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This list of speeches includes those that have gained notability in English or in English translation. The earliest listings may be approximate dates.


Before the 1st century

*c.570 BC :
Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
gives his first
sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...
at
Sarnath Sarnath (Hindustani pronunciation: aːɾnaːtʰ also referred to as Sarangnath, Isipatana, Rishipattana, Migadaya, or Mrigadava) is a place located northeast of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pr ...
*431 BC: Funeral Oration by the Greek statesman
Pericles Pericles (; grc-gre, Περικλῆς; c. 495 – 429 BC) was a Greek politician and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Pelo ...
, significant because it departed from the typical formula of Athenian funeral speeches and was a glorification of Athens' achievements, designed to stir the spirits of a nation at war. *399 BC:
The Apology of Socrates The ''Apology of Socrates'' ( grc-gre, Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους, ''Apología Sokrátous''; la, Apologia Socratis), written by Plato, is a Socratic dialogue of the speech of legal self-defence which Socrates (469–399 BC) spoke at ...
, Plato's version of the speech given by the philosopher
Socrates Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no te ...
, defending himself against charges of being a man "who corrupted the young, refused to worship the gods, and created new deities." *330 BC:
On the Crown "On the Crown" ( grc, Ὑπὲρ Κτησιφῶντος περὶ τοῦ Στεφάνου, ''Hyper Ktēsiphōntos peri tou Stephanou'') is the most famous judicial oration of the prominent Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes, delivered in ...
by the Greek orator
Demosthenes Demosthenes (; el, Δημοσθένης, translit=Dēmosthénēs; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual pr ...
, which illustrated the last great phase of political life in Athens. *63 BC:
Catiline Orations The Catilinarian Orations (; also simply the ''Catilinarians'') are a set of speeches to the Roman Senate given in 63 BC by Marcus Tullius Cicero, one of the year's consuls, accusing a senator, Lucius Sergius Catilina (Catiline), of leading a ...
, given by
Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
, the consul of Rome, exposing to the Roman Senate the plot of Lucius Sergius Catilina and his friends to overthrow the Roman government. *44 BC: The Funeral Oration of Roman Dictator, Julius Caesar, delivered by Mark Antony after his assassination; rephrased by William Shakespeare.


Pre 19th century

*30: The Sermon on the Mount, a compilation of the sayings of
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
, epitomizing his moral teaching. *632: The Farewell Sermon, delivered by the Islamic prophet,
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
some weeks before his death. *1095: Beginning of the Christian Crusades by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont. *1521: The Here I Stand speech of
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
, defending himself at the Diet of Worms. *1588:
Speech to the Troops at Tilbury The Speech to the Troops at Tilbury was delivered on 9 August Old Style (19 August New Style) 1588 by Queen Elizabeth I of England to the land forces earlier assembled at Tilbury in Essex in preparation for repelling the expected invasion by ...
by
Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...
, in preparation for repelling an expected invasion by the Spanish Armada. *1599:
St Crispin's Day Speech The St Crispin's Day speech is a part of William Shakespeare's history play ''Henry V'', Act IV Scene iii(3) 18–67. On the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, which fell on Saint Crispin's Day, Henry V urges his men, who were vastly outnumbered by ...
by
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
as part of his history play ''
Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...
'' has been famously portrayed by Laurence Olivier to raise British spirits during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, and by
Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
in the 1989 film ''
Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...
'', and it made famous the phrase "band of brothers". *1601:
The Golden Speech The Golden Speech was delivered by Queen Elizabeth I of England in the Palace Council Chamber to 141 Members of the Commons (including the Speaker), on 30 November 1601. It was a speech that was expected to address some pricing concerns, based on th ...
by
Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...
, in which she revealed that it would be her final Parliament and spoke of the respect she had for the country, her position, and the parliamentarians themselves. *1630:
A Model of Christian Charity "A Model of Christian Charity" is a sermon by Puritan leader John Winthrop, preached at the Holyrood Church in Southampton before the colonists embarked in the Winthrop Fleet. It is also known as " City upon a Hill" and denotes the notion of Ameri ...
by Puritan leader and Massachusetts Governor
John Winthrop John Winthrop (January 12, 1587/88 – March 26, 1649) was an English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led t ...
, in which the phrase " City Upon a Hill" was used and became popular in the North American colonies. *1681-1704: The sermons and funeral orations of French
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
and
theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet Jacques-Bénigne Lignel Bossuet (; 27 September 1627 – 12 April 1704) was a French bishop and theologian, renowned for his sermons and other addresses. He has been considered by many to be one of the most brilliant orators of all time and a ma ...
during his tenure as the bishop of
Meaux Cathedral Meaux Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Meaux) is a Roman Catholic church in the town of Meaux, France. It is located in the department of Seine-et-Marne, east of Paris. The cathedral is a national monument, and is the seat of the ...
, whose sermons preached the divine right of kings during the reign of
Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...
, and who delivered memorable orations across Europe. *1741: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, a sermon by theologian Jonathan Edwards, noted for the glimpse it provides into the ideas of the religious Great Awakening of 1730–1755 in the United States. *1775: Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death by U.S. colonial patriot
Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...
to the Virginia House of Burgesses. *1791: Abolish the Slave Trade, British Parliamentarian
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 175929 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becom ...
's four-hour speech to the House of Commons. *1792: The Deathless Sermon, given by William Carey during the decline of Hyper-Calvinism in England.


