from the first person to attempt to end the Senator's red-scare fearmongering. Senator Margaret Chase of Maine took aim at him from the Senate to the House floor four months after he became a national figure, with a speech that endorsed " the right to criticize, the right to hold unpopular beliefs, the right to protest, [and] the right of independent thought " as fundamental to American democracy. She was joined by six other moderate Republican Senators in her rebuke, and some publications praised her for taking a stand while others dismissed her concerns. It wasn't until 1954 that the rest of the Senate took her side and formally censured McCarthy .

#80. Gloria Steinem's "Testimony Before Senate Hearings on the Equal Rights Amendment"

Delivered May 6, 1970, in Washington D.C.

While Shirley Chisholm's speech on the Equal Rights Amendment emphasized all the change its passage would bring, Gloria Steinem—a feminist, activist, and journalist—focused on the sex-based myths that she saw as the root of these problems. Among other myths she took down during her testimony, Steinem cited science that proves men aren't biologically superior to women, points out that discrimination keeps women and African Americans from pursuing their dreams as fully as possible, and noted that men, women, and children all benefit when women are treated more equally in the family.

#79. Barbara Bush's "Choices and Change" commencement address

Delivered June 1, 1990, at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.

Unlike most commencement addresses, all three major news networks interrupted their coverage to carry First Lady Barbara Bush's speech to Wellesley College live. Students were unhappy after Bush had replaced author Alice Walker after she withdrew as the speaker, but the First Lady silenced even her most fervent protestors when she showed up with the First Lady of the USSR, Raisa Gorbachev. The speech itself addressed student criticism head-on and exhorted all students, no matter their goals, to prioritize relationships above all .

#78. Lyndon B. Johnson's "The Great Society"

Delivered May 22, 1964, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

This speech launched President Lyndon Johnson's ambitious domestic policy agenda and outlined exactly what he meant by a "Great Society." He defined it as "[demanding] an end to poverty and racial injustice," a place where all children can be educated, and "a challenge constantly renewed." Though the rhetoric in the speech is so sweeping it seems impossible to live up to, Johnson's list of accomplishments is long . He signed the Civil Rights Act, integrated schools, started Medicare, gave federal aid to K-12 schools and created federally backed college loans.

#77. Ronald Reagan's "Address at the U.S. Ranger Monument on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day"

Delivered June 6, 1984, in Pointe du Hoc, France

The title of Ronald Reagan's eloquent D-Day memorial address provides a bland package for the stirring—and at times chilling—speech he gave in honor of the storming of Normandy four decades prior. Reagan spoke of the Rangers that climbed the cliffs, remarking that "when one...fell, another would take his place." The focus, however, did not remain on how the men who died there passed away, but rather on the convictions that drove them; speaking directly to the men who died, Reagan praised them : "You all knew that some things are worth dying for...democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man."

#76. Emma Goldman's "Address to the Jury"

Delivered July 9, 1917, in New York City, N.Y.

A Russian-born feminist and anarchist , Emma Goldman went around the country delivering speeches supporting free speech, birth control, women's rights, labor's right to organize, and other progressive causes. In 1917, she and fellow radical Alexander Berkman were arrested for organizing the anti-war No Conscription League because it encouraged men not to register for a draft. At her trial, Goldman invoked the First Amendment , and like many other free speech advocates at the time, pointed out that "if America has entered the war to make the world safe for democracy, she must first make democracy safe in America" by safeguarding free speech protections. The jury was not convinced, and both were found guilty.

#75. Edward Kennedy's "Eulogy for Robert F. Kennedy"

Delivered June 8, 1968, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, N.Y.

Within a decade, Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy lost both his brothers to assassination, first President John F. Kennedy in 1963, then Robert "Bobby" Kennedy in 1968, whom he eulogized three days later. His heart-wrenching speech pulled together the past, present, and future , deftly weaving together Bobby's writings, the grief of his family and the nation over his brother's death, and his own vision for the future.

#74. Mario Savio's "Bodies Upon the Gears"

Delivered Dec. 2, 1964, in Berkeley, Calif.

Mario Savio was a student leader during the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, which worked to end the school's restriction on students' political speech. Known for his fiery speeches, Savio delivered his most famous one during a sit-in at Sprout Hall, advocating for civil disobedience: "There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part! ... And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels...and you've got to make it stop." This inspired hundreds to occupy an administrative building overnight , and they continue to inspire countercultural and anti-government movements around the world.

#73. Jesse Jackson's "1984 Democratic National Convention"

Delivered July 18, 1984, in San Francisco, Calif.

Perhaps one of the biggest shifts in 20th-century politics was the "great reversal" of each political party's key constituencies: White Southerners became overwhelmingly Republican while black voters abandoned the party of Lincoln in favor of the Democratic presidents who worked to pass civil rights legislation. In the '80s, Democrats thought they should pivot back to the whites who'd abandoned the party, but civil rights leader Jesse Jackson's 1984 DNC address proposed an alternative: build a "rainbow coalition" that "makes room" for diversity, including black, Latino, young, Native American, environmentalist, activist, union, and LGBTQ+ voters. The strategy seems to have worked, if the diversity of the candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination is any indication.

#72. John L. Lewis, "Labor and the Nation"

Delivered Sept. 2, 1937, in Washington D.C.

Powerful unions like the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations—whose founding president was John L. Lewis —emerged in the 1920s and '30s. Lewis' speech lays out the long, occasionally bloody history of unions that brought them to this point and argues that the labor movement's fight for "peace with justice" shouldn't be seen as communist and should be supported by the people. It seems his speech fell on deaf ears, as unions were  significantly weakened in the 1970s and have been on the decline since .

#71. Margaret Sanger's "The Morality of Birth Control"

Delivered Nov. 18, 1921, at Park Theatre, New York

Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was one of the most outspoken advocates for every man and woman's right to access birth control and take control of their own family planning. In this speech, she argues that it is not immoral, as some claim, but rather that it's moral for children to be desired and that motherhood should " be the function of dignity and choice ." (She also argues that disabled and impoverished people might not be fit parents, echoing eugenicist ideas of the time , but her fundamental argument is a woman's right to choose.) Open access to birth control for married and unmarried couples wouldn't be realized until the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court decision established a constitutional right to privacy over reproductive choices.

#70. Shirley Chisholm, "For the Equal Rights Amendment"

Delivered Aug. 10, 1970, in Washington D.C.

Versions of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would enshrine women's equality into the Constitution, have been proposed since women earned the right to vote, but it didn't take off until the second-wave feminist movement began to push for its passage. Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in Congress, delivered an eloquent defense of the ERA in the face of arguments that its passage would do nothing to change sexist attitudes. It passed the Senate two years later but was never ratified by enough states—just one more state needs to do so for it to become law .

#69. Edward Kennedy's "Faith, Truth, and Tolerance in America"

Delivered Oct. 3, 1983, at Liberty Baptist College, Lynchburg, Va.

Polls from the 2018 midterms stuck to a trend that's been evident for decades: White Christians, particularly evangelical Protestants, overwhelmingly vote Republican. The rise of the evangelical or "religious" right in the 1970s, and America's increasing polarization, led to this point, but Senator Edward Kennedy's address at the evangelical Liberty University suggested it didn't have to be this way. The devoutly Catholic Kennedy argued that no one's "convictions about religion should command any greater respect than any other faith in this pluralistic society," leading to a robust separation of church and state . The connection between Americans is not, he suggests, a shared faith but rather " individual freedom and mutual respect ."

#68. Mary Church Terrell's "What It Means to Be Colored in the Capital of the United States"

Delivered Oct. 10, 1906, in Washington D.C.

A trailblazer half a century before the full force of the civil rights movement, Mary Church Terrell was one of the first African American women to earn a college degree. She spent her life working in the D.C. education system and the fight for black women's rights. Her hallmark speech detailed the discrimination and racism she and other African Americans experienced in the nation's capital and called on white listeners to realize the impact this oppression has on the future of black people living in D.C. and across the country.

#67. Winston Churchill's "Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat"

Delivered May 13, 1940, at the House of Commons, London, England

Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister following Chamberlain's failed attempts to prevent war with Nazi Germany through appeasement. Churchill wasn't an immediately obvious choice as his successor , as his reputation left him with few friends in Parliament, but he was the only man with enough experience willing to take on the job in the middle of a war. In his first speech to Parliament , he offered only his "blood, toil, tears, and sweat...to wage war against [the] monstrous tyranny" that was Nazi Germany. The sentiment won him the support of skeptics in Parliament and was the first in a trio of speeches that unified the country in the early years of the war.

#66. Wilma Mankiller's "On Rebuilding the Cherokee Nation"

Delivered April 2, 1993, in Sweet Briar, Va.

An activist from her early days, Wilma Mankiller became the first woman to be Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation after decades of community organizing. In her speech at Sweet Briar , Mankiller infuses her story with wry humor and keen insight while at the same time, with gravity, narrating the history of the Cherokee tribe and the deadly removals they faced at the hands of the U.S. government. Mankiller emphasizes trying to rebuild the community that endured within the Cherokee Nation despite all the removals. This theme was made all the more powerful when you remember that Native American children  were separated from their communities and forced into assimilationist boarding schools up through the 1970s.

#65. Russell Conwell's "Acres of Diamonds"

Delivered from 1900 to 1925, in multiple locations across the U.S.

The American Dream and the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" school of thought were  popularized in the Gilded Age , creating an ideology of success that proposes any person in the country can succeed, no matter their circumstance, as long as they work hard. Russell Conwell, a former minister, ushered this school of thought into the 20th century with the "Acres of Diamonds" speech, which claims it is "your duty to get rich," and, in general, that impoverished people are unsympathetic because it was their own shortcomings that got them there.

#64. Ellen DeGeneres' "Vigil for Matthew Shepard"

Delivered Oct. 14, 1998, in Washington D.C.

In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out, as did the character on her sitcom (becoming the first LGBTQ+ lead on a TV show), paving the way for more LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood. The following year, Matthew Shepard's murder sent shock waves through the LGBTQ+ community, evident in the angry, tearful speech DeGeneres gave at a celebrity vigil. She called out the hypocrisy of the church and framed Shepard's murder as "a wake-up call" for straight allies "to help us end the hate" and "raise your children with love and non-judgment." Already emerging as a spokesperson for LGBTQ+ rights, she gave voice to the rage and heartbreak many in the community, and across the nation, felt in the wake of the brutal anti-gay hate crime.

#63. Harry Truman's "Statement by the President Announcing the Use of the A-Bomb at Hiroshima"

Delivered Aug. 6, 1945, via radio address

On Aug. 6, 1945, modern warfare changed forever when the atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. In a radio address to the nation announcing both the development of atomic-bomb technology and the attack, President Harry Truman announced "let there be no mistake; we shall completely destroy Japan's power to make war" using the atomic bomb. Three days later, a bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, decisively ending the war in the Pacific.

#62. Harold Ickes' "What Is an American?"

Delivered May 1941, in Central Park, New York City, N.Y.

In this speech, Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior during the Roosevelt Administration, asks a question that we're still grappling with in one way or another today . Here, Ickes answers the question to advocate for American involvement in World War II, bemoaning the loss of America's "vaunted idealism" . He characterizes an American as someone who "loves justice," "will fight for his freedom" and "in whose heart is engraved the immortal second sentence of the Declaration of Independence." Ickes appeals to these ideals to establish the necessity of fighting the Nazi threat to democracy; however, the bombing of Pearl Harbor a few months later is ultimately what pulled the U.S. into the war.

#61. Golda Meir's "Speech That Made Possible a Jewish State"

Delivered Jan. 2, 1948, in Chicago, Ill.

As the fight between Israelis and Palestinians intensified over the land to form the Jewish state of Israel, David Ben-Gurion (who would become Israel's first Prime Minister) sent Golda Meir (who would become the third) to America to ask for money to finance the fighting from the American Jewish community. The speech, first delivered in Chicago , then across the U.S., appealed to a sense of unity within the community, suggesting that "if you were in Palestine and we were in the United States," the American Jewish community would do the same thing they did. She then asked for between $25 and $30 million to continue the fight; she returned home with $50 million to finance the effort.

#60. Rigoberta Menchú's "Nobel Peace Prize Lecture"

Delivered Dec. 10, 1992, in Oslo, Norway

Rigoberta Menchú is a fierce advocate for the rights of indigenous people, stemming from racism she's experienced in her home country and the violence that caused her to flee her home. She told her story that resulted in the book, "I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala," which shaped her into a spokeswoman for indigenous rights in the Western Hemisphere. She makes her universal message clear  in her Nobel Lecture , in which she declares her prize "constitutes a sign of hope in the struggle of the indigenous people in the entire Continent."

#59. Robert F. Kennedy's "On the Death of Martin Luther King"

Delivered April 4, 1968, in Indianapolis, Ind.

Brother to John F. Kennedy and candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, Robert F. Kennedy was at a campaign stop in Indiana when news came that Martin Luther King had been shot while marching with striking sanitation workers. His death would lead to marches and protests across the country but when RFK announced the death in Indianapolis, no violence broke out . Instead, in this short and powerful speech, Kennedy empathizes with those hurt by King's death, connecting it with his own brother's murder, and calls for unity and compassion in honor of King's legacy.

#58. Indira Gandhi's "What Educated Women Can Do"

Delivered Nov. 23, 1973, in New Delhi, India

Daughter of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the world's longest-serving female PM, Indira Gandhi had the kind of education that most Indian girls would never dream of receiving, especially in the 1930s and 40s. However, her own story doesn't figure into her famous speech on women's education, instead focusing on the need for more scientifically educated people , both men and women, so the country could achieve great things and become truly modern.

#57. Tony Blair's "Address to the Irish Parliament"

Delivered Nov. 26, 1998, in Dublin, Ireland

The relationship between Britain and Ireland had been characterized by centuries of colonialism and violence, culminating in the partition of Ireland and later the Troubles, decades of intense violence between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The two sides had made peace with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. British Prime Minister Tony Blair's address to the Irish Parliament a few months later marked the first time a British PM addressed an Irish parliament and affirmed that healing had begun and more could be accomplished by both nations when "our voices speak in harmony."

#56. Richard Nixon's "Checkers"

Delivered Sept. 23, 1952, via television broadcast

This speech, delivered when Nixon was a candidate for Vice President, might be named after the Nixon family dog, but the actual subject proves slightly less adorable. In it, Nixon used a television broadcast to directly answer accusations that he'd used political contributions to pay for personal expenses. He denied the allegations, laid out his financial history and proved his political intelligence by turning the question to the Democrats, asking their candidate to do the same. But what about Checkers the dog? Apparently, she was the only political contribution the Nixon's kept.

#55. Nelson Mandela's "Free at Last"

Delivered May 2, 1994, in Pretoria, South Africa

Decades earlier, Nelson Mandela made a name for himself for his anti-apartheid speech while on trial in Pretoria; now, after 27 years in prison, apartheid had officially ended and Mandela had become South Africa's first democratically elected president. "Free at last" is a reference to a Dr. Martin Luther King speech , showing how closely connected the anti-apartheid and civil rights movement were, though the two leaders never met. The speech emphasizes both the joy of the moment and continued work needed to build " a better life for all South Africans ."

#54. Nikita Khrushchev's "The Cult of the Individual"

Delivered Dec. 5, 1956, in Moscow, Russia

Very few men in the Soviet Union dared insult or question Joseph Stalin, a man who ordered the deaths of millions of his own people , including political rivals. It wasn't until after his death that his successor, Nikita Khrushchev, was willing to say that elevating an individual and worshiping a cult of personality went against the kind of communism that Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin espoused—the communism that formed the foundation of the Soviet Union's political philosophy. Khrushchev's denunciation of his predecessor shocked the world and offered the first thorough account of Stalin's crimes, but his motivations for giving the speech remain unclear.

#53. Franklin D. Roosevelt's "First Inaugural Address"

Delivered March 4, 1933, in Washington D.C.

President Franklin Roosevelt is lauded for guiding the United States through the thick of World War II, but upon first taking office, he was facing down a different kind of war: the one against the Great Depression. When FDR assumed office, the Depression was at its peak, with almost a quarter of the working population unemployed . His inauguration address emphasizes the enormous scale of the project it would take to rebuild the nation; still, he famously invigorated everyone listening by declaring that "  the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ."

#52. Betty Friedan's "Farewell to the National Organization of Women"

Delivered Mar. 20, 1970, in Chicago, Ill.

Betty Friedan's best-selling book, "The Feminine Mystique," got women talking about "the problem with no name" and is often credited with helping spark second-wave feminism. Her voice continued to have power even as she stepped down as president from the National Organization of Women. That day, she called for a general women's strike to be held on Aug. 26, 1970. Despite skepticism from media outlets, thousands of women heeded Friedan's call and took to the street that day—a physical manifestation of the feminist movement's enduring power.

#51. Malcolm X's "Message to the Grassroots"

Delivered on Nov. 10, 1963, in Detroit, Mich.

The divisions between the civil rights movement become obvious in "Message to the Grassroots," which contrasted the "Negro revolution" which was nonviolent and ineffectual, and the "black revolution," which was necessarily violent and had proved itself effective across Africa . This stands alongside the powerful but historically flawed distinction he makes between the self-hating "house slaves" loyal their white owners and "field slaves" as illustrative of X's criticism of black activists whom he thought were too eager to acquiesce to the white people whose oppression the movement was trying to overcome.

#50. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam: Breaking the Silence"

Delivered on April 4, 1967, in New York City, N.Y.

Though today Martin Luther King is revered by nearly all Americans as a powerful spokesman for equal rights and integration, not every political opinion was popular among the American public. Exactly one year before he was assassinated, King spoke out against the Vietnam War. He accused America of ignoring conflicts at home in favor of war abroad, pointing out the "cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools." Delivered several years before popular opinion on the war changed, King lost many of the powerful allies in government and media due to this speech .

#49. Bill Clinton's "Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Prayer Service Address"

Delivered April 23, 1992, in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Before President Bill Clinton became the nation's "consoler-in-chief" during Columbine, he had to face a nation mourning the 168 people killed in the Oklahoma City Bombing by two domestic terrorists angry about the FBI raid in Waco, Texas. The speech he gave at the memorial service reminded those who had lost loved ones that they "have not lost everything" because they "have certainly not lost America, for we will stand with you for as many tomorrows as it takes" to heal from the tragedy. The sentiment struck a chord with the American public, evident in the boosting of Clinton's poll numbers after the speech.

#48. Nora Ephron's "Commencement Address to the Wellesley Class of 1996"

Delivered June 3, 1996, in Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.

Commencement speeches are usually uplifting addresses to graduating seniors looking to inspire them before they begin the next chapter of their lives. Journalist, filmmaker, and writer Nora Ephron returned to her alma mater, Wellesley College, to discuss all the ways the world had changed for the better since she graduated but also offered a note of warning for the grads. "Don't underestimate how much antagonism there is toward women and how many people wish we could turn the clock back," she remarked , listing off current events that reminded the Wellesley graduates that feminism was still urgently needed at the close of the 20th century.

#47. Barbara C. Jordan's "Statement on the Articles of Impeachment"

Delivered: July 25, 1974, in Washington D.C.

As a newly minted State Senator in Texas, Barbara Jordan won over segregationists to pass an equal rights amendment in the state and became a hugely popular political figure in her state. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1973 just as the Watergate investigation was heating up, and there she gave a rousing political speech subtly advocating for the president's impeachment. Grounding her argument in the Constitution, she called on her fellow House members to use "reason, and not passion" to "guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision" as she just adeptly demonstrated.

#46. General Douglas MacArthur's "Farewell Address to Congress"

Delivered April 19, 1951, in Washington D.C.

President Harry Truman and five-star general Douglas MacArthur had a combative relationship, which heated up after the President relieved him of command of UN forces in the Korean War for insubordination. General MacArthur's speech before a joint session of Congress questioned Truman's decision not to take on China in the war, commenting that "War's very object is victory, not prolonged indecision." He received 50 standing ovations during the address while Truman's approval rating plummeted after firing a popular general and World War II hero.

#45. Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own" lectures

Delivered October 20 and 26, 1928, at Cambridge University, Cambridge, England

English author Virginia Woolf's lectures at the women's college at Cambridge are not remembered as stirring works of oratory, but rather as a book. "A Room of One's Own" is a foundational piece of feminist literary theory adapted from this pair of lectures that examines the different types of marginalization women have faced throughout history and the impact on their creative productivity. Among other things,  she posits that in order for women to write literature , they need a "room of one's own" or a private space and financial independence in order to write well—a revolutionary claim in late-1920s Europe.

#44. Joseph Welch's "Have You No Sense of Decency?" testimony

Delivered June 9, 1953, in Washington D.C.

Though not technically a speech, the exchange between Senator Joseph McCarthy and Joseph Welch, a lawyer hired by the U.S. Army, proved to be the final blow in the Wisconsin Senator's fall from grace . McCarthy had been conducting trials of suspected Communists since 1950 and everyone was beginning to tire of his methods. A heated back-and-forth erupted between the two men when McCarthy questioned whether one of the lawyers at Welch's firm had Communist ties, leading Welch to ask heatedly McCarthy, "Have you no sense of decency, sir?" With these famous lines, Senator McCarthy saw the last of his power evaporate and died three years later.

#43. Carrie Chapman Catt's "The Crisis"

Delivered Sept. 7, 1916, in Atlantic City, N.J.

Carrie Chapman Catt was a leading figure in the late stages of the American women's suffrage movement, founding the International Women's Suffrage Alliance and serving as president of the National American Women's Suffrage Association during the final push to pass the 19th Amendment. In "The Crisis," Catt outlines her plan to make pushing for a federal amendment to the Constitution NAWSA's priority. At the same time, she tied their fight for the vote to World War I in Europe and the broader fight for women's rights around the world. Ultimately, her instinct to focus on federal legislation instead of working state-by-state proved correct; white women gained the right to vote just three years after this address.

#42. Lyndon B. Johnson's "We Shall Overcome"

Delivered March 15, 1965, in Washington D.C.

One of the most stirring pieces of American rhetoric was written  by a hungover speechwriter in just eight hours , after President Lyndon B. Johnson decided he wanted to address Congress about the "Bloody Sunday" attacks against protestors in Selma, Ala. In it, Johnson called on all of America to join him in the cause of civil rights. He appealed specifically to white Americans, noting that "it's not just Negroes, but really it's all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome." The speech was interrupted for applause 40 times and brought civil rights activists to tears. And overcome they did; five months later, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.

#41. Geraldine Ferraro's "Vice Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address"

Delivered July 19, 1984, in San Francisco, Calif.

In her concession speech in 2016, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton noted that women have yet to shatter the "highest and hardest glass ceiling" of the American presidency or vice presidency. Very few have come close, the first being Geraldine Ferraro, Walter Mondale's VP pick in the 1984 campaign. In her acceptance speech, Ferraro demonstrates her adeptness as a politician, weaving critiques of the Reagan administration together with her career as an avid activist for women's rights. Though they would ultimately lose to the Republicans, Ferraro cemented her place as a prominent voice in the Democratic party and a trailblazer for women in politics .

#40. Richard Nixon's "Resignation Address to the Nation"

Delivered: Aug. 8, 1974, from Washington D.C.

The case against President Richard Nixon had been growing for years as more details about the Watergate scandal emerged. By August 1974, The Supreme Court ordered the release of tapes he made in the Oval Office, articles of impeachment were being drawn up, and Nixon had lost the support of members of his own party. Rather than suffer the shame of being the first president to be removed from office, Nixon opted to be the first president to resign in a speech highlighting his successes and the work that would need to be continued by his successor.

#39. Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation"

Delivered Dec. 8, 1941, via radio broadcast

World War II had been raging since 1939 across the Atlantic but America's historic reluctance to enter global conflict barred President Franklin Roosevelt from taking the direct action he wanted to support U.S. allies in Europe. That changed after the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, killing thousands of Americans. The next day, FDR took to the radio to report what had happened on this "date which will live in infamy" and called on Congress to declare war on Japan, which they did shortly after.

#38. Huey P. Long's "Share the Wealth"

Delivered Feb. 23, 1934, via radio broadcast

Also called the "Every Man a King" speech, Louisiana Senator Huey P. Long addressed the nation and laid out his radical plan to redistribute wealth between the richest and poorest Americans by capping fortunes and guaranteeing a basic income, among other radical policy proposals . This was a break from the Democratic Party's New Deal policies, which Long felt did not address wealth discrepancies that he believed caused the Great Depression. His embrace of radio to speak directly to the people won him many supporters to his cause; though he was assassinated the following year.

#37. Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points"

Delivered Jan. 8, 1918, in Washington D.C.

Woodrow Wilson and many others who lived through World War I wanted the deadly global conflict to be "the war to end all wars." The idealistic, progressive Wilson turned this desire into his Fourteen Points for world peace, which he later laid out before Congress after other combatants failed to articulate their aims in the war. Cornerstones of Wilson's peace plan included self-determination , free trade, open seas, and a League of Nations to enforce peace around the world—a plan that was ultimately hampered by Congress' refusal to join the League.

#36. Margaret Thatcher's "The Lady's Not for Turning"

Delivered Oct. 10, 1980, in Brighton, England

Margaret Thatcher took over as Prime Minister and leader of the Tory Party at a time when conservatism was becoming politically popular in much of the Western world (Ronald Reagan would be elected a month after this speech was given). In it, Thatcher lays out her opposition to changing the conservative economic policies she'd instituted, one that focuses on curbing inflation and removing economic regulations. It's most famous line, "'You turn [U-turn the economy] if you want to. The lady's not for turning!" fed into her formidable reputation as the Iron Lady of British politics.

#35. Ursula K. Le Guin's "A Left-Handed Commencement Address"

Delivered in 1983, at Mills College, Oakland, Calif.

Feminist science-fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin wasn't shy about interrogating the complexities of gender in her work, featuring everything from strong female characters to genderfluid aliens. Her famous commencement address  is shaped around some of her concerns regarding gender, pointing out that "women as women are largely excluded from, alien to, the self-declared male norms of this society," and that language itself is centered around men. Citing many famous feminists and women leaders of the era, Le Guin's speech provides a powerful call to action for women (and men) to "grow human souls" and work toward gender equality in their own lives.

#34. Harold Macmillan's "Wind of Change"

Delivered Feb. 3, 1960, in Cape Town, South Africa

The list of countries that have never been invaded by the British is shorter than the list of those that have, but by 1960, the British Empire no longer stretched around the world. British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan signaled this by visiting several British colonies in southern Africa before giving a speech to the South African Parliament announcing that England would no longer stand in the way of colonies wishing to become independent. In his opinion, the emergence of these new nations were the result  of "the wind of change...blowing through this continent," and there was nothing Parliament could do to stop them.

#33. Mikhail Gorbachev's resignation

Delivered Dec. 25, 1991, in Moscow, Russia

The fall of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War, the conflict which defined almost every aspect of the post-World War II era. The Cold War didn't end with nuclear holocaust, as many had feared during the conflict's peak, but rather the resignation of executive President Mikhail Gorbachev after several Soviet bloc countries broke away from the USSR behind his back. In the speech he warned that though the country had acquired freedom, "we haven't learned to use freedom yet," so it was important to tread carefully—a warning that has a new salience as the country slides back into authoritarian rule under President Vladimir Putin.

#32. Frank James' "Suppressed Speech"

Delivered Nov. 1970, in Plymouth, Mass.

Wampanoag elder Frank James was invited to speak at a celebration at Plymouth in honor of the 350th Thanksgiving. Organizers objected to his portrayal of the Puritan Pilgrims and white settlers as people who "sought to tame the 'savage' and convert him," but James had refused to read the more PR-friendly speech they gave him. James instead held a protest nearby that has since become the annual Day of Mourning , in which indigenous Americans come to protest and speak out about their experiences.

#31. Jawaharlal Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny"

Delivered Aug. 14–15, 1947, in New Delhi, India

The struggle against the British Empire on the Indian subcontinent finally came to a triumphant finish with Jawaharlal Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny" speech just before midnight on the eve of India's independence. He honors Gandhi as the leader of the movement, as well as the victory they achieved. He also alludes to the Partition that split India and Pakistan into two countries, as well as the sectarian divides between Hindus and Muslims—problems that still plague the country today.

#30. Sacheen Littlefeather's speech at the 1972 Academy Award ceremony

Delivered March 27, 1973, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Marlon Brando shocked the Academy Awards when he refused his Oscar for mobster classic "The Godfather." Instead, he sent indigenous activist Sacheen Littlefeather to refuse the award and give her a platform to protest the treatment of Native Americans in Hollywood, and more importantly, bring attention to the standoff between federal agents and Native Americans at Wounded Knee that was under a media blackout. Littlefeather delivered a shortened version of his message amid boos; The New York Times later printed Brando's letter in its entirety , and the media blackout at Wounded Knee was lifted.

#29. Bill Clinton's "Presidential Address to Columbine High School"

Delivered May 20, 1999, at Dakota Ridge High School, Littleton, Colo.

One of the most difficult jobs of the U.S. President is to act as "consoler-in-chief" when tragedy strikes the nation. President Bill Clinton found himself in that position—and, in the eyes of many, set the standard for future American leaders —after the shooting at Columbine High School left 12 students and one teacher dead. In the speech given a month after the tragedy, Clinton traveled to Colorado to offer support to grieving families and try to come to terms with an event that " pierced the soul of America ."

#28. Eleanor Roosevelt's "On the Adoption of the Declaration of Human Rights"

Delivered Dec. 9, 1948, in Paris, France

Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated her life to human rights around the world, serving as the chair of the United Nations Human Rights Commission after World War II. In that position, she pushed for creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which lays out 30 articles affirming " that man must have freedom in which to develop his full stature and through common effort to raise the level of human dignity."

#27. Stokely Carmichael's "Black Power"

Delivered Oct. 29, 1966, in Berkeley, Calif.

Stokely Carmichael firmly believed in nonviolent protest in the early days of the civil rights movement, but as the years wore on, he became convinced that "black power for black people" was needed to jump-start the next phase of the civil rights project. Black power, later adopted by groups like the Black Panther Party, required a sense of solidarity between black people and the election of black representatives. As his speech demonstrates , this wasn't an inherently violent concept, but rather questions the notion of nonviolence because, as Carmichael points out, "white people beat up black people every day—don't nobody talk about nonviolence."

#26. Aung San Suu Kyi's "Freedom from Fear"

Delivered Jan. 1 1990, in Myanmar (formerly Burma)

Daughter of the founder of the modern Burmese military and a key figure in Burmese independence, Aung San Suu Kyi followed in her father's footsteps to become a leader in the push for democratic government in the country. The military placed her under house arrest on-and-off for over 20 years while she continued to push for democracy, including in this speech, which calls for "a united determination to persevere in the struggle, to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influences of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear." She ascended to governmental power in 2010 with global praise and hope for change, but the recent ethnic cleansing of a minority group in the country threatens her legacy as an advocate for freedom .

#25. Emmeline Pankhurst's "Freedom or Death"

Delivered Nov. 13, 1913, in Hartford, Conn.

The early decades of the 1900s brought new energy and activism to the push for women's suffrage in England, just as it did in the United States and Canada. Emmeline Pankhurst delivered this speech on a fundraising tour of the U.S. after a long period of hunger striking and arrests, using imagery from the American Revolution and other powerful metaphors to justify militant tactics adopted by her group in the push for the vote.

#24. Severn Cullis-Suzuki's "Speech to the UN Summit in Rio"

Delivered in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Twelve-year-old Severn Cullis-Suzuki became "The Girl Who Silenced the World for Five Minutes" after she stunned the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development with a plea for older generations to work to improve the environment. Her demand that "If [adults] don't know how to fix it, please stop breaking it!" echoes those of modern child climate activists like Greta Thunberg, who has led a worldwide movement of school strikes pushing for action on the climate crisis.

#23. Nellie McClung's "Should Men Vote?"

Delivered Jan. 29, 1914, in Winnipeg, Canada

The Canadian women's suffrage movement was kicked into high gear when prominent activist Nellie McClung turned a rejection of the request for the vote into a piece of theater. Drawing on humor and showmanship, she presented a mock trial of men asking women legislators for suffrage, arguing that "manhood suffrage has not been a success in the unhappy countries where it has been tried," among other satirical moments. McClung later campaigned against the party that previously denied her the right to vote, finally winning suffrage for white Manitoban women in 1916.

#22. Ronald Reagan's "Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate"

Delivered June 12, 1987, in West Berlin, Germany

It might be hard to believe, but, coming just a few short years before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union, President Ronald Reagan's cry of "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" didn't make much of a splash when he first gave his speech. It didn't reach its status as a famous piece of American political rhetoric until the wall actually began to come down in 1989. While some scholars claim it helped Reagan build support for his plans to work with the Soviet Union, others believe the Wall's destruction had far more to do with reforms going on inside the USSR.

#21. William Faulkner's Nobel lecture

Delivered Jan. 10, 1950, in Stockholm, Sweden

Author of stories rooted in the American South, William Faulkner's Nobel lecture ( for a prize he didn't even want! ) spoke to deeply American concerns. He addresses the difficulty in creating art in an age of anxiety over atomic destruction, noting that until a writer relearns their craft under this condition, " he will write as though he stood among and watched the end of man ." He ends the address rejecting this possibility, offering a surprisingly hopeful view in an age characterized by fear of a nuclear holocaust.

#20. John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address

Delivered Jan. 20, 1961, in Washington D.C.