Nineteenth century

*1803: Speech From the Dock by the Irish nationalist
Robert Emmet Robert Emmet (4 March 177820 September 1803) was an Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attempt to overthrow the British Crown and Prote ...
. *1805:
Red Jacket Red Jacket (known as ''Otetiani'' in his youth and ''Sagoyewatha'' eeper Awake''Sa-go-ye-wa-tha'' as an adult because of his oratorical skills) (c. 1750–January 20, 1830) was a Seneca orator and chief of the Wolf clan, based in Western New York ...
's speech defending Native American religion. *1823: President
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
's State of the Union Address to Congress in which he first stated the
Monroe Doctrine The Monroe Doctrine was a United States foreign policy position that opposed European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It held that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign powers was a potentially hostile act ...
. *1837:
The American Scholar "The American Scholar" was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard College at the First Parish in Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his gro ...
speech given by
Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...
to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at the First Parish in Cambridge in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...
. *1838:
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
's Lyceum Address, delivered to the Young Men's
Lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the t ...
of Springfield, Illinois on January 27, 1838, discusses citizenship in a
democratic republic A democratic republic is a form of government operating on principles adopted from a republic and a democracy. As a cross between two exceedingly similar systems, democratic republics may function on principles shared by both republics and democra ...
and internal threats to its institutions. *1838: The "
Divinity School Address The "Divinity School Address" is the common name for the speech Ralph Waldo Emerson gave to the graduating class of Harvard Divinity School on July 15, 1838. Its formal title is "Acquaint Thyself First Hand with Deity." Background Emerson prese ...
", a speech
Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...
gave to the graduating class of
Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, gov ...
. *1851:
Ain't I A Woman? "Ain't I a Woman?" is a speech, delivered extemporaneously, by Sojourner Truth (1797–1883), born into slavery in New York State. Some time after gaining her freedom in 1827, she became a well known anti-slavery speaker. Her speech was deliver ...
, extemporaneously delivered by abolitionist Sojourner Truth at a Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio. *1854: The Peoria speech, made in Peoria, Illinois on October 16, 1854, was with its specific arguments against
slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, an important step in
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
's political ascension. *1856: The Crime against Kansas speech was delivered on the US Senate floor on May 19–20, 1856 by Senator
Charles Sumner Charles Sumner (January 6, 1811March 11, 1874) was an American statesman and United States Senator from Massachusetts. As an academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the anti-slavery forces in the state and a leader of th ...
of Massachusetts, a radical Republican, about the conflicts in "
bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...
." *1858: A House Divided, in which candidate for the U.S. Senate
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, speaking of the pre-Civil War United States, quoted Matthew 12:25 and said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." *1858:
American Infidelity American Infidelity is the name of a speech that was delivered in the United States Congress by Joshua Giddings in February 1858. This speech was one of many congressional speeches intended to arouse passion about the immorality of slavery. It als ...
, an anti-slavery speech delivered in the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
by
Joshua Giddings Joshua Reed Giddings (October 6, 1795 – May 27, 1864) was an American attorney, politician and a prominent opponent of slavery. He represented Northeast Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1838 to 1859. He was at first a member ...
*1859:
Abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...
John Brown's
last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, an ...
speech. *1860: Cooper Union Address by candidate for U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, in which Lincoln elaborated his views on
slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, affirming that he did not wish it to be expanded into the western territories and claiming that the Founding Fathers would agree with this position. *1861: The
Cornerstone speech The Cornerstone Speech, also known as the Cornerstone Address, was an oration given by Alexander H. Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, at the Athenaeum in Savannah, Georgia, on March 21, 1861. The improvised speech, ...
by
Alexander Stephens Alexander Hamilton Stephens (February 11, 1812 – March 4, 1883) was an American politician who served as the vice president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865, and later as the 50th governor of Georgia from 1882 until his death in 1 ...
, vice president of the Confederate States of America, in which he set forth the differences between the constitution of the Confederacy and that of the United States, laid out causes for the American Civil War, and defended slavery. *1861: Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, on the eve of the American Civil War. *1861: Abraham Lincoln's Fourth of July Address, a written statement sent to the U.S. Congress, recounts the initial stages of the American Civil War and sets out
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
's analysis of the southern slave states rebellion as well as Lincoln's thoughts on the war and American society. *1862: The Blood and Iron speech by Prussian
Minister-President A minister-president or minister president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments with a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government where they preside over the council of ministers. I ...
Otto von Bismarck on the unification of Germany. *1863: The
Gettysburg Address The Gettysburg Address is a speech that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on the ...
by
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, resolving that government "of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." *1865: Lincoln's Second Inaugural, in which the President sought to avoid harsh treatment of the defeated South. *1873: The "Is it a Crime for a Citizen of the United States to Vote?" speech by
Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...
, who in her effort to introduce women's suffrage into the United States asked her fellow citizens "how can the “
consent of the governed In political philosophy, the phrase consent of the governed refers to the idea that a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is justified and lawful only when consented to by the people or society over which that political pow ...
” be given if the right to vote be denied?" *1877: The Surrender of Nez Perce Chief Joseph, pledging to "fight no more forever." *1880: Dostoyevsky's Pushkin Speech, a speech delivered by
Fyodor Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
in honour of the Russian poet
Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
. *1890–1900s:
Acres of Diamonds Russell Herman Conwell (February 15, 1843 – December 6, 1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, philanthropist, author, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphi ...
speeches by Temple University President Russell Conwell, the central idea of which was that the resources to achieve all good things were present in one's own community. *1893: Swami
Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intr ...
's address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, in which the Indian sage introduced Hinduism to North America. *1895: The
Atlanta Exposition Speech The Atlanta Exposition Speech was an address on the topic of race relations given by African-American scholar Booker T. Washington on September 18, 1895. The speech, presented before a predominantly white audience at the Cotton States and In ...
, an address on the topic of race relations given by
Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...
. *1896:
Cross of Gold The Cross of Gold speech was delivered by William Jennings Bryan, a former United States Representative from Nebraska, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on July 9, 1896. In his address, Bryan supported " free silver" (i.e. bime ...
by U.S. presidential candidate
William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...
, advocating bimetallism.