One line from President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address has endured in the American imagination for nearly half a century: "My fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." However, Kennedy's call to public service has overshadowed the fact that most of the speech focused on global issues. As Kennedy was elected near the height of tensions in the Cold War, he felt the need to address both the Soviet Union and allies abroad to reassure them of his competency and desire for global peace.

#19. Lou Gehrig's "Farewell to Baseball Address"

Delivered July 4, 1939, at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, N.Y.

The crowd at Yankee Stadium sat silent as Lou "The Iron Horse" Gehrig addressed his retirement from baseball after being diagnosed with a disease that would later be named after him. Declaring himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth," he spoke briefly of the "awful lot [of things] to live for," including his fans, his teammates, and his family members. Following the address, he received a two-minute standing ovation and was showered with gifts and praise.

#18. Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches"

Delivered: June 4, 1940, in London, England

In the first five weeks after he took over as Prime Minister, Winston Churchill gave three major speeches addressing the worsening war in France. The second of these dealt with the intensifying situation in France. Implying that battle might come to Britain, he declared that "we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets" and never surrender. Parliament praised the rousing address, but the public didn't hear it in Churchill's own words until after the war had ended and caused public pessimism after it was read by broadcasters .

#17. Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India"

Delivered Aug. 8, 1942, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India

Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi became the face of Indian independence as he organized the "Quit India" movement, which, as he laid out in the speech to fellow leaders , would coerce the British to voluntarily leave India using nonviolent protest. His fellow leaders agreed, passing a resolution to that effect, but thousands of arrests followed and Gandhi's speech was suppressed. Underground presses published his speech, and his call to "either free India or die in the attempt" became a rallying point for the movement.

#16. Nelson Mandela's "I am prepared to die"

Delivered April 20, 1964, in Pretoria, South Africa

The address Nelson Mandela gave instead of testimony at his trial for alleged sabotage became the defining speech of the anti-apartheid movement—and of his legacy as an advocate for equality in South Africa. In it, he argues that his cause is correct and explains his views, before launching into his famous conclusion, in which he states a free and equal state is "an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Mandela was sentenced to life in prison but did not die there, instead continuing his advocacy from prison before his release 27 years later.

#15. William Jennings Bryan's "Against Imperialism"

Delivered Aug. 8, 1900, in Indianapolis, Ind.

Perennial presidential candidate (but never winner) William Jennings Bryan advocated against American imperialism shortly after U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War allowed the country to begin building an empire. He appealed to American ideals, pointing out the lack of "full citizenship" offered to Puerto Ricans and Filipinos, and decried the "gun-powder gospel" that argued imperial wars should be fought due to Christianity. Unfortunately, his status as perennial presidential loser continued into the early 1900s and none of his proposed reforms were taken into consideration.

#14. Dolores Huerta's speech at the NFWA march and rally

Delivered April 10, 1966, in Sacramento, Calif.

Dolores Huerta worked alongside César Chávez to establish the National Farm Workers Association and direct the Delano grape strike, where she quickly emerged as a leading feminist figure. Her speech at the NFWA march illustrates her dedication and zeal , exclaiming "La huelga [the strike] and la causa is our cry, and everyone must listen. Viva la huelga!" Huerta's success with the Delano strike led to continued labor organizing and support for feminist causes, activities which she continues today.

#13. Gabriel García Márquez's "The Solitude of Latin America"

Delivered Dec. 8, 1982, in Stockholm, Sweden

Gabriel García Márquez, storied Colombian author whose books "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera" helped fuel the Latin American literature boom, used his Nobel acceptance speech to make a political statement . In it, he spoke of Latin America's isolation in the world, despite decades of imperialism and outside influence in the region. However, with the same magical realism for which his writing was famous, he envisioned " a new and sweeping utopia of life ...where the races condemned to one hundred years of solitude will have, at last and forever, a second opportunity on earth."

#12. Ryan White's "Testimony before the President's Commission on AIDS"

Delivered: March 3, 1988, in Washington D.C.

Born with a rare blood disorder, Ryan White became infected with HIV as a young child because of the factor 8 used for his treatment, which was collected using untested, anonymous blood donors. After his diagnosis in 1984, White attempted to return to school but faced huge stigma and attempts to bar him from the classroom, experiences which formed the basis of his testimony before the commission. This speech, and the court battles over his schooling, led to his becoming a leading HIV/AIDS activist, dispelling myths about the disease for the American public before his death in 1990 at 18.

#11. Elie Wiesel's "The Perils of Indifference"

Delivered April 12, 1999, in Washington D.C.

Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel survived the Holocaust as a teenager, losing his family in the process. The experience fueled his lifelong activism ; he became an educator about the Holocaust and advocate of victims of other atrocities, such as apartheid in South Africa and genocides around the world. His "Perils of Indifference" speech criticized those who ignored the horrors of the Holocaust and reminded listeners that " indifference is not a response " and "in denying [victims] their humanity we betray our own."

#10. Anita Hill's Opening Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee

Delivered Oct. 11, 1991, in Washington D.C.

Anita Hill's testimony at the Supreme Court confirmation of Clarence Thomas, alleging that he sexually harassed her, proved to be a powerful and occasionally painful day in Washington D.C. Hill, a black woman, shared her experience staring down a Senate Judiciary Committee composed entirely of white men, who have since admitted to mishandling Hill's testimony . Thomas was confirmed to the bench despite Hill's allegations, but her testimony in part spurred record-breaking numbers of women to run for elected office and is seen by some as a precursor to the modern #MeToo movement.

#9. Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Women's Rights are Human Rights"

Delivered Sept. 5, 1995, in Beijing, China

Advisors to then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton advised her to soften her rhetoric in her speech at the United Nations Fourth World Congress on Women , but Clinton refused, seizing the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the abuse of women in China and around the world. Though she is not the first person to declare " human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights, once and for all," she popularized use of the phrase on that day, in a speech that defined Clinton's career apart from her husband's. Since then, it's become a rallying cry in the fight for women's rights and became a focal point in Clinton's 2016 bid for president.

#8. Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address

Delivered Jan. 6, 1941, in Washington D.C.

Delivered just under a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union emphasized the value of democracy in a world embroiled in a devastating war. It's most famous for FDR's declaration of the four freedoms : freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want (meaning economic security), and freedom from fear (meaning global disarmament and prevention of wars).

#7. César Chávez's "The Mexican American and the Church"

Delivered: March 10, 1968, in Delano, Calif.

César Chávez is an iconic figure in movements for labor rights and Latino rights due to his organization and leadership of the National Farm Workers Association (alongside colleague Dolores Huerta), particularly during the five-year Delano grape strike. Chávez adopted historical tactics of nonviolence and resistance, such as fasting; after breaking a 25-day fast, the religious Chávez spoke at a conference about the relationship between Mexican Americans and the church, calling on the ministry to use their " tremendous spiritual and economic power " to support the striking farm workers. His work with the NFWA formed a cornerstone of the Chicano Movement that pushed for Mexican American rights in the 1960s and beyond.

#6. Harvey Milk's "Hope Speech"

Delivered June 25, 1978, in San Francisco, Calif.

Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, used his "Hope Speech" as his stump speech during his 1977 run for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; he expanded on it for its final delivery at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade the following year. The rousing speech emphasizes the importance of electing LGBTQ+ leaders so that young LGBTQ+ people across the country surrounded by homophobia can have those to look up to and regain their hope. Milk's life was cut short when he was assassinated only months later, but he continued to inspire hope as a martyr for the LGBTQ+ movement.

#5. Malcom X's "The Ballot or the Bullet"

Delivered April 12, 1964, at King Solomon Baptist Church, Detroit, Mich. (also delivered nine days earlier in Cleveland)

Malcolm X stands alongside Martin Luther King as one of the leading figures of the civil rights movement, but X's advocacy for black nationalism and defeating racism by "any means necessary" often conflicted with King's support for integration and nonviolent protest. "The Ballot or the Bullet," considered by many to be one of Malcolm X's best orations, urges African Americans to exercise their power at the ballot box in the 1964 election and select leaders who will pass civil rights legislation and care about issues affecting black communities.

#4. Dennis Shepard's "Statement to the Court"

Delivered Nov. 4, 1999, in Laramie, Wyo.

Matthew Shepard, a young gay man attending college in Laramie, Wyo., was beaten to death in an apparent hate crime in October 1998. His father gave an emotional impact statement to the court (since excerpted in several movies and plays about the crime), emphasizing the effect of his son's life and death on his family and the world. After their son's death, Dennis Shepard and his wife, Judy, helped to fulfill the promise he made "to see that this never, ever happens to another person or another family again" by advocating for the passage of hate crime legislation that became the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.

#3. Sylvia Rivera's "Y'all Better Quiet Down"

Delivered in 1973, at Washington Square Park, New York City, N.Y.

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, and the riots that resulted jumpstarted the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Sylvia Rivera participated in the riots that day (she's said to have thrown one of the first bottles at police) and began a storied career as an activist . Rivera, a transgender Puerto Rican woman, wasn't afraid to call out what she saw as shortcomings in the movement; she delivered her "Y'all Better Quiet Down" to the crowd at the Christopher Street Liberation Rally, decrying white, middle-class gay men and lesbians for ignoring transgender people and other marginalized voices in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

#2. John F. Kennedy's "We choose to go to the moon"

Delivered Sept. 12, 1962, at Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas

In 1962, the U.S. and Soviet Union were in the thick of the Space Race, and the U.S. government was fighting over how much money to put into the project to put a man on the moon. With this speech , President Kennedy put an end to the squabbling; he laid out why it was important for the U.S. to lead the way to the stars and famously declared, " We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." This speech inspired the American people, and the Apollo mission was made a priority, leading to Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon on July 20, 1969.

#1. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream"

Delivered Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington D.C.

While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was giving a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, gospel singer (and King's close friend) Mahalia Jackson spurred him to go off-script , calling out, "Tell them about the dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!" He did, and today, King's dream that his four children "live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" is one of the most lauded pieces of American rhetoric. It cemented King's place as the face of the civil rights movement, for which he's still celebrated today. Pictured here is Martin Luther King (center) leading the "March on Washington" the day he gave the speech. 

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137 leading scholars of American public address were asked to recommend speeches on the basis of social and political impact, and rhetorical artistry. See this news release about the top 100 speeches list for more information.