Twentieth century


Pre-World War I and World War I

*1900: Hun Speech by
Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...
, the emperor's reaction to the Boxer Rebellion in which he demands to counter the insurgency with brutal force (like the
Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
). *1901:
Votes for Women A vote is a formal method of choosing in an election. Vote(s) or The Vote may also refer to: Music *''V.O.T.E.'', an album by Chris Stamey and Yo La Tengo, 2004 *"Vote", a song by the Submarines from ''Declare a New State!'', 2006 Television * " ...
, by the American writer Mark Twain. *1906: I warn the Government, by Conservative member
F.E. Smith Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead, (12 July 1872 – 30 September 1930), known as F. E. Smith, was a British Conservative politician and barrister who attained high office in the early 20th century, in particular as Lord High Chan ...
in the British House of Commons. *1910:
The Man in the Arena Citizenship in a Republic is the title of a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910. One notable passage from the speech is referred to as "The Man in the Are ...
, by U.S. President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, quoted by President Richard Nixon and cited by South Africa President Nelson Mandela. *1915:
Ireland Unfree Shall Never Be at Peace "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace" were the climactic closing words of the graveside oration of Patrick Pearse at the funeral of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa on 1 August 1915. The oration roused Irish republican feeling and was a significant ...
, by Irish Nationalist
Patrick Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...
, significant in the lead-up to the Easter Rising of 1916. *1917: War Message to Congress by U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
. *1917: The
April Theses The April Theses (russian: апрельские тезисы, transliteration: ') were a series of ten directives issued by the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin upon his April 1917 return to Petrograd from his exile in Switzerland via Germany ...
, a series of ten directives issued by
Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...
upon his return to Petrograd from his exile in Switzerland *1918:
Fourteen Points U.S. President Woodrow Wilson The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. The principles were outlined in a January 8, 1918 speech on war aims and peace terms ...
by
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
, laying out the terms for the end of World War I.