See also the Oxford University Press anthology by Lucas and Medhurst: Words of a Century: The Top 100 American Speeches, 1900-1999 . Text,  Audio, Video of Address     Text,  Audio, Video of Address     Text,  Audio, Video of Address     Text,  Audio, Video of Address     Text,  Audio, Video of Address     Text,  Audio, Video of Address   Text,  Audio, Video of Address     Text,  Audio, Video of Address   . I'm delighted to be here with you this evening, because after listening to George Bush all these years, I figured you needed to know what a real Texas accent sounds like." PODCAST: HISTORY UNPLUGGED J. Edgar Hoover’s 50-Year Career of Blackmail, Entrapment, and Taking Down Communist Spies The Encyclopedia: One Book’s Quest to Hold the Sum of All Knowledge PODCAST: HISTORY UNPLUGGED Famous Speeches in History Throughout the ages politicians have used the power of a passionate speech to encourage and motivate people to their cause. Although we may remember quotes from some of the greatest speeches, the most famous ones are not only known for what was said, but what was accomplished. Socrates: “The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living” 4th century B.C. Although Socrates’ speech was not very successful back when he delivered it to a jury in Athens its content still has great significance today. Socrates could not sway the jury and was sentenced to death, but his speech has had a great influence on philosophy as we know it. Patrick Henry “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” 1775 In a church in Richmond, Patrick Henry gave this passionate speech to encourage his fellow Virginians to mobilize their forces against the British. Abraham Lincoln “The Gettysburg Address”, 1863 After 8,000 soldiers died at the Battle of Gettysburg , the community decided to build them a cemetery and asked Lincoln to deliver a speech at its inauguration. Although this speech was intended to be a casual afterthought and he wrote these 272 words on the back of an envelope while traveling by train, it was such an inspired work that it is known as one of the three founding documents of American liberty today. Susan B. Anthony “Women’s Right to Vote”, 1872 Susan B. Anthony was a co-founder of the National Women’s Suffrage Association and fought for women’s right to vote. She was arrested for voting in the presidential election in November 1872 and given a fine. With her speech, in which she pointed out that the U.S. Constitution referred to all American people and not only the male citizens, she paved the way for the eventual ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women voting rights. Winston Churchill “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”, 1940 Winston Churchill may have been born with a speech impediment, but he is known today for delivering some of the greatest speeches in history. When Allied Forces found themselves dangerously trapped in Dunkirk during the Battle of France, they had to be evacuated in a huge effort known as Operation Dynamo . On June 4, 1940 Churchill delivered this speech before the House of Commons, to report on what was actually a military disaster and to issue a warning of an invasion attempt by the Nazis while still inspiring optimism about eventual victory. Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream” August 28, 1963 In this very famous speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. called on Americans to stop racism in the U.S. In his speech, he painted a picture of his dream of equality and freedom in a land of hatred and slavery . “I Have a Dream” is ranked as one of the top speeches that shaped modern America. Cite This Article Submit a comment cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. How Much Can One Individual Alter History? More and Less... Why Did Hitler Hate Jews? We Have Some Answers Reasons Against Dropping the Atomic Bomb Is Russia Communist Today? Find Out Here! Phonetic Alphabet: How Soldiers Communicated How Many Americans Died in WW2? Here Is A Breakdown Collectibles The 10 Most Important and Influential Speeches in History by history tools May 25, 2024 Throughout history, the spoken word has demonstrated a remarkable power to inspire change, influence minds, and shape the course of human events. While countless speeches have been delivered over the centuries, a select few stand out as pivotal turning points that defined an era and left an indelible mark. What sets these speeches apart is a combination of the historic significance of when they were given, the rhetorical brilliance of the speaker, and the lasting impact of their message. As a historian, I‘ve analyzed hundreds of notable speeches, and in my expert opinion, these are ten of the most important and influential in world history: 1. Pericles‘ Funeral Oration (431 BC) Pericles, the famed Athenian statesman, delivered this classic oration near the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War. Honoring soldiers who had died defending the city-state against Sparta, Pericles used the occasion to champion Athenian democracy and ideals. In the speech, he extolled the unique virtues of Athens, praising its system of government, glorious achievements, and the unflinching bravery of its citizens. "Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states," Pericles declared. "We are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves." Pericles‘ oration exemplifies the political rhetoric of ancient Greece. Its influence endures to the present day, with many scholars regarding it as a masterpiece of persuasive speaking. The speech itself is also a valuable historical source documenting the Athenian self-image and value system during the classical era. 2. Pope Urban II‘s Speech at the Council of Clermont (1095) Pope Urban II‘s fiery sermon at the Council of Clermont launched the First Crusade and initiated centuries of religiously-motivated conflict. Speaking to a large crowd of French clergymen and nobles, Urban called for Christians across Europe to take up arms, travel to the Holy Land, and liberate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Urban‘s speech was a masterful work of persuasion. He painted vivid pictures of Christians being tortured and holy places desecrated. He promised spiritual rewards for those who took up the cause. "All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea… shall have immediate remission of sins," he proclaimed. Thousands responded to Urban‘s call, setting off a major historical chain reaction. The crusades had profound and far-reaching consequences for relations between the Christian and Muslim worlds that reverberate to this day. Urban‘s speech thus stands as an enormously influential example of the power of rhetoric to inspire action on a mass scale. 3. Martin Luther‘s Speech at the Diet of Worms (1521) In 1521, German monk and reformer Martin Luther was summoned before the Diet of Worms and ordered to recant his famous 95 theses criticizing practices of the Catholic Church. In a dramatic moment, Luther refused to back down, declaring "Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen." As a key figure in the Protestant Reformation, Luther‘s act of defiance was enormously significant. His speech crystalized his challenge to papal authority and defense of the primacy of individual conscience and scriptural interpretation. Soon after, Luther was excommunicated and his writings banned, but the wheels of the Reformation were already in motion. Luther‘s bold stand inspired others to break with the Church and join the growing reform movement. Within a few decades, Protestantism had spread across much of northern Europe, fundamentally altering the religious landscape and course of Western civilization. The echoes of Luther‘s forceful words continue to shape Christian thought and identity to the present. 4. Patrick Henry‘s "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" Speech (1775) With revolution brewing in the American colonies, Virginia statesman Patrick Henry delivered this rousing call to arms at the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond. As debates raged over whether to organize a militia to resist British rule, Henry argued forcefully in favor of preparing for war. Henry‘s speech is renowned for its ardent, uncompromising language and palpable sense of urgency. "The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave," Henry proclaimed. His speech built to a stirring crescendo with its immortal closing lines: "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Henry‘s impassioned words helped carry the day, with the convention voting to organize a militia. His speech exemplified the revolutionary fervor and rhetoric of the American patriots and has endured as shorthand for the founding generation‘s commitment to the cause of independence. 5. Frederick Douglass‘ "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" Speech (1852) Delivered to a large anti-slavery gathering in Rochester, New York, this powerful speech by abolitionist leader and former slave Frederick Douglass held a mirror to America‘s glaring hypocrisy on issues of race and freedom. Speaking on July 5th, Douglass used Independence Day as a vehicle to highlight the evils of slavery and the nation‘s failure to extend liberty to all. With biting irony, Douglass asked "What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?" He went on to catalog slavery‘s horrors in excruciating detail. Douglass‘ speech was a masterclass in moral rhetoric and a searing indictment of American society. It exemplified Douglass‘ skill as an orator and the uncompromising nature of his advocacy. Douglass‘ words contributed to the rising anti-slavery sentiment in the years before the Civil War and remain startlingly relevant to this day as the nation still grapples with living up to its founding creed. 6. Abraham Lincoln‘s Gettysburg Address (1863) On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a cemetery for Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech for the ages. In just 272 words, Lincoln encapsulated the very meaning of the Civil War and the promise of America‘s founding ideals. Lincoln‘s masterful use of parallelism and repetition emphasized his key themes of equality, freedom, and democratic government. "We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain," Lincoln intoned, "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." The Gettysburg Address redefined the American experiment and crystalized the higher purpose behind the Union cause. It stands as perhaps the most iconic distillation of American values ever uttered. Lincoln‘s words not only consecrated the sacrifice of the fallen soldiers but with soaring, poetic language, held out the promise of a "new birth of freedom" for the nation. The speech endures as a north star, guiding Americans to live up to their highest ideals. 7. Emmeline Pankhurst‘s "Freedom or Death" Speech (1913) As a leader of the British women‘s suffrage movement in the early 20th century, Emmeline Pankhurst was instrumental in the campaign to secure women the right to vote. Her 1913 speech in Hartford, Connecticut defended the increasingly militant tactics adopted by suffragettes and laid bare the stakes of the struggle. Pankhurst described the humiliating and often brutal treatment suffragettes endured in their fight for equality. "Where peaceful means had failed, revolutionary means must be applied," she declared. In explaining their resolve, she avowed "We will put the enemy in the position where they will have to choose between giving us freedom or giving us death." Pankhurst‘s speech exemplified the ferocity and commitment of the suffragettes and the hardships they were willing to endure in pursuit of their righteous cause. Her words helped galvanize support for women‘s suffrage on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1918, Britain granted some women the right to vote, though full voting equality wasn‘t achieved until 1928, shortly after Pankhurst‘s death. 8. Winston Churchill‘s "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" Speech (1940) In the early days of World War II, as a German invasion of Britain appeared imminent, Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered a defiant address to Parliament that embodied the fighting spirit of the nation. Churchill‘s soaring rhetoric and vow to never surrender in the face of Nazi aggression rallied the British people. Churchill‘s mastery of language and ability to connect with his audience were on full display. "We shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be," he thundered, "we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." The speech was a crucial moment for Churchill and for Britain. It aimed to boost morale, stiffen resolve, and signal defiance to the enemy. Radio broadcasts spread Churchill‘s words across the globe, with the speech becoming an iconic symbol of British courage and perseverance in their "finest hour." Historians widely regard it as a decisive moment that helped turn the tide of the war. 9. Jawaharlal Nehru‘s "Tryst with Destiny" Speech (1947) On the eve of India‘s independence from Britain in August 1947, the country‘s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivered this historic address to the nation. Against the backdrop of the partitioning of India and Pakistan, Nehru used the occasion to reflect on India‘s long freedom struggle and share his vision for the country‘s future. "Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny," Nehru began, referring to India‘s centuries-long subjugation, "and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge." He spoke of India‘s great contributions to world civilization and the challenges that lay ahead in fighting poverty, inequality, and disease. The speech is renowned for its poetic language and the sense of history being made. Nehru‘s words captured the profound emotions and aspirations of the world‘s largest democracy at its birth. With radio carrying his speech across the subcontinent, Nehru‘s address was a defining statement of Indian identity, purpose, and resolve. It reverberates as a touchstone in India to this day. 10. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963) On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech for the ages. Speaking to a massive crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King‘s address was a defining moment of the American civil rights movement and an iconic call for justice and equality. King‘s mastery of language and delivery, his use of metaphor and historical and religious allusions, all created an unforgettable impact. He used a phrase from a traditional hymn to express his stirring vision in terms that still resound: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.‘" The televised speech reached a vast audience and contributed to the groundswell of support for civil rights legislation. King‘s words gave voice to the hopes and dreams of generations who had suffered discrimination and oppression. Today, the speech endures as one of the most recognizable and quoted in American history, and continues to inspire those fighting for social justice. Metrics and data on selected speeches: Speech Audience Size Contemporaneous Media Coverage "I Have a Dream" speech -250,000 in person -TV audience: 40 million -Front page headlines in newspapers nationwide – Lead story on network TV news Gettysburg Address -15,000-20,000 in person -Printed in newspapers nationwide -Mixed reviews, with some criticizing speech as inadequate "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech -Parliament in person – Radio broadcast to millions -Printed in newspapers nationwide -Excerpts published internationally -Elevated Churchill‘s stature Foner, E. (2014). Give Me Liberty!: An American History. W. W. Norton & Company. Garrow, D. J. (1986). Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. William Morrow & Co. Hansen, D. D. (2003). The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech that Inspired a Nation. Ecco. Keegan, J. (1989). The Second World War. Viking. Manchester, W. & Reid, P. (2012). The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965. Little, Brown and Company. In summary, each of these speeches stands as a turning point in history – through the power of their language, the passion of their delivery, and the lasting significance of their message. From ancient times to the modern era, they exemplify the vital role of oratory in shaping human events. While only a sample of history‘s most important addresses, these speeches had an outsized impact in defining their times and continue to resonate long after their echoes faded away. As a historian, I believe studying the context and impact of these pivotal moments of eloquence and persuasion provides invaluable insight into the tides of history and the human condition. Related posts: 10 Profound Quotes About Knowledge From History‘s Greatest Minds 10 Empowering Quotes About Motivation From Eminent Figures Throughout History Uncovering Russia‘s Overlooked Democratic Legacy Riches to Ruins: The History of London from the Romans to the Great Fire A Regal Legacy: 10 Iconic Pieces from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection That Showcase the Evolution of Royal Fashion Wrapped Up: The Fascinating History and Evolution of Condoms The Most Expensive Historical Items Ever Sold at Auction: A Historian‘s Perspective 10 Extraordinary Love Stories That Changed History History’s Greatest Speakers and Their Greatest Speeches Speakers throughout history have used their influence and public appeal along with some of their greatest speeches to inspire and unite people during times of struggle. It requires a unique combination of intellect and charisma to captivate large audiences. The best speakers have met moments of great adversity with words both vigorous and poignant, giving voice to the challenges of their time. In my opinion, a great speaker is not one who simply entertains, but one who inspires individuals, despite their seemingly disparate interests, to act in a unified manner towards a worthy goal. There are several people in our present day who possess this innate ability. Undoubtedly, their impact on history will be determined in the future. For now, I have chosen just a few speakers who have appeared in lists time and time again of the best speakers throughout history. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and my methodology was simply to include individuals who during times of great strife, chose to inspire people with their words, leading people to some sense of hope and resolve. As always, I encourage you to engage in this discussion in our comments section. Who are some of your favorite speakers from the past or present? Let us know. 1.  Abraham Lincoln [VIDEO] Abraham Lincoln Mini Bio Despite what you’ve heard, Abraham Lincoln was not a  vampire hunter  at any point in history. However, President Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president, was one of the greatest speakers America had ever seen. The Civil War was a time of great divisions, and at a moment where the fate of the country was at stake, Abraham Lincoln emerged as a leader capable of bringing his nation’s citizens back together. On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave his most famous speech and what is perhaps one of the greatest speeches ever written, “ The Gettysburg Address .” According to the  Lincoln Memorial’s website , the speech lasted only two minutes, but its impact continues to carry on. Never underestimate the power of a few well chosen words. Enjoy more historical facts about this famous speech at the  Lincoln Memorial Interactive Website . Including videos, pictures, and general information about visiting the historical site. 2.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. [VIDEO] MLK Mini Bio Another great speaker and leader, Martin Luther King Jr. brought together people of all races in America, in many ways carrying on Abraham Lincoln’s vision for an America where, “all men were created equal,” and should be treated as equals. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of tremendous conviction. He was willing to risk being imprisoned, assaulted, and ultimately gave his life for the cause of Civil Rights. Martin Luther King Jr. spent his entire life dedicated to liberating the oppressed in America and seeking an end to racial segregation, a circumstance he knew all to well from his childhood growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. He led the famous Montgomery Bus Boycotts, was a proponent of nonviolent social change, and delivered his most famous speech, “ I Have a Dream ,” to over 200,000 people. The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. lives on. His teachings continue to be shared with the world through his surviving family members, and through the work they do via  The King Center  based in Atlanta, Georgia. 3.  John F. Kennedy [VIDEO] JFK Mini Bio John F. Kennedy was the nation’s 35th president. According to the  White House Official Website , he was a figure of many firsts. He was the first Roman Catholic President, and sadly “Kennedy was the youngest man to be elected president; he was the youngest to die.” JFK most famously delivered the line, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” His words mobilized America’s people at a time of great uncertainty. JFK’s gifts as an orator were well known, and his ability to unite people from all walks of life was an astounding accomplishment. One can only wonder what he might have achieved had he lived longer. His assassination on November 22nd, 1963 is a moment few who were living during the time will forget. Much like the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the attacks of September 11th, his tragic death marks a critical point in American history. 4.  Dwight D. Eisenhower [VIDEO] Dwight D. Eisenhower Mini Bio As a general he emerged victorious from World War II, and his tenure as president was one of many other victories. Eisenhower’s most famous speech seemed to be not only an address, but a warning. As a military man, Eisenhower knew all too well what war meant. He knew that its costs were great, and that its existence would not quickly fade away. His speech warning of the “Military Industrial Complex,” is among my favorite speeches of all time. It’s part premonition and part world-weary wisdom from a man who’d seen the consequences of war up close and personal. Much of what he said can be seen in our current foreign affairs, and it would be interesting to know what he might think of today’s political climate. 5.  Winston Churchill [VIDEO] Winston Churchill [quote] You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory there is no survival.”