Inter-war years and World War II

*1930:
Allahabad Address The Allahabad Address ( ur, ) was a speech by scholar, Sir Muhammad Iqbal, one of the best-known in Pakistani history. It was delivered by Iqbal during the 21st annual session of the All-India Muslim League, on the afternoon of Monday, 29 Decemb ...
by
Muhammad Iqbal Sir Muhammad Iqbal ( ur, ; 9 November 187721 April 1938), was a South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philos ...
. Presented the idea of a separate homeland for
Indian Muslims Islam is India's second-largest religion, with 14.2% of the country's population, approximately 172.2 million people identifying as adherents of Islam in 2011 Census. India is also the country with the second or third largest number of Muslim ...
which was ultimately realized in the form of
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. *1932:
The Bomber Will Always Get Through "The bomber will always get through" was a phrase used by Stanley Baldwin in a 1932 speech "A Fear for the Future" given to the British Parliament. His speech stated that contemporary bomber aircraft had the performance necessary to conduct a s ...
. a phrase used by English statesman Stanley Baldwin in a House of Commons speech, "A Fear For The Future." *1933: You Cannot Take Our Honour by Otto Wels, the only German Parliamentarian to speak against the Enabling Act, which took the power of legislation away from the Parliament and handed it to Adolf Hitler's cabinet. *1933:
The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself The first inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as the 32nd president of the United States was held on Saturday, March 4, 1933, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 37th inauguration, and marked the c ...
, from the first inaugural address of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. *1933: Atatürk's Tenth Year Speech, given by the President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in
Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
Hippodrome. *1934:
Every Man A King "Every Man a King" is a song cowritten by Louisiana's Governor and United States Senator Huey Long and Castro Carazo. Long was known for his political slogan "Every man a king," which is also the title of his 1933 autobiography and the catch-p ...
, a phrase used in many speeches by Louisiana Governor
Huey Long Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893September 10, 1935), nicknamed "the Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination ...
. *1934: Speech of Gallipoli by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk *1936: Address to the League of Nations by the Emperor
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles ...
on the invasion of his country by Benito Mussolini of Italy. *1936: Unamuno's Last Lecture by
Miguel de Unamuno Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca. His major philosophical essa ...
, in which he criticized the
Spanish Nationalists Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
. *1939: The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth, by baseball player
Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...
upon his retirement from the New York Yankees. *1939: King George VI of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
delivers a radio address at the outbreak of World War II calling for his subjects in Britain and the Empire to stand firm in the dark days ahead. *1939: Reichstag Speech, also known as Hitler's prophecy speech. Amid rising international tensions
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
tells the German public and the world that the outbreak of war would mean the end of European Jewry. *1940: The Presidential address by Muhammad Ali Jinnah to the All India Muslim League's session in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, 1940 on passing of
Lahore Resolution The Lahore Resolution ( ur, , ''Qarardad-e-Lahore''; Bengali: লাহোর প্রস্তাব, ''Lahor Prostab''), also called Pakistan resolution, was written and prepared by Muhammad Zafarullah Khan and was presented by A. K. Fazlul ...
also known as Pakistan Resolution
Transcript.
*1940: The
Norway Debate The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a momentous debate in the British House of Commons from 7 to 9 May 1940, during the Second World War. The official title of the debate, as held in the ''Hansard'' parliamentary archive, ...
speeches, where Neville Chamberlain,
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
defended the Chamberlain government's war policies Clement Attlee,
Archibald Sinclair Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso, (22 October 1890 – 15 June 1970), known as Sir Archibald Sinclair between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party. Backgr ...
,
Roger Keyes Admiral of the Fleet Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes, (4 October 1872 – 26 December 1945) was a British naval officer. As a junior officer he served in a corvette operating from Zanzibar on slavery suppression missions. Ea ...
,
Leo Amery Leopold Charles Maurice Stennett Amery, (22 November 1873 – 16 September 1955), also known as L. S. Amery, was a British Conservative Party politician and journalist. During his career, he was known for his interest in military preparedness, ...
,
Arthur Greenwood Arthur Greenwood, (8 February 1880 – 9 June 1954) was a British politician. A prominent member of the Labour Party from the 1920s until the late 1940s, Greenwood rose to prominence within the party as secretary of its research department f ...
,
Herbert Morrison Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth, (3 January 1888 – 6 March 1965) was a British politician who held a variety of senior positions in the UK Cabinet as member of the Labour Party. During the inter-war period, he was Minis ...
,
David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...
, and others. *1940: The
Appeal of 18 June The Appeal of 18 June (french: L'Appel du 18 juin) was the first speech made by Charles de Gaulle after his arrival in London in 1940 following the Battle of France. Broadcast to Vichy France by the radio services of the British Broadcasting Cor ...
, French leader Charles de Gaulle's radio broadcast from London, the beginning of the Resistance to German occupation during World War II. *1940:
Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat The phrase "blood, toil, tears and sweat" became famous in a speech given by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 13 May 1940. The speech is sometimes known by that name. Background This was Ch ...
, a phrase used by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in 1897 but popularized by
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
in the first of three inspirational radio addresses during the opening months of World War II. *1940:
We Shall Fight on the Beaches "We shall fight on the beaches" is a common title given to a speech delivered by the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 4 June 1940. This was the second of three major sp ...
, from the second radio talk by
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, promising to never surrender. *1940:
This Was Their Finest Hour "This was their finest hour" was a speech delivered by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on 18 June 1940, just over a month after he took over as Prime Minister at the head of an all-party coalition government. It ...
, the third address by
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, giving a confident view of the military situation and rallying the British people. *1940: Never Was So Much Owed by So Many to So Few by
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, speaking in another radio talk about the air and naval defenders of Great Britain. *1940: The final speech in ''
The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the o ...
'' by Charlie Chaplin in the role of a Jewish barber, in which he demanded solidarity between all people and a return to values like peace, empathy and freedom. *1940:
Arsenal of Democracy "Arsenal of Democracy" was the central phrase used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio broadcast on the threat to national security, delivered on December 29, 1940—nearly a year before the United States entered the Second Worl ...
, a radio address by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who warned against a sense of complacency if Britain were to fall to the Axis powers. *1941: Three Sermons in Defiance of the Nazis, in which German Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen issued forceful, public denunciations of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
's euthanasia programs and persecution of the Catholic Church. *1941:
Four Freedoms The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Monday, January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech (technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freed ...
, in which Franklin Delano Roosevelt outlined goals for peace but called for a massive build-up of U.S. arms production. *1941:
A Date Which Will Live in Infamy The "Day of Infamy" speech, sometimes referred to as just ''"The Infamy speech"'', was delivered by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, to a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941. The previous day, the Empi ...
, post-Pearl Harbor speech to the U.S. Congress in which Franklin Delano Roosevelt called for a declaration of war against Japan. *1941: Declaration of war against United States by the German Führer, German Chancellor, and Führer of the Nazi Party,
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, in which he announced Germany has declared war on the United States. *1942:
Quit India The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule i ...
by Mohandas K. Gandhi also known as Mahatma Gandhi, calling for determined, but nonviolent, resistance against
British colonial rule The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts est ...
. *1942: The Forgotten People by the Australian Liberal Party leader
Sir Robert Menzies ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...
, defining and exalting the nation's middle class. * 1942: Slovak, cast off your parasite! by Jozef Tiso, president of the
Slovak State Slovak may refer to: * Something from, related to, or belonging to Slovakia (''Slovenská republika'') * Slovaks, a Western Slavic ethnic group * Slovak language, an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages * Slovak, Arka ...
, defending Slovakia's role in the Holocaust. *1942: Hitler Stalingrad Speech by the German Führer, German Chancellor, and Führer of the Nazi Party,
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, talking about the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad. *1943: Do You Want Total War? by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, who exhorted the Germans to continue the war even though it would be long and difficult. *1943: A page of glory...never to be written were two secret speeches made by '' Reichsführer''- SS Heinrich Himmler in which for the first time a high-ranking Cabinet Hitler, member of the Nazi government spoke openly of the ongoing extermination of the European Jews. *1944: The The Bayeux speeches#First Bayeux speech, First Bayeux speech, delivered by General Charles de Gaulle of France in the context of liberation after the Normandy landings. *1944: Patton's Speech, a profanity-laden speech to the United States Third Army by United States General George S. Patton, calling for the troops' bravery in spite of their fears. It was given prior to the Normandy landings. *1944: Liberation of Paris#De Gaulle.27s speech .2825 August.29, Paris Liberated by Charles de Gaulle on the day he took up governmental duties at the War Ministry in Paris. *1945: Hirohito surrender broadcast (Gyokuon-hōsō), recorded by Hirohito, Japanese Emperor Hirohito and broadcast as an unconditional capitulation to the Allies.


1945–1991 Cold War years

*1946: Iron Curtain#Iron Curtain speech, Sinews of Peace by
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, introducing the phrase ''Iron Curtain'' to describe the division between eastern and western Europe. *1946: The The Bayeux speeches#Second Bayeux speech, First Bayeux speech, delivered by General Charles de Gaulle describing the postwar constitution of France. *1947: Muhammad Ali Jinnah's 11 August Speech on the eve of independence from Britain about the struggle for Pakistan, injustices in partition, future road map for running the country, justice, equality and religious freedom for all. *1947: Tryst with Destiny by Jawaharlal Nehru, given on the eve of Indian independence and concerning the History of India, country's history. *1948: The light has gone out of our lives, The Light Has Gone Out of Our Lives by Jawaharlal Nehru, about the assassination of Mohandas K. Gandhi also known as Mahatma Gandhi. *1949: Four Point Speech, Four Points by U.S. President Harry Truman, setting his postwar goals. *1949: The light on the hill, The Light on the Hill by Australia Prime Minister Ben Chifley, paying tribute to the country's labour movement. *1950: The Declaration of Conscience, a speech made by U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith calling for the country to re-examine the tactics used by the House Un-American Activities Committee. *1951: Douglas MacArthur#Later life, Old Soldiers Never Die by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur in an appearance before Congress after being fired by President Truman as Supreme Commander in the Korean War *1952: The political Checkers speech by U.S. vice-presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon, in which he mentioned his family's pet dog of that name. *1953: Chance for Peace speech, The Chance for Peace was an address by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower shortly after the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin that highlighted the cost of the US–Soviet rivalry to both nations. *1953: History Will Absolve Me, a four-hour judicial defense by revolutionary Fidel Castro on charges of Attack on Moncada Barracks, leading an attack on Cuban Army barracks. *1953: Atoms for Peace, an address by Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eisenhower on the creation of an International Atomic Energy Agency, international body to both regulate and promote the peaceful use of atomic power. *1956: On the Personality Cult and its Consequences by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, castigating actions taken by the regime of deceased Communist Party secretary Joseph Stalin. Widely known as the "Secret Speech" because it was delivered at a closed session of that year's Communist Party Congress. *1956: We will bury you, We Will Bury You by Nikita Khrushchev, addressing Western ambassadors at a reception in the Polish embassy in Moscow. *1957: V. K. Krishna Menon#Speech on Kashmir, Longest Speech in the United Nations by Indian delegate V.K. Krishna Menon. *1957: Give Us the Ballot by Martin Luther King Jr., an appeal for voting rights made at the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial *1959: There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom by physicist Richard Feynman, on the possibility of direct manipulation of individual atoms as a new form of chemical synthesis. *1960: Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association" by then-candidate John F. Kennedy in Houston, Texas, to address fears that his being a member of the Catholic Church would impact his decision-making as President. *1960: Wind of Change (speech), Wind of Change speech by British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in South Africa, in which Macmillan reiterated his support for the decolonization of Africa. *1960: Congolese Independence Speech, Congolese Independence speech by Congolese independence leader and its first democratically elected Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in South Africa, in which he described the suffering of the Congolese under Belgian colonialism and the negatives that lay behind the pageantry and paternalism of the Belgian "civilising mission" begun by King Leopold II, Leopold II in the Congo Free State. *1961: Eisenhower's farewell address, a speech at the end of the term of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in which he warned of the rise of the "military–industrial complex" in the United States. *1961: Inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, the inaugural address of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, in which he advised his "fellow Americans" to "ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." *1961: The Television and the Public Interest, Vast Wasteland speech by Newton Minow, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, in which he asserted that "when television is bad, nothing is worse." *1962: Richard Nixon turned his concession speech in the California gubernatorial election into a 15-minute monologue aimed mainly at the press, famously (though as it turned out, prematurely) stating "...you don't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is Richard Nixon's November 1962 press conference, my last press conference." *1962: The "We choose to go to the Moon" speech by U.S President John F. Kennedy to drum up public support for the Apollo Program at Rice University, where he reiterated his commitment to reaching the Moon by the end of the decade. *1963: George Wallace's 1963 Inaugural Address, Segregation Now, Segregation Tomorrow, Segregation Forever by Alabama Governor George Wallace, which became a rallying cry for those opposed to racial integration and the U.S. civil rights movement. *1963: I Am Prepared To Die by South African leader Nelson Mandela at his trial in which he laid out the reasoning for using violence as a tactic against apartheid. *1963: American University Speech by U.S. President John F. Kennedy to construct a better relationship with the Soviet Union and to prevent another threat of nuclear war after the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. *1963: Report to the American People on Civil Rights by John F. Kennedy speaking from the Oval Office. *1963: ''Ich bin ein Berliner, Ich Bin Ein Berliner'' ("I am a Berliner") by U.S. President John F. Kennedy, voicing support for the people of West Berlin. *1963: I Have a Dream, Lincoln Memorial speech by Martin Luther King Jr. in which the civil rights leader called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. *1964: The Ballot or the Bullet by Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X, urging African-Americans to exercise their right to vote but warning that if they were prevented from attaining equality, it might be necessary to take up arms. *1964: A Time for Choosing, the stock campaign speech that Ronald Reagan made on behalf of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. *1964: Che Guevara#International diplomacy, Speech at the United Nations in 1964 by Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevara, Ernesto "Che" Guevara. *1964: Mario Savio#"Bodies upon the gears" speech, "Bodies upon the gears" speech by American activist and a key member in the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, Mario Savio. *1965: Selma to Montgomery marches#Historical impact, The American Promise by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, urging the United States Congress to pass w:Voting Rights Act of 1965, a voting rights act prohibiting discrimination in voting on account of race and color in wake of the w:Selma to Montgomery marches, Bloody Sunday. *1965: How Long, Not Long by Martin Luther King Jr. at the conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery march. *1966: Day of Affirmation by U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, speaking to South African students about individual liberty, apartheid, and the need for civil rights in the United States. *1967: Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, Martin Luther King Jr.'s anti-Vietnam War speech at Riverside Church in New York City. *1967: ''Vive le Québec libre'' ("Long live free Quebec"), a phrase ending a speech by French President Charles de Gaulle in Montreal, Canada. The slogan became popular among those wishing to show their support for Quebec sovereignty. *1968: I've Been to the Mountaintop, the last speech delivered by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. *1968: Robert F. Kennedy's speech on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., The death of Martin Luther King Jr. by U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. *1968: Robert F. Kennedy's speech, On the Mindless Menace of Violence. *1968: Ted Kennedy#First years and assassinations of two brothers, A Good and Decent Man, the funeral eulogy for Robert F. Kennedy by his younger brother, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. *1968: Rivers of Blood speech, Rivers of Blood by United Kingdom Conservative Enoch Powell about immigration. *1971: This time the struggle is for our freedom, This Time the Struggle Is for Our Freedom by Bengali nationalist leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, regarded by many in Bangladesh as a de facto declaration of independence. *1971: Address to the Women of America by feminist leader Gloria Steinem. Not only did the speech address the issues of sexism and misogyny, but also those of racism and social class. *1974: Richard Nixon's resignation speech#Resignation, I Have Never Been a Quitter, the resignation speech of U.S. President Richard M. Nixon. *1975: United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379#The Israeli response, No More Than a Piece of Paper, the Israeli response to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, that Zionism is "a form of racism and racial discrimination," delivered by Ambassador Chaim Herzog. *1975: 1975 Australian constitutional crisis#Dissolution, Nothing will save the governor-general, Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's reaction to the dissolution of parliament following his dismissal by the Governor-General of Australia John Kerr (governor-general), John Kerr. * 1979: A speech on U.S. energy policy by President Jimmy Carter speaks of a "crisis of confidence" among the country's public, and comes to be known as the Presidency of Jimmy Carter#"Malaise" speech, "malaise" speech, despite Carter not using that word in the address. *1983: Evil Empire speech, Evil Empire, a phrase used in speeches by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to refer to the Soviet Union. *1987: Tear down this wall, Tear Down This Wall, the challenge made at the Brandenburg Gate by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the Berlin Wall. *1987: Robert Bourassa's speech on the end of the Meech Lake Accord#Aftermath, Today and Forever, Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa's reaction to the failure of the Meech Lake Accord on the Canadian Constitution. *1988: Sermon on the Mound, in which British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher offered a theological justification for her ideas on capitalism. *1989: The Gazimestan speech, in which Serbian President Slobodan Milošević warned of "armed battles" in the future of Yugoslavia. *1989: Deng Xiaoping delivered June 9 Deng speech, "Speech Made While Receiving Cadres of the Martial Law Units in the Capitol at and Above the Army Level" in response to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. *1990: Geoffrey Howe#Resignation, Their Bats Have Been Broken, the resignation speech of Geoffrey Howe as deputy prime minister in the Margaret Thatcher government of the United Kingdom. *1991: A speech by U.S. President George H. W. Bush, George Bush to the Ukrainian parliament, encouraging Ukraine to remain in the then-disintegrating Soviet Union, caused an uproar among Ukrainian nationalists and American conservatives, with commentator William Safire dubbing it the Chicken Kiev speech.


1992 - 2000 Post Cold War years

*1992: Pat Buchanan#1992 presidential primaries, Culture War speech by U.S. conservative Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, in which he described "a religious war going on in our country for the soul of America." *1992: The Redfern Park speech delivered by then Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating; the first public acknowledgement by an Australian prime minister of the prejudice and discrimination practised by Europeans against Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, the Indigenous Australians, Indigenous peoples of Australia. *1995: The concession speech of Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau after the narrow defeat of the 1995 Quebec independence referendum, in which he blamed the loss on "money and ethnic votes," mistranslated into English as "money and the ethnic vote." *1996: I am an African, I Am an African by South African Vice-President Thabo Mbeki on the adoption of a new Constitution for the country. *1996: 1996 Democratic National Convention#Clinton's renomination speech, Clinton's renomination speech at the 1996 Democratic National Convention by United States President Bill Clinton, in which he became the first president to use the word "gay" in a Democratic National Convention. *1999: 1999 State of the Union Address, State of the Union Address by United States President Bill Clinton, in which he became the first president to use the words "sexual orientation" in a State of the Union Address. *1999: Elie Wiesel's: "The Perils of Indifference" Speech, which he gave in front of President of the United States Bill Clinton.


Twenty-first century

*2001: U.S. President George W. Bush's Address to the Nation on September 11, 2001.:File:GWBush Oval Office Address 20010911-1-.ogg, Audio of speech.
Transcript.
*2002: 2002 State of the Union Address, State of the Union Address by United States President George W. Bush, in which he declared that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Ba'athist Iraq, Iraqi Republic were part of an "''Axis of evil''". *2003: Tim Collins (soldier)#Eve-of-battle speech, Iraq War Eve-of-Battle speech by British Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins (soldier), Tim Collins. *2003: Mission Accomplished speech by United States President George W. Bush, in which he declared 2003 invasion of Iraq, the end to major combat operations in Iraq. *2004: 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address, U.S. Democratic National Convention Keynote address by Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, which helped him become nationally known. *2004: Pound Cake speech by African American entertainer Bill Cosby, in which he criticized several significant aspects of modern African American culture. *2005: Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Address.
Transcript

Video.
*2005: The Art, Truth and Politics Nobel Lecture delivered on video by the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature Harold Pinter *2006: The Őszöd speech, a strident and obscenity-laden speech made by Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány to fellow members of the Hungarian Socialist Party in Balatonőszöd. The speech, intended to be confidential, was leaked to the media and led to mass protests. *2006: Chocolate City speech by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, concerning race politics in the city several months after Hurricane Katrina. *2007: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, The Last Lecture, delivered by Randy Pausch, a terminally ill computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, which became an Internet sensation and gained major media coverage. *2008: The Stolen Generation#Australian federal parliament apology, "Sorry" speech, delivered by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, regarding the Stolen Generations — children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments, in the 1860s through to the 1960s.
Transcript

Video.
*2008: A More Perfect Union (speech), A More Perfect Union, in which U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama responded to controversial remarks made by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor. *2008: Barack Obama election victory speech 2008, Barack Obama's Election Victory speech in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois. *2009: A New Beginning (speech), A New Beginning, a speech made by U.S. President Barack Obama which was designed to reframe relations between the w:Muslim world, Islamic world and the w:United States, United States after the w:September 11 attacks, terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the U.S.-led w:Iraq War, war in Iraq. The President gave this speech in Cairo, Egypt, outlining his personal commitment to engagement with the w:Muslim World, Muslim world, based upon mutual interests and mutual respect, and discusses how the United States and Muslim communities around the world can bridge some of the differences that have divided them. *2011: Death of Osama bin Laden#U.S. presidential address, Death of Osama Bin Laden speech by U.S. President Barack Obama. *2012: Clint Eastwood's Clint Eastwood at the 2012 Republican National Convention, Empty Chair Speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention. *2012: Misogyny speech made by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on October 9, 2012 in reaction to alleged sexism from opposition leader Tony Abbott.
Transcript

Video.
*2015: 2015 State of the Union Address, State of the Union Address by United States President Barack Obama, in which he became the first president to use the words "lesbian", "gay", "bisexual", and "transgender" in a State of the Union Address. *2015: Barack Obama Selma 50th anniversary speech, honoring the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. *2015: Shashi Tharoor's Oxford Union speech, Shashi Tharoor Oxford Union speech, Indian Diplomat, Writer and MP Shashi Tharoor delivered a speech "Britain owes Reparations (transitional justice), reparations to her former colonies". Tharoor began his speech by arguing that the Economic history of the United Kingdom, economic progress of Britain from the 18th-century onwards was financed by the economic exploitation and Deindustrialisation in India, deindustrialisation of British Raj, British India. He cited other negative effects of colonial rule on India, such as Famine in India, famines and the mandatory contribution of Indians toward the British war effort during the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. Scholar Alyssa Ayres, who served on the Council on Foreign Relations, reasoned that Tharoor's quantification of the colonial exploitation of India formed the most important part of his speech. British Labour Party (UK), Labour MP Keith Vaz praised the speech, calling for the return of the Koh-i-Noor, Kohinoor diamond to India. *2017: On the Removal of Four Confederate Monuments by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, which defended the ongoing removal of Confederate States of America monuments in the city of New Orleans.
Transcript
*2022: Speeches by Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine (at the House Of Commons, the United Nations Security Council)


References


External links


"Great Speeches of the Twentieth Century," ''Guardian'' website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Speeches Speeches, Lists of speeches Works about history