[/quote]Our final speaker, Winston Churchill, was a man of fiery proclamations and great determination. Winston Churchill was a British Politician and former Prime Minister, most well known for his leadership in the UK during World War II. His most famous speeches are his, “ Iron Curtain ,” and “ Their Finest Hour ,” to the House of Commons. A summary of his  most famous quotations are available at the Churchill Centre Website , and many of his other speeches are located there as well. Great speakers have the ability to bring people together when circumstances seem to be pulling them apart. As time goes on, many great speakers will continue to emerge, and if they choose their words well, we’ll continue to remember them for generations to come. What do you think Studio 602ers? What are some of the greatest speakers and greatest speeches of all time? Sound off in the comments below! You might also like Victor – A very nice post. Great selections. I have long been an admirer of Churchill’s oratory skills as well as been a student of his leadership skills. I agree with you that those who stand up to incredible challenge at times of great strife and provide both moral, principaled and resolute leadership have given some of the best speaches of all time. How can you possibly leave out Patrick Henry (“Liberty or death”), Socrates, and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount? Interesting selection, though based on your heading, I find your selection biased. What about Cicero’s numerous speeches, such as In Catilinam? There is a reason this speech’s first words for years was used by typographers as a test page. If ever there was a teacher of rhetorics, it was Cicero. In ‘Verdens litterturhistorie’ (History of the Literature of the World), vol. 1, he is unsurprisingly presented as ‘Cicero, teacher of Europe’. Looking forward to your reply. Not that the subject matter of his speeches were positive, but as far as raw delivery skills Hitler was in the top five best speakers of all time Trackbacks & Pingbacks […] https://blog.pencils.com/historys-greatest-speeches/ […] […] https://blog.pencils.com/historys-greatest-speeches/  […] Leave a Reply Leave a reply cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Educator Discount Program Terms of Service The Big Think Interview Your Brain on Money Explore the Library The Universe. A History. The Progress Issue A Brief History Of Quantum Mechanics 6 Flaws In Our Understanding Of The Universe Michio Kaku Neil deGrasse Tyson Michelle Thaller Steven Pinker Ray Kurzweil Cornel West Helen Fisher Smart Skills High Culture The Present Hard Science Special Issues Starts With A Bang Everyday Philosophy The Learning Curve The Long Game Perception Box Strange Maps Free Newsletters Memberships 7 of the greatest public speakers in history A speech is more than a set of spoken words. It’s a combination of the speaker, the context, the language, and these things working together can make it far greater than the sum of its parts. In that vein, we compiled some of the greatest public speakers of all time, people whose words changed the course of societies and defined eras. Winston Churchill When Paris fell to the Nazis on June 14, 1940, England began to steel itself for the brunt of the Axis powers on the Western front. Winston Churchill, who had taken over as prime minister just a month prior, delivered his famous “Our Finest Hour” to a country bracing itself for full-scale attack. In 1953, Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in part for his speeches, which he wrote himself. In his history of World War II entitled “The Storm of War,” Andrew Roberts writes : “Winston Churchill managed to combine the most magnificent use of English — usually short words, Anglo-Saxon words, Shakespearean. And also this incredibly powerful delivery. And he did it at a time when the world was in such peril from Nazism, that every word mattered.” John F. Kennedy Few speeches are as oft quoted as John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, which he spent months writing. Kennedy’s ability to speak as if he was having an authentic conversation with an audience, as opposed to lecturing to them, is one quality that made him such a compelling communicator. Standing accused of crimes including corrupting the youth of Athens, Socrates had a choice: defer and apologize to his accusers for his alleged crimes, or reformulate their scattered accusations into proper legal form (thereby embarrassing his accusers) and deliver an exhaustive defense of the pursuit of truth, apologizing for nothing. He chose the latter and was sentenced to death. Part of Socrates’ “ Apology ” includes: “How you have felt, O men of Athens, at hearing the speeches of my accusers, I cannot tell; but I know that their persuasive words almost made me forget who I was – such was the effect of them; and yet they have hardly spoken a word of truth. But many as their falsehoods were, there was one of them which quite amazed me; – I mean when they told you to be upon your guard, and not to let yourselves be deceived by the force of my eloquence.” Adolf Hitler Hitler was well aware that mastering the art of public speaking was crucial to his political career. He wrote all of his speeches himself, sometimes editing them more than five times. He practiced his facial expressions and gestures, and he was adept at interweaving metaphor and abstract ideas into his speeches about political policy. Martin Luther King Jr. The strong musicality of Martin Luther King Jr.’s rhetoric is perhaps just as recognizable as the words “not be judged on the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King drew inspiration from Shakespeare, the bible, his own past speeches, and numerous civil rights thinkers to write his “I Have a Dream” speech, one of the most famous of all time. James Baldwin Until his death in 1987, James Baldwin pushed the conversation about race in America forward with his carefully intense social criticism. He traveled extensively throughout his life, saying that “Once you find yourself in another civilization, you’re forced to examine your own.” Mister Rogers Mister (Fred) Rogers spent his life communicating soft-spoken yet direct messages of practical advice to children, ultimately earning him a Peabody Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rogers was an expert in using rhetoric to effectively communicate with any audience, not just children, a quality best evidenced in his appearance before a senate committee to save his show’s funding in 1969. 10 uplifting speeches from history that will inspire you in times of crisis Throughout history, leaders have made speeches that inspired millions and changed the course of history. Those speeches still inspire us today.  Famous speeches like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address still resonate today.  Lesser-known speeches like Hillary Clinton's "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" and Nora Ephron's commencement address are considered inspirational.  Visit Insider's homepage for more stories . While history is no stranger to crises, there are always leaders who come forward to help usher in more hopeful times by crafting and delivering impactful speeches.  Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Maya Angelou have all delivered speeches that inspired millions — and some even changed the course of history.  Take a look back at some of the most famous speeches from history that still move us today.  Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863 reminds people to honor those we have lost. President Abraham Lincoln gave a relatively short speech at the deadliest battle site during the Civil War on November 19, 1863. Although it wasn't meant to be monumental, some call it the best speech in history. In it, Lincoln tells his people that they must remember each and every person who fought and died on the battlefield, especially because every human is created equal.  "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here," Lincoln says in the address. "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." In 1938, Lou Gehrig gave his "Luckiest Man" that celebrated the beauty of life. On July 4, 1938, Lou Gehrig delivered a speech at Yankee Stadium after it was revealed that the baseball player had ALS. Although he was delivering devastating news to his fans in the speech, he instead focused on everything life has to offer.  "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth," he said in the speech. "I have been in ballparks for 17  years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans … So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for." Winston Churchill delivered the "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech in 1940, showing the strength of the human spirit. On June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed Parliament during a particularly difficult time in World War II. Smithsonian Magazine called it "one of the most rousing and iconic addresses" of the era. In the speech, the prime minister told his people that they would fight together and use all their strength to defeat their enemies.  "We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender," Churchill says in the famous speech .  In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave his "Quit India" speech, which encouraged peaceful protests. The day before the Quit India movement started, Mahatma Gandhi delivered an inspiring speech, on August 8, 1942 . In the speech, he told his people to resist the British government but to do so in a peaceful, organized manner. He focused on the benefits of a nonviolent uprising, which became the cornerstone of his beliefs.  The most famous line from the speech is: "I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours." John F. Kennedy delivered "The Decision to Go to The Moon" speech in 1961, proving humans know no bounds. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced to Congress and the world that the US was committed to sending an American to the moon. In the inspiring speech , the president explains the ambitious goal as one of necessity.  "Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, 'Because it is there,'" Kennedy said in his speech. "Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked." Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream Speech" in 1963 reminds people there is always something better on the horizon. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered what is arguably the most famous and most inspiring speech in American history. Before the historic March on Washington, King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and addressed the 250,000 attendees, calling for the end of discrimination and racism by dreaming about a brighter future.  "I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice," he said in the speech. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today." In 1993, Maya Angelou read her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" at Bill Clinton's inauguration in an attempt to bring the global community together. On the morning of President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, poet Maya Angelou delivered a moving speech when she read out her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning." It was the first time a poem had been recited at the ceremony since 1961 . In it, Angelou touched upon topics of equality and inclusion, and she attempted to inspire the world to unite under these principles. Part of the poem reads: "The river sings and sings on. There is a true yearning to respond to The singing river and the wise rock. So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew, The African and Native American, the Sioux, The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek, The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh, The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, The privileged, the homeless, the teacher. They hear. They all hear The speaking of the tree." Hillary Clinton delivered the "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" speech in 1995, saying those who are suppressed also have a voice. As the first lady, Hillary Clinton attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She was pressured to water down her message, but instead, she delivered a moving speech that still resonates today. In it, she said women who are held back by sexist governments should be set free and heard.  "If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for all," Clinton said in the speech. "Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard." Nora Ephron encouraged people to break the rules in her commencement address to Wellesley College in 1996. While Nora Ephron is known for penning some of the most famous films in the '80s and '90s, she also made a legendary speech at the 1996 Wellesley College graduation ceremony . In it, she inspired women to break free of the mold placed on them.  "Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there," Ephron said in the speech. "And I also hope you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women." She also said, "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." In 1977, Harvey Milk gave his "Give Them Hope" speech, urging people to celebrate their differences and to hold on to messages of hope. When he was running for local office in California, Harvey Milk delivered his "Give Them Hope" remarks as a stump speech . It was meant to rally supporters behind him, but it quickly became a speech of hope and celebration for the LGBT community.  "And the young gay people in Altoona, Pennsylvanias, and the Richmond, Minnesotas, who are coming out and hear Anita Bryant on television and her story. The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope," Milk said in his speech . "Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only are the gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the 'us-es.' The 'us-es' will give up." 8 inspirational speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. that aren't 'I Have a Dream' The most impactful event in every state that shaped US history 4 famous lines from legendary speeches that were made up on the spot 9 influential speeches that changed the world Main content 25 Speeches That Changed The World Posted by List25 Team , Updated on July 19, 2024 Blood, Sweat, and Tears Image Source In the middle of the largest war in history, for his first speech to the House of Commons as Britain’s Prime Minister on May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill proved that England was in more capable hands. He wasted no time in calling the people to arms as he echoed Theodore Roosevelt’s famous phrase of “blood, sweat, and tears. What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Frederick Douglass was a former slave and an “engineer” for the underground railroad who became an abolitionist. He was disillusioned by the effects of the Fugitive Slave Act, so when he was asked to speak on the Fourth of July celebration in 1852 in Rochester, New York, he took the opportunity to point out the hypocrisy of the nation in celebrating the ideals of freedom when it is mired by slavery. The Decision to Go to the Moon When the Soviet Union launched the first man into space, its government flaunted this as an evidence that communism is far superior over corrupt capitalism. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy boldly declared its decision in Houston, TX to put the first man on the moon, which was accomplished by the end of 1960. 40th Anniversary of D-Day A moving tribute to the Army rangers who perished in Pointe du Hoc on D-Day, this famous speech was delivered by President Ronald Reagan on June 6, 1984 to honor the original 225 rangers, only 90 of which survived and of whom almost all were in attendance. These soldiers fended off German attackers for two days without reinforcements. Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech A true master of written words, it was seldom that William Faulkner publicly displayed his talent for spoken word until he gave this famous speech on December 10, 1950 in Stockholm, Sweden for his contribution to American literature. As both the United States and the Soviet Union raced to develop more advanced nuclear weapons he gave a very scared nation hope with his inspirational speech. Resignation Speech The resignation speech delivered by George Washington on December 23, 1784 in Annapolis, Maryland at the end of the Revolutionary War supposedly brought tears to the eyes of the members of the Congress and to all the spectators present. As Major General and Commander in Chief, he had the possibility of retaining power but instead chose to do the right thing by tendering his resignation. It was so emotional and Washington trembled so much that he had to hold on to the parchment with both of his hands to keep it steady while delivering the speech. The Man with the Muck-rake Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man With the Muckrake”; address summed up the social and economic situation of the country on the historic day in 1906, when it was delivered. One of Roosevelt’s most important speeches, it is of inestimable value as a guide to the man and his era. Address to the Nation on the Challenger On January 28, 1986, millions of Americans were glued to their television sets as they watched seven Americans including the first-ever civilian astronaut, the 37-year-old school teacher Christa McAuliffe, lift off aboard the space shuttle Challenger. After just 73 seconds, the shuttle was consumed in a fireball sending everyone watching it into shock in what became known as the first death of astronauts in flight. A few hours after the disaster, President Ronald Reagan delivered a comforting speech from Washington, DC honoring the pioneers and providing comfort to the distressed citizens. The Third Phillippic Known as one of the greatest orators of all time, Demosthenes loved his city-state of Athens. However, while Philip II of Macedon became more daring in his incursions in the Greek peninsula, the Athenians were stuck in an apathetic stupor. He then employed his influential oratorical skills to awaken his fellow Athenians. Sick of his brethren’s apathy, he rallied them in 342 BC just as Philip was advancing on Thrace and boldly called them to action. After hearing his inspiring speech, they all cried out “To arms! To arms!” We Shall Fight on the Beaches Given at the House of Commons, London on June 4, 1940, this famous speech was given by one of the greatest orators of the 20th century despite being born with a speech impediment just like Demosthenes and the other greats before him. With his strong, reassuring voice, Winston Churchill boldly stated the following: We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender Duties of American Citizenship A speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in Buffalo, New York on January 26, 1883, it probed into the theoretical reasons why every citizen must be involved in politics and the practicality of serving in that capacity. People must not excuse themselves from politics just because they are too busy and then blame the government for its ineptitude. Farewell to Baseball Address The famous speech delivered by Lou Gehrig at the Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939 would go on forever as a tribute to his luminous career. Stricken with the crippling disease that now bears his name at a young age of 36, he spoke of things that he was grateful for rather than his declining health at a tribute given him where he was presented with plaques, gifts and trophies for his dedication to his record 2,130 consecutive games. Chief Joseph’s surrender speech Image Source This famous speech was given during a dark moment in American history when the military declared that Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe had to move onto a reservation in Idaho or face retribution. Though Chief Joseph tried to avoid violence, some of his tribesmen dissented and killed four white men. To avoid the backlash of the military, they all set out for Canada to find amnesty. They were just a mere 40 miles from the border, however, when they were defeated after a five-day battle. As they were in dire conditions, they had no choice but to surrender and Chief Joseph’s surrender speech on October 5, 1877 has been marked as one of the greatest moments of that period. Inauguration Address Image Source Incoming presidents around the world give their inaugural addresses, but there has never been anything more gripping than the one delivered by a very young, ambitious John F. Kennedy. As the 35th president of the United States, he embodied the fresh optimism of a nation that had just risen out of decades of war. As the citizens listened to his inaugural speech, they felt that the nation was headed towards a new frontier. Speech of Alexander the Great Alexander the Great was known for his great conquests but only a few knew of his oratory prowess. His talent for oration was developed while he was studying under Aristotle and he made used of it at the latter end of his conquests to motivate his men. After lording it over the Persian Empire for 10 years, Alexander decided to continue his conquest into India where they faced defeat against King Porus and his army. His men were weary from ten years of battle and they longed to go home. He then delivered a speech in 326 BC to inspire his men to continue on to fight and win which was just the motivation they needed. Abolition Speech William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament who converted to Christianity and later became an abolitionist. As a Christian, he sought to reform the evils within himself and the world and since one of the glaring moral issues of his day was slavery, he read up on the subject and met some anti-slavery activists. On May 12, 1789, he delivered his Abolition Speech before the House of Commons where he passionately made his case as to why the slave trade must be abolished. He also introduced a bill to abolish the trade and though it failed, it did not stop him from attempting to pass the bill year after year until finally, the Slave Trade Act was passed in 1807. Duty, Honor, Country Image Source General Douglas MacArthur was the now famous commander of Allied Forces in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. His chivalry, his experience in the battlefield, and his selfless sacrifice were all done for the sake of “Duty, Country, Honor”. This famous inspirational speech was given in 1962 while accepting the Sylvanus Thayer Award for outstanding service to the nation. His address was intended for the soldiers who would tread the same course he did, reminding them of their purpose in becoming soldiers. Image Source Mahatma Gandhi has become popular for pioneering non-violent civil disobedience tactics in gaining independence. As wars raged all over the world, India was fighting for its liberty as well from the rule of the British crown, which ruled the country for over a century. Quit India was delivered by Gandhi on August 8, 1942 as he espoused a completely non-violent movement to oust the British with the help of the National Indian Congress. This led to the passing of the Quit India Resolution, which gave the country independence from British rule. Their Finest Hour Image Source Delivered by Winston Churchill on June 18, 1940 in the House of Commons, it was his third and final speech during the Battle of France. The Germans invaded France on May 10, 1940, but France’s darkest hours came when Paris fell on the 14th of June, which led to its surrender. This left England as a lone bastion of democracy in Europe against Germany’s fascism. Churchill’s speech was very critical in boosting the morale of England’s citizens and soldiers to make that dark hour their shining moment. Funeral Oration Image Source Pericles, which was dubbed by Thuciydies as “the first citizen of Athens,” delivered this oratory piece in Athens in 431 BC. A statesman, general and an orator, he was a product of Sophistas, tutored personally by the great philosopher Anaxagoras. He was a highly persuasive orator who influenced Athenians to build hundreds of temples, including the famous Pantheon. His speeches also inspired Athenians to become the most powerful in Greece. However, his skills in rhetoric were put to the test on February 431 BC during the annual public funeral for those who were slain in the war. He stood to the occasion to laud the glory of Athens and in inspiring the Athenians that their fallen heroes have not died in vain, like what Abraham Lincoln did during the Gettysburg Address, two thousand years later. Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death Image Source One of the most famous speeches in recent history, this was delivered by Patrick Henry in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775. Henry had always been in the center of the brewing revolutionary sentiments in Virginia, but was particularly embroiled in the Stamp Act of 1764. He delivered his alleged “treason speech” for the Virginians to ban the act. As the tensions between the colonies and the Crown escalated with Massachusetts patriots preparing for war, he also persuaded his fellow Virginians to strengthen their defenses with this famous line, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Citizenship in a Republic Image Source Theodore Roosevelt was at the end of his term and to give his successor, President Taft, time to adjust to the position, he traveled to Africa and Europe. In Paris, France, he was invited to speak at the University of Paris where he delivered this famous speech on April 23, 1910. This powerful address delved on the requirements of citizenship and how democratic countries like the United States and France can stay tough and forceful amidst the fascist ideals of other nations. It was made famous by the “man in the arena” quote. I Have a Dream Image Source A speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963 in Washington DC, it is also considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. A century after the Gettysburg Address and the emancipation proclamation, the promise of full equality was not yet fulfilled. Black Americans still experienced racial discrimination, but amidst all these, the voice of Dr. King sent out a message of hope. The Gettysburg Address Image Source Delivered on November 19, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania by former US President Abraham Lincoln, this was considered one of the greatest speeches in the history of American rhetoric. One of the three founding documents of American freedom along with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, it was made up of 272 words and was 3 minutes long. After the Battle of Gettysburg where 8,000 soldiers died and were buried in shallow graves, the community decided to build a cemetery for them. In the inauguration of the cemetery, Lincoln was asked to deliver a short speech as a causal afterthought and he penned this on the back of an envelope on the train, but the product of pure inspiration has resounded even into the future generation. Sermon on the Mount Image Source Given by Jesus Christ in 33 AD, believers and non-believers alike often consider the Sermon on the Mount to be one of the most famous inspirational speeches ever given. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a more quoted, discussed, or revered piece of oration in all of history. Lists Going Viral Right Now Entertainment 25 mind-boggling examples of the mandela effect. Miscellaneous 25 hardest riddles ever (sure to stump you). 25 Best Movies Ever Made 25 Best Anime Of All Time That You Will Want To See (2022) 25 Strangest Phobias You Could Have 25 Cool Certifications That Are Usually Pretty Easy To Get 25 Creation Stories From Around The World 25 Most Powerful Marvel Characters (2022) 25 Of The Most Evil Serial Killers You Have Ever Known 25 Most Popular Animals On Google Search See also: 25 greatest unsolved mysteries ever ». Copyright © 2011 - 2024 List25 Inc. All Rights Reserved. List25® is a registered trademark. 15 Greatest Speeches That Changed The Course Of History Alexandra Hall  /  The thing about great speeches is that no matter how many years pass, they always leave an indelible impression on people’s minds. Memorable, motivating, and historical are just some of the many things that great speeches do for generations to come. The greatest speeches of all time have this capability of making you feel powerful and driven to always stand up for what is right, and just. Here Are Some Of The Greatest Speeches That Changed The Course Of History 1. john f. kennedy, inauguration address ., january 20, 1961. washington d.c .. Popularly and lovingly known as JFK, he was probably one of the most loved Presidents’ of the United States of America. His greatest speeches were the perfect combination of optimism, style, and leadership that catapulted his popularity and established him as one of the best orators of all time. When he made his famous inaugural address, it was clear that the helms of the country were in strong hands. “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility — I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. M y fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” Related: Speak like an Orator: How to Impress People with Your Speech 2. Martin Luther King Jr . “I Have a Dream” . August 28, 1963. washington, d.c.. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech is one of the most talked-about and greatest speeches of this lifetime. 100 years after slavery was abolished, black people were still discriminated against. They were spat on the streets, hosed down with water, denied entry into public places like restaurants, and were not treated like human beings. It was during this tumultuous time that MLK Jr. made his famous speech, which spoke about hope and basic human decency. “I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification – one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. The land where my father’s died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!” Related: 50 Inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes On Peace, Love and Equality 3. Chief Joseph, Surrender Speech . October 5, 1877. montana territory .. In the year 1877, the military had announced that the leader of the tribe Nez Perce, Chief Joseph along with his tribe had to shift to an Idaho reservation, or face consequences. In order to avoid any kind of confrontation and bloodshed, he heavily emphasized unity, togetherness, and peace. Unfortunately, some of the men in the tribe ended up killing four white men. After traveling for 1700 miles, and fighting the American army, they surrendered General Nelson A. Miles, in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana Territory. The speech he made while surrendering was nothing short of heartbreaking. “Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are – perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.” 4. Ronald Reagan. Addressing the nation about The Challenger. January 28, 1986. washington, d.c.. On January 28, 1986, the whole of USA tuned into their televisions and radios, to witness 7 Americans take off in a space shuttle, known as The Challenger. Unfortunately, just 73 seconds later the whole shuttle was consumed by a fireball, and every person inside the shuttle died. Naturally, the whole country was shattered, and this is when the incumbent President, Ronald Reagan stepped in and made one of his most notable speeches of all time. “We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We’ve grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers. The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’” You can hear the full speech here . 5. Winston Churchill. “We Shall Fight On The Beaches” . June 4, 1940. house of commons, london .. During the battle of France, the entire Allied forces were trapped in the Dunkirk bridgehead due to being cut off from all sides by the German troops. On May 26, a humongous evacuation effort was made for the trapped troops, which was famously known as Operation Dynamo. After the evacuation was done, Churchill spoke in the House of Commons, and delivered one of his most famous speeches. “The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” 6. Charles de Gaulle. The Appeal Of 18 June. June 18, 1940. london .. In June 1940, when it was evident that France was losing their motherland to Germany, Charles de Gaulle made his memorable speech. Since he refused to sign an armistice, he was forced to resign from his position, and his successor, Marshal Phillippe Petain worked towards fostering peace with Germany. Since he was vehemently against this decision, he escaped to England and obtained Winston Churchill’s permission to make a speech on the BBC radio. “But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No! This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not over as a result of the Battle of France. This war is a worldwide war. All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day. Vanquished today by mechanical force, in the future we will be able to overcome by a superior mechanical force. The fate of the world depends on it.” You can read the full speech here . 7. Alexander, The Great. 326 b.c.; hydaspes river, india. When Alexander decided to conquer India, he bit off more than he could chew. After fighting for 10 years, his men were exhausted and did not want to fight another battle. They simply wanted to go back home. In order to instill motivation in his men, he made this rousing speech to drive them to fight and win. “I could not have blamed you for being the first to lose heart if I, your commander, had not shared in your exhausting marches and your perilous campaigns; it would have been natural enough if you had done all the work merely for others to reap the reward. But it is not so. You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labor and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all. The conquered territory belongs to you; from your ranks, the governors of it are chosen; already the greater part of its treasure passes into your hands, and when all Asia is overrun, then indeed I will go further than the mere satisfaction of our ambitions: the utmost hopes of riches or power which each one of you cherishes will be far surpassed, and whoever wishes to return home will be allowed to go, either with me or without me. I will make those who stay the envy of those who return.” 8. George Washington. Resignation Speech. December 23, 1784. annapolis, maryland.. When the Revolutionary War was on the verge of ending, almost everyone believed that George Washington would make a grab for supreme power. But he surprised everyone by doing the exact opposite because he realized that that would be detrimental for America. He made his famous Resignation Speech in front of the Continental Congress and emphasized oh how doing the right thing is not always easy. It still remains one of this greatest speeches. “I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my Official life, by commending the Interests of our dearest Country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping. Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theater of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.” Related: This Mind-Blowing Speech By Morgan Freeman Will Make You Question Every Life Decision You’ve Made 9. Socrates. The Apology Speech. 399 b.c. athens.. Being the open-minded person Socrates was, and not to forget one of the greatest, he was swiftly arrested on charges for “corrupting the minds of the youth”. But Socrates never begged for his freedom, rather he accepted the charges and tried to convince his jury. However, he was sentenced to death by hemlock. “Someone will say: Yes, Socrates, but cannot you hold your tongue, and then you may go into a foreign city, and no one will interfere with you? Now I have great difficulty in making you understand my answer to this. For if I tell you that to do as you say would be a disobedience to the God, and therefore that I cannot hold my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say again that daily to discourse about virtue, and of those other things about which you hear me examining myself and others, is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living, you are still less likely to believe me.” 10. Mahatma Gandhi. Quit India Movement. August 8, 1942. india.. When India was fighting to win back it’s freedom and respect from the ruthless British empire, Mahatma Gandhi was at its forefront. Gandhi along with other leaders pushed the British to quit India, hence the name. Since he believed in the principle of non-violence, he started the Quit India Movement with one of the greatest speeches known to mankind. “I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours. I read Carlyle’s French Resolution while I was in prison, and Pandit Jawaharlal has told me something about the Russian revolution. But it is my conviction that inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of violence they failed to realize the democratic ideal. In the democracy which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for independence.” 11. William Faulkner. Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech. December 10, 1950. stockholm, sweden.. Prior to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, William Faulkner had never disclosed his flair for the verbose. Naturally, there was a lot of curiosity regarding his acceptance speech. Due to the ongoing political tension in the country, he clearly said that instead of being afraid, it is imperative that every human being focus on the human spirit, and work towards peace and prosperity. “I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet’s, the writer’s, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet’s voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.” 12. Abraham Lincoln . Second Inaugural Address. March 4, 1865. washington, d.c.. When Abraham Lincoln came to power for the second time, he did not focus on his victory. Rather, he appealed to the nation and said that the war was happening between two brothers, and the secession of the South was relatively not possible. He was also ready to be lenient with the South. “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” 13. Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount. 33 a.d. jerusalem.. The Sermon Of Mount speech by Jesus Christ is probably the most famous and the greatest speech of all time. There is probably no other speech in this world that has been quoted, dissected, or spoken about so much. This speech has given both believers and non-believers alike, something to discuss even two thousand years later. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” See Matthew Chapter 5-7 for the entire speech. Related: 15 Enlightening TED Talks on Emotional Intelligence 14. Frederick Douglass. “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” July 5, 1852. rochester, ny.. Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, former slave, and an outspoken advocate of the anti-slavery belief. His thinking was way ahead of his times, and his speeches made even liberal people feel uncomfortable and hang their heads in shame; even though he was always unanimously applauded by his audiences when he was finished. “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?” 15. Pericles. Funeral Speech. 431 bc. athens .. Pericles is considered to be one of the greatest orators of all time. He was mentored by the great philosopher, Anaxagoras. His speeches motivated and inspired Athenians to fight to become the greatest power in Greece. In February 431 B.C., when he was asked to give the funeral oration for the fallen heroes, he did not concentrate on the conquests and gave one of the greatest speeches ever. Rather, he focused on the glories of the country and inspired the people to not let the sacrifices go in vain. Did you know that his funeral oration inspired Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address? “So died these men as became Athenians. You, their survivors, must determine to have as unfaltering a resolution in the field, though you may pray that it may have a happier issue. And not contented with ideas derived only from words of the advantages which are bound up with the defense of your country, though these would furnish a valuable text to a speaker even before an audience so alive to them as the present, you must yourselves realize the power of Athens, and feed your eyes upon her from day to day, till the love of her fills your hearts; and then, when all her greatness shall break upon you, you must reflect that it was by courage, sense of duty, and a keen feeling of honor in action that men were enabled to win all this, and that no personal failure in an enterprise could make them consent to deprive their country of their valor, but they laid it at her feet as the most glorious contribution that they could offer.” We hope you liked this compilation of the greatest speeches of all time. Let us know in the comments down below, which one was your favorite. If you want to know more about the greatest speeches of this world, then check this video out below: — Share — — about the author —, leave a reply cancel reply. You must be logged in to post a comment. Super Blue Moon in Aquarius: Your Full Moon Horoscope for August 19, 2024 Seeing Their Name Everywhere? Here Is What The Universe Might Be Trying To Tell You 5 Eye-Opening Signs You Were Raised in Survival Mode How To Know If They’re Missing You: 7 Spiritual Clues You Should NOT Ignore! 10 Tips For Re-Entering The Workforce As A Single Mother 7 Harmful Effects Of Gender Stereotypes in Childhood   10 timeless wisdom from rumi quotes for your heart and soul. Rumi quotes and wisdom have touched hearts for centuries, below are some lessons that will resonate deeply with your heart and soul.  Rumi was a 13th-century Turkish-Persian mystic whose love-filled words provide guidance that seems timeless yet deeply personal. If you are looking for consolation, inspiration , or gentle reminders about the beauty of life, then look no further than these Rumi quotes.  These timeless pieces of wisdom will uplift your spirit and enhance your journey through life. Allow yourself to be enchanted by the wonders of what teaching from this great man can do in changing how we see things around us; particularly when it comes to love. For The Busy Book Lovers: 9 Unputdownable Books You Can Read In A Day This August 9th is Book Lovers Day, and in honor of that, here are the best books you can read in a day to challenge and satisfy your mind! Whether you need something to do on a day off or could use some good news in story form there’s no wrong reason to reach for a quick read They range from self-help titles, and thrillers to romance novels — these quick reads on Book Lovers Day 2024 are enough as they won’t take up too much time on an already busy schedule.  So prepare to go on a literary adventure with 8 great books you can read in one sitting! But before that let’s find out why these fast-paced books are good for you… Why Quick Reads Matter? READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲ .ai-adsense-31 {display: inline-block; width: 300px; height: 250px;} /* Phone, default */ @media (min-width: 870px) {.ai-adsense-31 {width: 728px; height: 90px;}} /* Tablet */ @media (min-width: 970px) {.ai-adsense-31 {width: 970px; height: 250px;}} /* Desktop */ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Up Next Good Luck Or Bad Luck? The Hidden Meaning Of Broken Glass Ever had a shattered window or even just a glass slip from your hand? According to folklore, the breaking of glass is a bad omen. So, if you notice this phenomenon frequently, you might want to explore the meaning of broken glass. What could it mean, and how could it be affecting your life? Whether you’re breaking it yourself or finding it broken, pay attention! From dreams spiritual messages to feng shui meaning of broken glass and many more, it carries a lot of symbolism. Let’s look into the possible meanings and how they might help us better understand our lives and experiences. After all, everything happens for a reason. Breaking Of Glass And Its Superstitions Chiron retrograde 2024: lessons for these 4 zodiac signs. Curious about how Chiron retrograde 2024 will affect you? Or what lessons are waiting for your zodiac? Let’s see how this retrograde could influence the way you grow and heal as a person! The “wounded healer” asteroid Chiron will retrograde in Aries from July 26 to December 29, 2024, marking a time when it’s important for us to face our old hurts and learn how to heal them. This is especially true in relation to identity, bravery and self-assertion. You could feel a profound change if you belong to any of the affected star signs. Find out how this Chiron Retrograde 2024 will affect your zodiac sign! 5 Deadpool Quotes That Prove Life is Hilarious and Deep ‘Deadpool’ isn’t just any superhero film; it’s the film for all you sarcastic loving people, thanks to its hilariously foul-mouthed protagonist. And below are some Deadpool quotes about life that will show you how funny yet deep the movie is! The multiversal comedy-action duo Deadpool and Wolverine, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, are ready to entertain their fans. It has been six years since the last time we saw this superhero couple reunited on screen together again so you know it’s going to be good! While Ryan Reynolds is a comedic genius whose performance is power-packed, much of the success lies in Deadpool lessons and its brilliant dialogues. Deadpool and Wolverine team up with a mix of sarcasm, eccentricity, and hilarity. And making Wade Wilson a.k.a Deadpool one of the most relatable a Which Taylor Swift Album Describes You Best? Answer These 13 Questions To Find 0ut! 11. That’s how many life-changing eras Taylor Swift has given us. And chances are there is a Taylor Swift album for every stage of your life. But have you ever wondered which era defines you the best, the one that screams ‘you.’ Well, since you clicked on this Taylor Swift album quiz, it sounds like you’re ready to find out Maybe you’ve got that James Dean daydream look in your eye like 1989, feel caged like The Tortured Poets Department, are a careless man’s careful daughter like Speak Now, feel bejeweled like Midnights, or living for the hope of it all like Folklore. Answer these 13 Taylor-esque personality questions to find out which album best represents you! Taylor Swift Album Quiz Are you ready to find out which Taylor Swift album best matche 7 Subtle Traits That Will Make You Irresistibly Magnetic Attractiveness goes way beyond just physical looks. A nice smile or sharp style can catch someone’s eye, but it can only take you so far. So, how to attract people to your true self? The answer lies in your personality, attitude, and daily habits—these are the qualities that truly define your charm. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to completely change who you are to become more attractive. Often, it’s the small, everyday things you do that make the biggest difference in how others perceive you. Today, we’ll share some simple habits that can make you irresistibly attractive and teach you how to attract people naturally. 7 Simple Tips On How To Attract People Instantly — follow us —. Watch CBS News President Biden speaks on the stakes of the 2024 election, and on his place in history By Robert Costa Updated on: August 12, 2024 / 2:07 PM EDT / CBS News In his first interview since withdrawing from his re-election bid last month , President Biden told "CBS Sunday Morning" that he made his decision, in part, so that the Democratic Party could fully concentrate on what he believes is an urgent task at hand: preventing former President Donald Trump from regaining the White House. Speaking with CBS News chief election & campaign correspondent Robert Costa, Mr. Biden said that he made his historic decision at his family home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in late July, just weeks after his debate with Trump, which caused concern in some Democratic circles. "The polls we had showed that it was a neck-and-neck race, would have been down to the wire," Mr. Biden said. "But what happened was, a number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was gonna hurt them in the races. And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic. You'd be interviewing me about 'Why did Nancy Pelosi say…' 'Why did so-and-so…' And I thought it'd be a real distraction, number one. "Number two, when I ran the first time, I thought of myself as being a transition President. I can't even say how old I am; it's hard for me to get it outta my mouth. But things got moving so quickly, it didn't happen." Added to that combination, he said, was "the critical issue for me still – it's not a joke – maintaining this democracy. I thought it was important. Because, although it's a great honor being president, I think I have an obligation to the country to do what [is] the most important thing you can do, and that is, we must, we must, we must defeat Trump." President Biden announced his decision on Sunday, July 21, and addressed the nation from the Oval Office three days later, saying that he would not let anything, even "personal ambition," get in the way of "saving our democracy." Read President Biden's letter announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race Following his speech, he was joined by members of his family. Asked what he told them after his historic address, Mr. Biden replied, "It's what they said to me. They said – my grandchildren call me Pop, my children call me Dad. And they said they were proud, and it mattered to me a lot." Costa then asked about the president's late son, Beau Biden, who died in 2015. "When I saw you with your family in the Oval, I wondered, is he thinking of Beau, too?" Mr. Biden paused. "Look, I can honestly say that I think of him all the time. Whenever I have a decision that's really hard to make, I literally ask myself, 'What would Beau do?' He should be sitting here being interviewed, not me. He was really a fine man. You know, Beau was committed to my staying committed. We had a conversation toward the end when he was … we, everybody, we knew he wasn't going to live. And he said, 'Dad, I know, we know what's gonna happen. I'm gonna be okay, Dad. I'm all right. I'm not afraid. But Dad, you gotta make me a promise.' I said, 'What's that, Beau?' He said, 'I know when it happens, you're gonna want to quit. You're not gonna stay engaged …. Look at me. Look at me, Dad. Give me your word as a Biden. When I go, you'll stay engaged. Give me your word. Give me your word.' And I did. "And that's why – I had not planned on running after he died, and then Charlottesville happened." On August 12, 2017, white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia turned deadly when Heather Heyer, a civil rights activist, was murdered in what the Justice Department called a "hate-inspired act of domestic terrorism." Mr. Biden has long traced his decision to run in 2020 to that moment – the beginning of his journey to the presidency. Costa asked, "As you look at American democracy seven years later, how do you see it?" "When I spoke to the mom who lost her daughter as a consequence of neo-Nazis and right [wing], white supremacists coming out of fields in America with torches, carrying Nazi banners, singing the same, sick antisemitic bile that was sung in Germany in the '30s, and when her daughter was killed, the press went to then-President Trump and said, 'What do you think?' He said, 'There are very fine people on both sides.' I knew then, I knew I had to do something. And that's why I decided to run, because democracy was literally at stake." Mr. Biden explained that the Republican nominee's talk underscores his concerns that a second Trump term would undermine democracy. "He evidenced everything that we thought," Mr. Biden said. "Now, January 6th, attack on the Capitol, he talks about now, because he now talks about making sure they're all, you know, let out of prison. He's gonna pardon them. Think of this. Every other time the Ku Klux Klan has been involved they wore hoods so they're not identified. Under his presidency, they came out of those woods with no hoods, knowing they had an ally. That's how I read it. They knew they had an ally in the White House. And he stepped up for them." Mr. Biden said he is not confident that there would be a peaceful transfer of power should Trump [who refused to acknowledge his election loss in 2020] lose in November to Vice President Kamala Harris.  "If Trump wins ... I mean, if Trump loses, I'm not confident at all," Mr. Biden said. "He means what he says. We don't take him seriously. He means it. All the stuff about, 'If we lose, it'll be a bloodbath …' Look what they're trying to do now in the local election districts where people count the votes. They're putting people in place in states that they're gonna 'count the votes,' right?" Repeating his familiar maxim about politics in a democracy, President Biden said, "You can't love your country only when you win." Trump has said his remarks on Charlottesville were not intended to praise white nationalists, and that he was warning of economic carnage when he said "bloodbath." But Trump isn't the only thing on Mr. Biden's mind, with five months left in his presidency. Asked if he believes a ceasefire is possible in Israel's war with Hamas before he leaves office, Mr. Biden replied, "Yes. It's still possible. The plan I put together, endorsed by the G7, endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, et cetera, is still viable. And I'm working literally every single day – and my whole team – to see to it that it doesn't escalate into a regional war. But it easily can." When Mr. Biden entered office in early 2021, he had an ambitious agenda. Costa said, "Some Senators told me, in March of 2021, you took them into the Oval Office and pointed up at FDR's portrait and said, 'We're going big. We're going in that direction.'" "I did," Mr. Biden said. "And we have, with the great help of so many people. Look, democracy works. And it was very important to prove that it worked, prove that it worked. I mean, look at what we've been able to do: We created 16 million jobs, I mean, real new jobs. We've gotten around a brink of having the private sector invest over a trillion dollars – a trillion dollars – in the American economy. One of the things I fought for as a Senator for a long time was to change the dynamic of how we grow the economy, not from the top down, but from the bottom up. The idea of trickle-down economics doesn't work, in my view." Asked if he would project that pride in his administration's record by going on the campaign trail with Harris, Mr. Biden said yes. "I talk to her frequently, and by the way, I've known her running mate is a great guy. As we say, if we grew up in the same neighborhood, we'd have been friends. He's my kind of guy. He's real, he's smart. I've known him for several decades. I think it's a hell of a team." "To those who have expressed skepticism about how much you'll be on the trail, or about the rest of your term, raised questions about your health, what do you say to them?" asked Costa. "All I can say is, 'Watch.' That's all," Mr. Biden replied. "Look, I had a really, really bad day in that debate because I was sick. But I have no serious problem. "I was talking to Governor Shapiro, who's a friend. We have got to win Pennsylvania, my original home state. He and I are putting together a campaign tour in Pennsylvania. I'm going to be campaigning in other states as well. And I'm going to do whatever Kamala thinks I can do to help most." Mr. Biden talked with "CBS Sunday Morning" in the president's private residence, in the White House Treaty Room, where historic peace agreements have been signed, beneath a portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, the general-turned-president who labored to restore the Union after the Civil War. Asked how he wishes history to remember him, President Biden replied, "That he proved democracy can work. It got us out of a pandemic. It produced the single greatest economic recovery in American history. We're the most powerful economy in the world. We have more to do. And it demonstrated that we can pull the nation together. "Look, I've always believed, and I still do, the American people are good and decent, honorable people," he said. "When I announced my candidacy to run way back for President, I said, 'We've got to do three things: Restore the soul of America; build the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down; and bring the country together.' No one thought we could get done – including some of my own people – what we got done. "One of the problems is, I knew all the things we did were going to take a little time to work their way through," he continued. "So now, people are realizing, 'Oh, that highway, oh, that …' The biggest mistake we made, we didn't put up signs saying, 'Joe did it'!" Four years ago, what "Joe" did was defeat Donald Trump. Now, with Trump attempting to return to the White House, the president is sounding the alarm in a way sitting presidents rarely, if ever, do. "The stakes are that high to you?" asked Costa. "I give you my word, I think they're that high," Mr. Biden said. "Mark my words: If he wins this nomination, I mean, excuse me, this election, watch what happens. It's a danger. He's a genuine danger to American security. "Look, we're at an inflection point in world history, we really are," the president said. "The decisions we make in the last three, four years, and the next three or four years are going to determine what the next six decades look like. And democracy is the key. And that's why I went down and made that speech in Johnson Center about the Supreme Court. Supreme Court is so out of whack, so out of whack. And so, I proposed that we limit terms to 18 years . "There's little regard by the MAGA Republicans for the political institutions," he said. "That's what holds this country together. That's what democracy's about. That's who we are as a nation."         Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: Carol A. Ross.       WEB EXTRA:  President Biden on uniting Europe, making NATO stronger (Video) Robert Costa is the Chief Election & Campaign correspondent for CBS News, where he covers national politics and American democracy. More from CBS News House GOP claims Biden committed impeachable offenses, but next steps unclear The 2024 Democratic National Convention starts today. Here's what to know. Willie Brown threatens to sue Trump over helicopter ride story Blinken: It's "decisive moment" in Mideast cease-fire talks Search Please fill out this field. Newsletters Sweepstakes The 20 best Grey's Anatomy speeches that still have us in tears The doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital open our chests — metaphorically, not surgically — and tug at our heartstrings with their words. Senior Writer Grey's Anatomy may stress the ins and outs of being a surgeon — performing life-saving operations, stat; managing hospital emergencies; and facing astronomical pressure — but the series' most vital moments are the soapy monologues Shonda Rhimes and her writers have sprinkled throughout. Since debuting in 2005, ABC 's hit medical drama has delivered some of the most powerful speeches on primetime television, many of which have proven to have a long shelf life. For instance, Meredith Grey's ( Ellen Pompeo ) "Pick me, choose me, love me" spiel was an instant classic that gained even more traction among the TikTok generation, inspiring countless trends and popularizing the now-ubiquitous term "Pick Me" (a label for someone who craves approval and validation from a specific group). Rhimes' clever scripts have provided us with a slew of standout monologues, so we've decided to pick our all-time favorites. Read ahead to see which Grey's Anatomy speeches made the cut. "Pick me, choose me, love me" (season 2, episode 5) With Derek Shepherd ( Patrick Dempsey ) deciding whether or not to sign his wife Addison's ( Kate Walsh ) divorce papers, Meredith finally puts her foot down to profess her love for Derek "in a really, really big, pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your window, unfortunate way that makes me hate you." She then makes a final plea, asking him to "pick me, choose me, love me." Arguably the series' most famous speech, this monologue was later reworked in the season 19 season finale , where Meredith decides to leave Grey Sloan — and potentially leave behind her beloved Nick ( Scott Speedman ) — to work in Boston to be near her daughter (Aniela Gumbs). She tells Nick, "I want you in my life if you want to be in my life. But if I have to choose, I'm going to pick me, I pick my kids, and I pick what's best for us, and I'm not going to beg you to love me." "I could see the leaves" (season 5, episode 6) After sleeping with Callie Torres ( Sara Ramirez ), Erica Hahn ( Brooke Smith ) compares realizing she's gay to wearing glasses for the first time . "When I was a kid, I would get these headaches, and I went to the doctor, and they said that I needed glasses. I didn't understand that, it didn't make sense to me, because I could see fine," Erica says while tearing up. "And then I get the glasses, and I put them on, and I'm in the car on the way home, and suddenly I yell because the big green blobs that I had been staring at my whole life, they weren't big green blobs. They were leaves on trees. I could see the leaves. And I didn't even know I was missing the leaves. I didn't even know that leaves existed, and then...leaves! You are glasses." She then hilariously delivers a profound declaration: "I am so gay. I am so, so, so gay. I am extremely gay." "I see white sandy beaches " (season 5, episode 23) With Izzie stevens ( Katherine Heigl ) heading into surgery for her cancer, Alex Karev ( Justin Chambers ) begs her to tear up the DNR she signed ("You don't get to quit!"), but her response is even more heartbreaking: "Where your eyes are supposed to be right now, I see white sandy beaches. And there's an ocean behind your head, and there are ghosts wandering in and out. I can't live like this. And I can't live if something goes wrong in that surgery. I don't want any extraordinary measures taken to keep me alive. It's not what I want. I went crazy when Denny signed the DNR because I didn't understand. I didn't understand, but now I do and I need you to understand. I don't want you to go crazy. I want you to have a brilliant career and I hope that I get to be here for that, but if I can't, I just want to go to the other side. I don't know what's there, but it's got to be better than hospital beds and tubes down my throat. Please. Please don't cut LVADs. Just...if it comes down to it, just let me go. And right now, kiss me. Please, please just kiss me and close your eyes because the beach is so distracting." "I'm a good man in a storm" (season 6, episode 5) After Callie's father (Héctor Elizondo) all but disowned his daughter for being gay, Arizona Robbins ( Jessica Capshaw ) stands up for her love, delivering a rousing speech about how she got her name . She explains that her name isn't derived from the state but from the battleship, the USS Arizona , where her grandfather died heroically saving 19 men during Pearl Harbor. "Pretty much everything my father did his whole life was about honoring that sacrifice. I was raised to be a good man in a storm," Arizona tells Mr. Torres. "Raised to love my country. To love my family. To protect the things I love. When my father, Col. Daniel Robbins, the United States Marine Corp, heard that I was a lesbian, he said he had only one question.... 'Are you still who I raised you to be?' My father believes in country the way that you believe in God. And my father is not a man who bends, but he bent for me because I'm his daughter. I'm a good man in a storm. I love your daughter. And I protect the things that I love. Not that I need to. She doesn't need it. She's strong and caring and honorable. And she's who you raised her to be." "You don't get to call me a whore" (season 2, episode 24) In the midst of the "off" period of their on-again-off-again relationship, Meredith stands up to Derek after he chastises her choices in men. "When I met you, I thought I had found the person that I was going to spend the rest of my life with," she says with utmost conviction. "I was done. So all the boys, and all the bars, and all the obvious daddy issues, who cared? Because I was done. You left me. You chose Addison. I'm all glued back together now. I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke. You don't get to call me a whore." "I'm not Meredith Grey" (season 2, episode 25) With their co-workers in ear's reach, Addison finally snaps over being the other woman in her own marriage with Derek. "I want you to care. I sleep with your best friend and you walk away. He comes out here from New York and rubs it in your face, and still, you get a good night's sleep," she says to him. "What do I have to do? Oh, I know. Maybe what I should do is go out on a date with the vet, because that seems to be something that sends you into a blind rage. But, oh wait, that won't work either because I'm not Meredith Grey!" "I'm in the middle of a divorce" (season 6, episode 11) When a fellow doctor asks Miranda Bailey ( Chandra Wilson ) out for lunch, she lays out the intricacies of her life , plain and simple: "I'm in the middle of a divorce. People call me the Nazi, and it's not because of my ice-blue eyes. I spend 12 hours a day carving people up and I like it. I have a child and I have no room for casual anything. I'm angry all of the time, and deeply confused because a lot of people in my life let me down recently — one of them was me. It's devastating but not completely because it turns out, I like sleeping crosswise in the bed and not having to shave my legs. My 3-year-old used to be potty trained and now he isn't because his father no longer lives with us and his world no longer makes sense and the only thing he thinks he can control is his bladder. So, he urinates in a lot of places you'd wish he wouldn't urinate. You want lunch or you wanna show me the scan?" "You're my person" (season 2, episode 1) When Cristina Yang ( Sandra Oh ) tries to schedule her appointment for an abortion, she is only able to confirm it if she has a designated emergency contact. Sitting down at a bar, Cristina tells her new friend Meredith that she put her name down as her emergency contact , giving a new meaning to the saying, "You're my person." After Meredith leans her head on Cristina's shoulder, Cristina wryly says, "You realize this constitutes hugging," before Meredith replies with, "Shut up, I'm your person." "My dreams are coming true" (season 7, episode 20) Ahead of her and Callie's wedding, Arizona laments the loss of her brother and his absence at her impending nuptials. "When I came out to my brother, he asked me if that meant that I was gonna marry a chick. And when I said, 'Yes,' he had this big smile and he said, 'I'm gonna dance so hard at your wedding,'" Arizona recalls while shedding tears. "My dreams are coming true, dreams I didn't even know that I had, but my brother's not here. He's missing it... I need a minute to miss my brother." "The three words" (season 5, episode 21) Frustrated over Owen Hunt's ( Kevin McKidd ) curt responses during their break, Cristina confronts him, and he passes her a piece of paper filled with some three-word sentences suggested by his therapist. "They're all three-word sentences so I could have something to say to you instead of the three words that are...that are killing me," he reveals. "The three words that you know I feel but I can't say them, because it would be cruel to say them, because I am no good for you. I don't wanna torture you. I don't wanna look at you longingly when I know I can't be with you. So, yeah, I'm smiling and I'm saying, 'Take care now.' I'm letting you off the hook.... I'm just trying to make it right." "Today's the day my life begins" (season 5, episode 22) During their impromptu wedding, Alex's vows to Izzie detail his journey into becoming a man : "Today's the day my life begins. All my life I've been just me, just a smart-mouth kid. Today, I become a man. Today, I become a husband. Today, I become accountable to someone other than myself. Today, I become accountable to you, to our future, to all the possibilities that our marriage has to offer. Together, no matter what happens, I'll be ready. For anything, for everything. To take on life, to take on love, to take on possibility and responsibility. Today, Izzie Stevens, our life together begins. And I, for one, can't wait." "I don't build houses" (season 4, episode 17) With Derek dating Nurse Rose (Lauren Stamile), Meredith makes a move for his heart , using candles to build a life-sized blueprint of their future home. However, Derek showing up late makes Meredith spiral with conflicting emotions. "I had this whole thing about 'I was going to build us a house,' but I don’t build houses because I’m a surgeon," she cries out. "And now I’m here feeling like a lame-ass loser. I got all whole and healed and you don’t show up, and now it’s all ruined because you took so long to come home and I couldn’t even find that bottle of champagne.... I don't know if I trust you. I wanna trust you, but I don't know if I do, so I'm just gonna try. I'm gonna try and trust you because I believe that   we can be extraordinary together rather than ordinary apart." "Give me my dad" (season 6, episode 4) When their father needs a liver transplant, Lexie Grey ( Chyler Leigh ) pleads with Meredith to help save him , despite her sister having hostile feelings toward him. "You have his blood. And I know that he’s not your dad. I know that he was never there for you. And I would never ask you to give him anything. He doesn’t deserve a thing from you. He doesn’t. But he's...he's gonna die, Meredith," she says. "And so I’m asking you to give something to me. I’m asking...I am asking you to give me my dad. Because as crappy as he was to you, God, he was wonderful to me. He never missed a single dance recital. He was there at my 5th-grade graduation. What is that? That’s not even real. I know he’s not your dad, I know that. But, somehow, you have his blood and I don’t. So I’m asking you…give me my dad." "My hands felt his heart stop beating" (season 5, episode 7) When Owen accuses Cristina of going into medicine for the wrong reasons, she shares the story of how her father died , showing a rare vulnerability: "My dad died when I was 9. In a car accident, I was with him in the car. While we waited for the ambulance, I tried to keep his chest closed, so he wouldn't bleed so much. When he died, my hands felt his heart stop beating. That's why I do this." "What about me?" (season 2, episode 25) With Denny Duquette ( Jeffrey Dean Morgan ) possibly losing the heart transplant to another patient, Izzie begs him to let her cut his LVAD wire . When Denny says he's "going to be all right," she responds: "What about me? What about me when you go to the light? You'll be ok, you'll be fine, but what about me? So don't do it for yourself, do it for me.... You have to do this for me or I'll never be able to forgive you!" Denny: "For dying?" Izzie: "No! For making me love you!" "You don't freeze, you move forward" (season 5, episode 19) During his proposal to Meredith, Derek plasters brain scans of every memorable case he worked on with her inside the famed elevator that serves as a focal point of their relationship. "If there's a crisis, you don't freeze. You move forward. You get the rest of us to move forward because you've seen worse, you've survived worse. And you know we'll survive, too," he tells her. "You say you're all dark and twisty. That's not a flaw, it's a strength. It makes you who you are. I'm not gonna get down on one knee. I'm not gonna ask a question. I love you, Meredith Grey. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you." "I love you" (season 8, episode 22) Lexie professes her love for Mark Sloan ( Eric Dane ), but it comes too little too late as both die shortly after this. "I love you and I have been trying not to say it," she says. "I have been trying so hard to just mash it down and ignore it and not say it.... I am so in love with you. And you're in me. It's like you're a disease. It's like I am infected by Mark Sloan. And I just can't...I can't think about anything or anybody, and I can't sleep. I can't breathe. I can't eat. And I love you." "He is not the sun" (season 10, episode 24) Before Cristina leaves the hospital (and the show), she reminds Meredith not to let Derek "eclipse" her : "You are a gifted surgeon with an extraordinary mind. Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need. He's very dreamy. But he is not the sun. You are." "I'm out of debt" (season 1, episode 4) After Alex smears the locker room with photocopies of Izzie's Bethany Whisper ads, she is able to shut him up pretty quickly . "You wanna see it? Fine, let's take a look at that tattoo up close and personal, shall we?" Izzie says while angrily taking off her clothes. "What are these? Oh, my God, breasts! How does anybody practice medicine hauling these things around? And what have we got back here? Let's see if I remember my anatomy. Glutes, right? Let's study them, shall we? Gather around and check out the booty that put Izzie Stevens through med school. Have you had enough or should I continue because I have a few more very interesting tattoos? You wanna call me Dr. Model? That's fine. Just remember that while you're still sitting on $200 grand of student loans, I'm out of debt." "Guys like you don't see girls like me" (season 4, episode 8) When an old flame pops up in the hospital, Bailey feels as small as she did in high school, taking that frustration out on Derek . "Guys like you who don't see girls like me. We don't exist for you. We exist to do your homework. We exist to build your ego up. I am a successful married mother. I am chief resident. I am chief resident of a major metropolitan hospital. I'm a surgeon who saved his life today. And he still doesn't see me. I may as well still be that high school girl with the mushroom haircut and the coke bottle glasses and the band uniform. The girl who didn't get to go to the homecoming dance 'cause it didn't even occur to him to ask me. All those late nights tutoring him, and it didn't even occur to him to ask." Related Articles Tennessee Voices Teachable Moments David Plazas How to Submit Case against another Trump presidency is clear. Why can't MAGA supporters see clearly? Editor's note: The letters below reflect the views of individual readers. This letters to the editor package is dedicated to Middle Tennessee residents who oppose Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump. Scroll to the bottom to see how you can add your voice, whether you agree or disagree. We welcome diverse viewpoints. Trump and comedian Lenny Bruce are a lot alike In the early to mid-1950s, Leonard Alfred Schneider, famously known as Lenny Bruce, rose meteorically in the world of stand-up comic and became the most famous stand-up in the country. By the early 1960s, Bruce, having been arrested on any number of charges including theft, fraud, and obscenity, became so obsessed with his legal troubles that his performances often included rants about them, together with tirades against fascism, and complaints about being denied his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Consumed by his grievances and sense of persecution, Bruce’s career cratered. Is Donald Trump the Lenny Bruce of American politics? Robert Cobb, Brentwood 37027 Counterpoint: Tennessee supports Donald Trump. The rest of America should too and elect him president. How can “MAGA people” possibly not see Trump’s faults Re: “ MAGA people' care about freedom. That's why we're voting for Trump, not Kamala Harris,” letters, MAGA Republicans: I just don’t understand. Donald Trump’s presidency proved that he is the most unfit candidate in history, and yet you are willing to vote for him again. Doesn’t character count? He is mentally unstable, and you don’t care. He is a pathological liar, and yet you believe every word he says, without fact checking any of his statements. He is a convicted felon and you don’t care. He was found liable of sexual abuse, an adulterer, and a misogynist, and you don’t care. He is completely self-absorbed, narcissistic, and emotionally insecure, and you don’t care. He degrades women, demeans minorities, and attacks anyone who opposes him. He has called for the termination of the Constitution. He refuses to accept his defeat in the last presidential election, despite no credible evidence whatsoever that there was any fraud. The courts rejected every case brought to them. He has openly stated his plans to be a dictator. Doesn’t any of that bother you? The Republican Party plans to deport millions of immigrants and reduce the rights of women and members of the LGBTQ community. Both of those acts are immoral and unethical. They go against the main tenet of Christianity: Love your neighbor. How can you not care? Donald Trump is only running for president to avoid a prison sentence. He constantly bashes this country. Do you really believe he has any desire to help anyone but himself? He is fundamentally unwell. He has no moral compass. He is evil. Yet, you just don’t care. I believe character counts. Why don’t you?  Dennis Bentley, Hendersonville 37075 GOP immigration policies put America in danger Some people have a confused and narrow understanding of immigration. Although we need limits, when a bill came up on immigration that both sides agreed to, Trump told his followers not to vote for it. Trump was scared that Biden would look good if it passed. One hears talk that Harris was appointed to be the "Border Czar" by Biden. No, she was appointed to explore the reasons for immigration; this would focus on the corruption and crime in the immigrants’ native lands, which virtually forced them to seek the safety of the USA. Trump keeps saying that the immigrants are all violent criminals and illicit drug importers. But the FBI and local police records show a lower crime rate among immigrants compared to the rest of the USA. Illicit drugs usually come in via planes, trucks, and narco submarines. Drug cartels would not want to let folks walking hundreds of miles carry expensive illicit drugs. Then there is the myth that immigrants are going to take all our jobs. But how many native born Americans want to do stoop labor in agriculture or any of the undesirable jobs that immigrants will accept? If we exclude most immigrants, our economy would be in terrible shape since we cannot function without their labor. Of course, their children may become doctors or lawyers, which may evoke fears in some citizens. Larry Blanz, Nashville 37221 When Trump loses, what will traditional Republicans do? Will they finally speak up? Trump desperately needs some American history lessons It was only slightly confusing to hear at Donald Trump's press ramble on Aug. 15 that the worst day in the entire history of the United States of America was in 2021, when 13 Marines and 170 Afghan civilians were killed in a horrible act of war.  I thought immediately about the White House burning in the war of 1812, and the South firing on Fort Sumter in 1861. It didn't take me long to get to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, to say nothing of Gettysburg, the Beirut Marine barracks or  Oklahoma City bombings.  Just a little bit of thought and I remembered the Chicago fire, the San Francisco earthquake,  the Galveston hurricane and Hurricane Katrina. Custer's Last Stand didn't even make my top ten list. Who is this man who would discount and distort the entire history of The United States of America to satisfy his small-minded, small-handed ego? P.W. Kimball, Nashville 37212 Agree or disagree? Or have a view on another topic entirely? Send a letter of 250 words or fewer to  [email protected] . Include your full name, city/town, ZIP and contact information for verification. Thanks for adding to the public conversation. River City Live Newsletters WEATHER ALERT 4 warnings in effect for Brantley and Columbia Counties Jill biden's speech at convention honors president biden and marks an end for the first lady, too. Darlene Superville Associated Press President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Jill Biden walk down the stairs of Air Force One upon arrival to Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to the White House, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) CHICAGO – Jill Biden once said that she knew marrying Joe Biden – then a senator from Delaware -- would mean "a life in the spotlight that I had never wanted.” On Monday night, now very accustomed to that spotlight, the first lady will stand before the Democratic National Convention to do her part to highlight her husband's 50 years of public service as his presidency begins to draw to a close. Recommended Videos Her words will mark the beginning of an end for her, too. Before the president walks across the stage at the United Center to deliver the keynote speech on the convention's opening night, the first lady will use her address to speak to his character and reiterate her support for Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a person familiar with the first lady’s remarks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a speech not yet delivered. Jill Biden will urge Americans to unite with “faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country,” said the person, quoting from the first lady's prepared remarks. President Biden endorsed Harris shortly after he dropped out of the presidential race in July, and she has succeeded him as the Democratic Party's nominee. In the weeks before Biden decided to leave the race, the first lady had declared that she was “all in” on her husband's reelection plan, even as Democrats began calling on him to drop out following his disastrous performance in a debate against Republican Donald Trump on June 27. Biden himself had brushed aside those calls, repeatedly insisting that he was staying in the race. His wife, one of his fiercest supporters and defenders, backed him up. “For all the talk out there about this race, Joe has made it clear that he’s all in,” the first lady told a crowd in Wilmington, North Carolina, on July 8. “That’s the decision that he’s made, and just as he has always supported my career, I am all in, too." Biden pulled the plug on his campaign on July 21. The first night of the four-day Democratic convention was rearranged after Biden bowed out. Now it will honor his record of public service, including six terms as a U.S. senator from Delaware, eight years as vice president and one four-year term as president. Jill Biden was with her husband through it all and now both are figuring out what they want to accomplish in the time they have left in the White House. During the remaining months of the administration, which ends in mid-January, aides say Jill Biden will continue to work on her favored causes: supporting military families through her Joining Forces initiative, reducing cancer's toll through the Biden Cancer Moonshot , advancing research into women’s health under an effort launched in November 2023, and increasing opportunities for education. She is also expected to campaign for Harris this fall. The first lady charted a new path for presidential spouses when she became the first to hold a paying job outside the White House. She is an English and writing professor at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has taught since 2009, and has been working on her lesson plans for the coming fall semester, aides said. As first lady, Jill Biden traveled to over 40 states, over 200 towns and cities, and 19 countries, most recently leading a delegation to support Team USA at the Olympic Games in France. She spent the first year of the administration traveling around the United States encouraging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In 2022, she traveled to Ukraine after Russia's military invasion to show U.S. support for Ukrainians. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Share full article Joe Biden’s Interrupted Presidency He sought the office nearly all his life. When he finally got there, it brought out his best — and eventually his worst. Credit... Painting by Alan Coulson Supported by By Robert Draper Robert Draper covers politics for The Times. He interviewed more than two dozen current and former Biden advisers; legislators; and Democratic colleagues and allies in Washington and Wilmington, Del. Aug. 18, 2024 Shortly after the 11 minutes were over and President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arose from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office on the evening of July 24, he and his family filed out to the Rose Garden. Listen to this article, read by Robert Petkoff A throng of White House staff members were waiting outside, under a slight drizzle, with a faint rainbow emerging overhead. Most of them spent the preceding hour nervously eating pizza in the East Room of the White House before growing hushed to listen to their 81-year-old boss speak to the nation. Several of them had been crying earlier in the day. But midway into his speech, Biden began to enumerate his administration’s considerable legislative achievements — among them, “And we finally beat Big Pharma,” a line he had fatefully mangled in the debate with Donald J. Trump less than a month earlier, abruptly dropping the hammer on his political future. As he proceeded through these shared highlights, the tenor in the East Room seemed to change, and a few of the staff members proudly shook hands and hugged one another. Now Biden spoke only to them, through a microphone someone handed him (according to a video of the event that I obtained). “My name is Joe Biden, and I’m Jill Biden’s husband,” he began, grinning broadly at his familiar joke, as his wife stood beside him, noticeably more subdued, working through her own emotions. “Look,” he told his aides, “the only reason that we’ve had the progress that we’ve had is because of you. And that’s not hyperbole.” He added, in a raspy but otherwise even voice: “I’m so damned proud to be a part of you. I really mean that.” Sounding anything but deflated, Biden exhorted his staff members to think about the work there was left to do over their final six months. He wanted to extend prescription-drug benefits. He wanted to force billionaires to pay their fair share in taxes. “We can start to help lay the groundwork for Kamala,” Biden said of his vice president and now heir apparent, who was already out on the campaign trail. He wrapped up his three minutes of remarks with a stage-whispered call to arms, as if it were a secret plan: “ Let’s elect Kamala!” After their ovation, the president urged his staff to get to work on the ice cream stationed behind them. Biden cracked a few other jokes but didn’t stay for dessert. Instead, the 46th president of the United States retreated with his wife down the walkway to the residence. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . Advertisement 223 IMAGES 15 Greatest Speeches That Changed The Course Of History 16 Famous Speeches In History 16 Famous Speeches In History 16 Famous Speeches In History Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural Address 35 Greatest Speeches in History COMMENTS 35 Greatest Speeches in History 34. Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream". August 28, 1963; Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" is hands down one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pieces of oratory in American history. 10 famous speeches in history that continue to stand the test of time 1963 'I Have a Dream' speech. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. 's I Have a Dream speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, is one of the finest pieces of oratory in human history. It blended ... 10 of the Most Famous and Inspirational Speeches from History And when Martin Luther King stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, he was addressing a crowd who, like him, were marching for justice, freedom, and civil rights for African Americans. Let's take a closer look at ten of the best and most famous speeches from great moments in history. Abraham Lincoln, ' Gettysburg Address ' (1863). 40 Most Famous Speeches In History 17. 1965 Cambridge Union Hall Speech by James Baldwin. "What is dangerous here is the turning away from - the turning away from - anything any white American says. The reason for the political hesitation, in spite of the Johnson landslide is that one has been betrayed by American politicians for so long. Famous Speeches: A List of the Greatest Speeches of All-Time The speech had been delivered in 1986 by Richard Hamming, an accomplished mathematician and computer engineer, as part of an internal series of talks given at Bell Labs. I had never heard of Hamming, the internal lecture series at Bell Labs, or this particular speech. And yet, as I read the transcript, I came across one useful insight after ... Looking at 10 great speeches in American History 9. Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech. King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, in front of 250,000 people, is also one of the most-analyzed speeches in modern history. But King hadn't included the sequence about the "Dream" in his prepared remarks. Singer Mahalia Jackson yelled for King to speak about "the Dream ... Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century by Rank Speech Bank: Top 100 Speeches: Great New Speeches: Obama Speeches: GWB Speeches: Movie Speeches: Rhetorical Figures: Christian Rhetoric: 9/11 Speeches: News and Research: For Scholars: Rhetoric Defined: Corax v. Tisias: Plato on Rhetoric: Aristotle on Rhetoric: Comm Journals: Comm Associations: Cool Exercises: Rodman & de Ref: Speech Quiz #1 ... 10 Famous Speeches That Shaped History Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1963. One of the greatest speeches in American history is Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, which was delivered on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In it, he advocated for an end to racism in prose that continues to strike people's hearts to this day. Famous Speeches in History What makes a great speech, and what makes a great speech memorable? Study some of the most influential speeches in history and learn how they changed the world. Displaying texts 1 - 20 of 55 in total. Study some of the most influential speeches in history and learn how they changed the world. Browse CommonLit's selection of famous speeches now. Complete List Top 10 Greatest Speeches. As the political season heats up, TIME takes a tour of history's best rhetoric 20 of the Greatest Speeches in History Here are 20 of the greatest speeches in history. Contents [ show] 1. "We choose to go to the moon" by John F. Kennedy. Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas (1962) The Space Race peaked in 1962 as the U.S. and Soviet Union competed to put a human on the moon. The U.S. government debated the project's funding. 100 of the Greatest Speeches of the 20th Century Stacker has curated a list of 100 of the greatest speeches from the 20th century, drawing from research into great American speeches as determined by 137 scholars of American public address, as well as other historical sources. What follows is a gallery of speeches from around the U.S. and the world dealing with the most pressing issues of the day. Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century THE TOP 100 SPEECHES is an index to and substantial database of full text transcriptions of the 100 most significant American political speeches of the 20th century, according to a list compiled by Professors Stephen E. Lucas and Martin J. Medhurst.Dr. Lucas is Evjue-Bascom Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Famous Speeches in History Winston Churchill may have been born with a speech impediment, but he is known today for delivering some of the greatest speeches in history. When Allied Forces found themselves dangerously trapped in Dunkirk during the Battle of France, they had to be evacuated in a huge effort known as Operation Dynamo. On June 4, 1940 Churchill delivered ... The 10 Most Important and Influential Speeches in History Urban's speech thus stands as an enormously influential example of the power of rhetoric to inspire action on a mass scale. 3. Martin Luther's Speech at the Diet of Worms (1521) In 1521, German monk and reformer Martin Luther was summoned before the Diet of Worms and ordered to recant his famous 95 theses criticizing practices of the ... History's Greatest Speakers and Their Greatest Speeches On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave his most famous speech and what is perhaps one of the greatest speeches ever written, " The Gettysburg Address .". According to the Lincoln Memorial's website, the speech lasted only two minutes, but its impact continues to carry on. Never underestimate the power of a few well chosen words. 7 of the greatest public speakers in history Martin Luther King drew inspiration from Shakespeare, the bible, his own past speeches, and numerous civil rights thinkers to write his "I Have a Dream" speech, one of the most famous of all ... Uplifting Speeches From History That Will Inspire You Jan 8, 2021, 1:03 PM PST. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches can still inspire today. AP. Throughout history, leaders have made speeches that inspired millions and changed the course of history ... 25 Speeches That Changed The World A speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963 in Washington DC, it is also considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. A century after the Gettysburg Address and the emancipation proclamation, the promise of full equality was not yet fulfilled. Black Americans still experienced racial discrimination, but amidst ... 15 Greatest Speeches That Changed The Course Of History 2. Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream". August 28, 1963. Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech is one of the most talked-about and greatest speeches of this lifetime. 100 years after slavery was abolished, black people were still discriminated against. Top 10 Famous Speeches Words have the power to inspire, motivate, and influence millions of people, which is exactly what these speeches did. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we co... The Greatest Speech in History? Alexander the Great and the Opis Mutiny Alexander the Great is one of the most extraordinary individuals in history. He became king of the fringe Greek kingdom of Macedonia in 336 BC at the age of ... Greatest Recorded Speeches in American History (1933-2008) America's major events told through the words of its leaders, since the widespread adoption of the film camera as a communication tool. Through the speeches ... President Biden speaks on the stakes of the 2024 election, and on his Asked how he wishes history to remember him, President Biden replied, "That he proved democracy can work. It got us out of a pandemic. It produced the single greatest economic recovery in American ... The Vice President's Biggest Speech It is the biggest speech of her life. ... Prize for Commentary in 2017. A political analyst for NBC News, she is the author of nine books on American politics, history and culture, from her most ... The 20 best 'Grey's Anatomy' speeches Arguably the series' most famous speech, this monologue was later reworked in the season 19 season finale, where Meredith decides to leave Grey Sloan — and potentially leave behind her beloved ... Trump at best is a comedian, but at worst, he is a danger to America It was only slightly confusing to hear at Donald Trump's press ramble on Aug. 15 that the worst day in the entire history of the United States of America was in 2021, when 13 Marines and 170 ... Jill Biden's speech at convention honors President Biden and ... Her words will mark the beginning of an end for her, too. Before the president walks across the stage at the United Center to deliver the keynote speech on the convention's opening night, the ... Joe Biden's Interrupted Presidency But midway into his speech, Biden began to enumerate his administration's considerable legislative achievements — among them, "And we finally beat Big Pharma," a line he had fatefully ... Farage: Starmer greatest threat to free speech in British history Sir Keir Starmer poses the "biggest threat to free speech" in British history, Nigel Farage has claimed. The Reform UK leader accused the Prime Minister of wanting to use the recent far-Right ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis