"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the empire of Japan." This is basically from memory
John F Kennedy also has his iconic Moon speech, “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." President FDR is about equal to Kennedy in the amount of iconic speeches
yes, the speech about something which JFK had Johnson figure out for him and which 58% of Americans thought was just silliness. it really only became iconic in retrospect. I think, had we failed to put people on the moon before 1970, the speech would have been either iconic for its absurd hubris, or just forgotten entirely. and you should note we very almost did fail to land people on the moon before 1970, since Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969, and the first crewed flight to the moon, Apollo 8, happened in December 1968 because the LM wasn't ready yet at the time, and this forced a change in the mission profile from a test of the LM to a crewed test of the Saturn V, as well as the first crewed mission to reach lunar orbit. looking back on that it should be very clear that successfully putting people onto the lunar surface by 1970 was by no means a sure thing even by mid-1969 when Apollo 11 launched.
@@sumdumbmick None of that matters. JFK assured the nation that we would push through the unknown and move forward as a civilization and we would start with the moon, yeah IF we didn’t make it before 1970 then it may have become iconic for “hubris” but we made it and that’s all that really matters.
You forgot “The day that will live in infamy” speech of FDR, “Tear down this wall” from Reagan, and “We choose to go to the moon” from JFK. For Japan I’d say the Hirohito surrender speech given where it was one of the first times the Japanese people heard their emperor. Nelson Mandela’s “I am prepared to die” is also very important to South Africa. King George VI’s “WW2” speech is also very important in the UK.
King George's speech is even more remarkable knowing he had a very serious speech impediment and he was very uneasy about giving an address, but when he did, he sounded fine.
"I never forgot what President Kennedy said about going to the moon. He said we're going, you know why? Because we refuse to postpone. Let's not postpone and get out of the rain." -- Joe Biden
I remember when Reagan said this and Mr. Gorbachev was like damn i guess I have to tear it down and he actually went from Moskva to Berlin and began to destroy the wall with his own hands absolute madlad
It’s kind of dumb how much we care about this speech. As of Gorbachev was gonna tear down the wall just because Reagan said so. This speech was pretty much a non-factor for the soviets.
In Brazilian History there is the “I am staying” speech. The royal family of Portugal had made Brazil into the new center of the Portuguese empire while running away from Napoleon. After the war, there was a revolution in Portugal that demanded the return of the royal family and to move the capital back to Lisbon. The king submitted and returned, but left the prince heir in Brazil, Dom Pedro. The Brazilian elites were afraid of the new revolutionary Portuguese government to revoke all progress and privileges they had gained and so they began trying to convince the prince to adopt the cause of Brazilian autonomy and sovereignty. The Portuguese government eventually demanded the return of Dom Pedro, and the elites scrambled to convince him to disobey the orders and stay. These efforts culminated in a mob forming in front of Dom Pedro’s place begging him to stay, witch finally did the trick. After having allegedly cried from the demonstration of support towards him, he made the “I’m staying’ speech, calling out the government’s slights against Brazil and that he stood by the Brazilians over the government. The most famous part of the speech is a simplified version of the last line that gained huge popularity and pretty much every Brazilian knows: “If it’s for the good of all and the general happiness of the nation, tell the people that I’ll stay!” That speech seals his commitment with the Brazilian elites and independence would follow only a few months later, also by his hand.
Even though it is not a speech, Getúlio Vargas' "Deixo a vida para entrar para história" (I leave life to enter history) is one of the most famous lines in Brazillian history
Eu me lembro que ele disse essa frase na realidade quando teve uma crise de desinteria à beira do rio Ipiranga Depois ele formalizou em carta e em coreto, escrito com a ajuda de sua esposa
Theodore Roosevelt's speech where he said “Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot.” is an iconic one.
@@BradyPostma That's a different story entirely, unless you have a good amounts of savings (Income not total wealth). That would be a more middle class law
@@AW-zk5qb Nah, the best one for me is the one that Metaxas gave before the beginning of the Greco Italian war. That's the quote I personally like the most.
@@BradyPostma Even then, it's disproportionate. If Bezos gets fined 50% of his yearly income, he'll still have made billions of dollars. If a poor person gets fined 50% of their income, they'll be unable to pay their rent, or eat adequately.
"Españoles, Franco ha muerto." is probably the most famous speech in Spain. It translates to "Spaniards, Franco has died." It was broadcast through the radio in 1975. The line has seeped into popular culture and has been memeified to a great extent. Came as quite a shocker after close on 40 years of dictatorship, and opened the doors to democratic reform.
The story of Juan Carlos I is the best. Franco appealed to him to maintain his nationalistic policies and government. Juan Carlos just nodded and said of course he would. Even on his deathbed, Franco asked for a last time to carry on his ideals. Juan Carlos assured him Spain will continue to carry on as Franco wanted. Franco died and Juan Carlos was like literally, “yeah, we’re not doing that”, and IMMEDIATELY began to transition the country to a modern constitutional democracy.
another good, even if it's not a speech could be the "Quieto todo el mundo" said by Antonio Tejero in his failed coup in the 80s, that was broadcasted live on TV
"There's an old saying in Tennessee-I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee-that says, Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me-you can't get fooled again."
Prime Minister David Lange’s, “I can smell the uranium on your breath” remark at the Oxford union debate about nuclear weapons is pretty firmly implanted in the New Zealand public conscious.
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people and neither do we." G.W. Bush
""There's an old saying in Tennessee-I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee-that says, 'Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me-you can't get fooled again.'" '
One of the most iconic speeches in Germany is Walter Ulbrichts "Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten!" (Noone has the intention of building a wall) and the two months later the Berlin wall was errected. Edit: It was actually a press conference and not a speech..
@@Shebbi04 You see the wages and quality of life was generally better in the tyrannical capitalist West Berlin thereby tempting good German workers away from their communist paradise in the East so the wall had to be built up to prevent the mass exodus of these misguided workers. It's the same reason modern utopias like North Korea are extremely strict about people leaving their utopia. They simply don't want them to be corrupted by the influence of the tyrannical west (or South in Koreas case)
While I'm not from the UK I think Churchill's "In all of history never before has so much been owed to somany by so few" line as a response to the Battle of Britain to be pretty Iconic.
For India, I think the most iconic speech would be "Tryst with Destiny" given by our first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The speech was given at eve of our independence at midnight. One iconic line from it is "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom". It is very much sentimentalized in India and also taught in the schools. The speech is in English. You can read it.
"The ambition of the greatest men of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over." This section is a real important one in that speech, in my opinion.
@42 what ever happened is happened.. before British Turkish & Iranian kings also colonized us...we only wish British know more at colonial history and colonial countries contribution to British wars be it monetary or non monetary, soldier's..
Nehru's speech is definitely Iconic. But there are a few other strong contenders too. Swami Vivekananda's speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago is also one of the most iconic speeches in recent Indian history. Then there is also Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his "Give me blood and I will give you freedom" Lastly, the most recent one. Dr APJ abdul Kalam and his "Vision of India" at IIT Hyderabad.
@@charlespriestly7613 the quote wasn’t about the war on terror, and I would say many people recognize the line even if they don’t know who said it or why it was said.
"Four score and seven years ago" An incredible and fundamental speech given by one of the greatest American Presidents to have ever lived after the Battle of Gettysburg, dedicating the fallen, and the Union cause, as well as the hope for Liberty for all men.
On the other side of the spectrum was the chilling speech of George Wallace given during the civil rights movement in the 60's, "In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Absolutely bone chilling. I'll never forget those last few lines.
And is the origin of the phrase “a government of the people by the people for the people”. Which many Americans think is actually in the constitution or Declaration of Independence.
@@ryleeroseborough7885 The "ask not what your country" speech was done at his inauguration in 1961. The moon speech was done in 1962 at Rice University.
In France there is the speech of de Gaulle with his famous "Je vous ai compris" or "I have understood you" in the whole context of the Algerian war of Independence and then in Catalonia, after President Josep Tarradellas returned from exile in 1977 he said his famous words "Ya soc aqui" meaning "I am here now" marking a stone point of Spanish democratic transition.
I'd like to add that "Je vous ai compris" is SO quotable that even though most french people born after the 60s have no idea where it comes from, when it was pronounced and in what context, they still quote it quite a lot (first time I heard it was in middle school, when one of my classmates said this though he didn't even know who the hell said it) By the way, it's ultimately quite weird how Charles De Gaulle kinda became central/essential to the french national identity despite being seen as a potential dictator by other stateleaders of the time and as a coward by a considerable part of the french resistance O_o
A joint first would be 'l'Appel du 18 Juin' (the Appeal of 18 June), a speech De Gaulle made on June 18 1940 from London on the BBC Radio to call to refuse the armistice with Germany and join him in continuing the fight from Britain. However, the quote everyone associates with this speech "La France a perdu une bataille mais la France n'a pas perdu la guerre" (France lost a battle but France hasn't lost the war) isn't actually in the speech, but in a poster inspired by the speech. Nevertheless, I think that speech deserves a mention, du to how iconic it is in both the memory of World War II and the Gaullist mythology.
That’s not aucully very commonly quoted here in America especially sense it is about the Cold War which people don’t think about that much anymore thank people remember WW2 much more than that it
For Australia, when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was dismissed (Wrongfully) by the Governor General John Kerr, he famously proclaimed on the steps of parliament house in our capital "Well may we say God save the Queen, because nothing will save the Governor General!" Easily the most iconic line in an Australian speech
I cried. I watched that on live television, then remembered it again as I embraced my Russian comrades coming across the crumbling Berlin wall on New Year's Day. Just beautiful!
yeah FDR is about equal to Kennedy when it comes to iconic speeches. FDR has some other iconic speeches, namely the new deal speech and a day that will live in infamy speech.
“If my words and science contradict, choose science.” “My mortal body will of course some day become soil, but The Republic of Turkey will always remain as whole.” “Soveirgnity is not given, it is taken.” “Peace in home, peace in the world.” -Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
"Romanians, in the hardest hour of our history I have decided, in full agreement with my people, that there is but one way to save the nation from total disaster: our exit from the alliance with the Axis powers and the immediate cessation of the war with the United Nations" - king Michael I of Romania, August 23rd 1944
@@appleslover Eh... Reagan's speech isn't that well known in Germany. I think most Germans think of Shabowski's press conference. It's more famous here.
The Pierre Trudeau “Just watch me” interview always stuck with me as a Canadian. I think it really represents how intense the FLQ era in Canada really was!
I feel that Canada has very few iconic speeches, but a lot of iconic quotes: Pierre Trudeau's "Just watch me" and "The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation", William Lloyd Mackenzie King's "Conscription if necessary but not necessarily conscription", Jean Chrétien's "I don't talk out of both sides of my mouth" and "Pepper, I put it on my plate", Charles de Gaulle's "Vive le Québec libre", Sir John A. Macdonald's "There's only room for one drunk in my Cabinet", etc.
"Yo veo un México con hambre y sed de justicia..." (I see a Mexico with hunger and thirst for justice) By the Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio on March 6th, 1994. It really resonated with the public in that he wasn't just another crooked politician, that he indeed worried about the everyday Mexican, including the Indigenous. Ultimately this distanced himself from his party. He was assassinated 17 days later.
Basically Colossio's speech and death was the beggining of the end for the quasi one party system in México, as most of our parents generation grew tired of the PRI, as they realized that change wouldn't come within of the Party, as was the justification of why most of them still voted PRI, they hoped for a PRI politician would became president and reform the system from within, and Colosio was the one, his speech broke with most of the Party's line so his death regardless of who was the perpetrator (the most believe versión is that Carlos Salinas the still president at the time of the campaign and the one who had chosed Colosio as his sucesor ordered the hit and that the song 'la culebra" was the signal for the killing) this and the económico crisis of december of that year know as the' tequila effect' and atributed to the neoliberal policies adopted since the Salinas administration were the straw that broke the camel's back and thus in the following election for the first time a candidato from another party won the presidency breaking with the long PRI era in our country
I think that the "hemos sido tolerantes hasta excesos criticables" of diaz ordaz was more iconic due to what would happen after, and also is more memeable, however it's not that used because its insenisble nature
@@thesenate6700 a good contender, but the PRI ruled for another 32 years after that, and the speech was relate my un know by most people during that time
As an anglophone Quebecker, the first famous (or rather infamous) speech that came to mind was Charles De Gaul’s “Vive le Quebec libre” speech he gave on his visit to Canada.
Yes the "tryst with destiny" speech and Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech of 1996 (translated from hindi) " Governments will come and go, Parties wil form and deform but this country should remain, it's democracy should remain intact, honourable chairperson I resign. " comes to mind as it was first parliamentary speech to be televised ( as far as i know) and two years later helped him ( and his party) win the election.
The king of Sweden held a speech where he started with "dear people of Örebro" the only problem was that he wasn't in Örebro, he was in another town called Arboga.
@@sentientarugula2884 The King is famously dyslectic, so it is mocking his disability. I would say the quote is used exclusively derogatory against the king.
"Restoring the Welsh language in Wales is nothing less than a revolution. It is only through revolutionary means that we can succeed" - Saunders Lewis in his 'Tynged yr Iaith' radio speech delivered in 1962. The 'Tynged yr Iaith' ('The Fate of the Language') speech is credited by many as being single-handedly responsible for saving the Welsh language from terminal decline. Saunders Lewis, who was the first leader of Plaid Cymru (the Welsh Nationalist Party), predicted the extinction of the language if direct action was not taken to defend it. The speech proved to be the catalyst for the formation of the Welsh Language Society, which heeded the call for direct action and has campaigned for the promotion of the language ever since. The speech raised public consciousness of the decline of the language, particularly among Welsh speaking communities, and led to the establishment of a Welsh language TV station (S4C) in the 1980s and paved the way for the Welsh Language Act 1993, which effectively made Wales an officially bilingual nation. In the 21st century, the number of Welsh speakers is growing rather than falling, something most people credit to Lewis and his call for 'revolutionary means' to save the language. Here's the full speech (in Welsh but English subtitles) with an additional piece at the end explaining it's impact in greater detail: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BnqylLCe85Q.html (27:19 mins for the famous 'revolutionary means' line)
The "Vive le Québec libre!" speech is definitely interesting considering it was delivered by president Charles de Gaulle of France. It caused a diplomatic incident at the time, then its most famous line went on the be the slogan of the Quebec sovereignty movement.
In Poland our most famous speech has to be this: "Peace is a precious and a desirable thing. Our generation, bloodied in wars, certainly deserves peace. But peace, like almost all things of this world, has its price, a high but a measurable one. We in Poland do not know the concept of peace at any price. There is only one thing in the lives of men, nations and countries that is without price. That thing is honor.". It was spoken by Józef Beck, Foreign Relations Minister on 5th of May 1939 after rejection of Hitler's demands for Poland to become Germany's puppet. The rejection of Hitler's proposition basically lead to the beginning of WW2 so that speech is super important...
Three speeches in Germany stand out and embody our history in the 20th century: 1) The infamous Sportpalast speech by Joseph Goebbels ("Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg?" - Do you want total war?) - the most famous speech of the 3rd Reich - ironically not delivvered by Hitler who despite being famous for his speeches has never given a particularly iconic one. Mainly because he was near incomprehensible in his screaming and more famous for his wild eratic delivery style. 2) The speech by Walter Ulbricht, head of the DDR government "Niemand hat die Absicht eine Mauer zu errichten." - No one has the intention to build a wall." - just a couple of months before the Berlin wall was built. And finally 3) the speech by Günther Schabowski, member of the SED-politburo on 9 November 1989 that unintentionally led to the fall of the Berlin wall. He was given a rather dull speech about the new travel policies. Then a reporter asked him when these policies come into effect and his answer was the iconic „Das tritt nach meiner Kenntnis … ist das sofort, unverzüglich." - "To the best of my knowledge... is that immediately... without delay." And basically the whole of East Berlin got up and left. (Edit: Added the quote by Schabowski)
The two statements from the DDR were at press conferences, so they don‘t count under JJs rules. Although I agree with you that both were important and iconic moments from our recent history. One of the most memeable speeches in the last twenty years has to be Stoiber‘s „10 Minuten“ Speech where he rambles incoherently about a Maglev Line that has never been built.
i want to add the "Excuse me, I am not convinced" speech Joschka fisher gave as a Response to Donald Rumsfeld at the Munich Security Conference in 2003
I suggest Joschka Fischer's "I am not convinced" when the USA presented "proofs" for the need to go to war against Iraq . (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CpuN-yM1sZU.html)
Maybe one from the GDR that could qualify as more of a "speech" rather than a press conference would be when Genscher stepped on the balcony of the embassy in Prague to tell the people that they were allowed to leave the country "Wir sind heute zu ihnen gekommen, um Ihnen mitzuteilen, dass heute ihre Ausreise möglich geworden ist"..
A couple from Australia: Gough Whitlam's "well may we say God save the Queen, because nothing will save the Governor General" is the most iconic one probably. More recent ones would be The National Apology (Kevin Rudd) and Julia Gillard's misogyny speech.
Yeah you can’t go past Whitlam. Some other honourable mentions are Keating “I want to do you slow”. Mal Meninga “Political career speech” and what I think is one of the most iconic Australian lines Richie Benaud “One of the worst things I have ever seen done on a cricket ground”
@@AW-zk5qb ok? I'm answering the question from my own country's perspective, it wouldn't make sense for me to comment on culturally important speeches for somewhere I've never been
For France, Charles de Gaulle's speeches are probably up there. His appeal of the 18th of June: 'Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.'. His speech at the liberation of Paris: 'Paris! Paris outraged! Paris broken! Paris martyred! But Paris liberated!'. Or his speech in Algiers in 1958: 'I understood you'
For Germany i'd say it's the speech Minister of Foreign Affairs Hans-Dietrich Genscher gave in 1989 at the Prague embassy of West Germany to a crowd of East German refugees who had come there hoping to get to the West. Its famous because he couldn't finish it: when he said: "We have come to you to tell you that today, your departure ..." the crowd started cheering immediately, making the rest of the sentence unintelligible. Shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall, this was one of the most iconic moments of German reunification.
It's for shure pretty iconic and important, but i would argue that it hasn't transferred into wider culture. It is especially less known among younger generations.
I would add the speech by Federal president Roman Herzog in 1996 in which he stated „Durch Deutschland muss ein Ruck gehen“ (loosely translated to „there has to be some movement in Germany“), in which some stagnation in Germany at the time is lamented about. Two other very quotable moments in speeches by German politicians were Walter Ulbrichts famous lie to a journalist „Niemand hat die Absicht eine Mauer zu errichten“ (Nobody has the intention to build a wall), but it technically doesn’t qualify as a speech, as well as Günther Schabowski‘s inability to address the question in 1989, when it will be possible to be able to travel to West Berlin, and by his words „nach meiner Kenntnis - ab sofort, unverzüglich“ („if I‘m well-informed, immediately“), many stormed the Berlin Wall. Another very famous actual speech was delivered on the same day, 71 years prior in 1918, in which Philipp Scheidemann declared the „old order to be gone“ and proclaimed the „German Republic“. Finally a very controversial speech was delivered by Green Party politician and foreign minister Joschka Fischer, where he explained his support for military action against Serbia during the Kosovo conflict, in which he was attacked with a paint bag and still finished the speech. It was controversial for many reasons, one being that the Green Party was staunchly anti-war before this. Anyway these are some of the speeches that I found most memorable.
@@ScEd21 great summary, i forgot all about Fischer. I just personally think that it was more within the left and some parts of the older anti war genarations. Sadly not so much in others parts of sociaty.
Some might argue that it counts as an impromptu press conference but I would disagree. Whitlam clearly went out to the front steps of Parliament House intending to say something. He did well to play off what the Governor General's secretary had just said to dissolve Parliament but you could argue that he knew exactly what was going to be said in that ceremony.
or perhaps Paul Keating's Redfern speech? I'd argue that was a pretty big turning point. Or maybe even Kevin Rudd's national apology to the stolen generations is something that is engrained in the culture much more so
I was six and it came on TV and I watched it I can still remember sitting on the floor of the lounge room with my mum watching it on a black and white TV I was fascinated, I had no idea what was going on but I knew it was important
"We in Poland do not know the concept of peace at any price. There is only one thing in the lives of men, nations and countries that is without price. That thing is honor" One of the most rememberd speeches here in Poland. It was made by foreign policy minister Joseph Beck in 1939. Final refusal to german demands. A prelude to WW2.
An iconic speech that China is trying super super hard to suppress: Zhao Ziyang’s “We are already old” speech at Tiananmen in 1989. Zhao was the General Secretary of the communist party at the time. His speech to the students who were on a hunger strike was intended to be conciliatory and frank, expressing concern for their health and well being, but it was largely seen as being supportive of the student protestors by the government, which eventually led to his house arrest and censorship.
@@GeographyWorld I think the proclamation is a more famous speech (what with copies displayed in pubs and places), but "Ireland unfree will never be at peace" is a more famous quote.
"Es palikšu savā vietā, jūs palieciet savās" - On June 17, 1940, Latvia was completely occupied by the Soviet Union. Rather than risk an unwinnable war, former president of Latvia Kārlis Ulmanis gave a nationwide radio address ordering no resistance to the Red Army, saying "I will remain in my place and you remain in yours" During the the first lockdown this quote regained quite a lot of popularity for obvious reasons.
@@AW-zk5qb 😂well, it's probably currently the most quoted one and it found its way into popular culture (memes) due to lockdown, wich makes it not necessarily the best but quite an interesting one.
America's top 10 (Keep in mind I'm taking into account the memorability of the iconic quote and the memorability of the entire speech): 1: "I have a dream" -Martin Luther King Junior at the Lincoln Memorial during civil rights movement 2: "One small step for man" -Neil Armstrong after stepping foot on the moon for the first time 3: "Four score and 7 years ago" -Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg following a crucial win for the Union during the American Civil War 4: "A date which will live in infamy" -Franklin Roosevelt declaring war on Japan the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor 5: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" -John F. Kennedy during his inaugural address right after becoming president 6: "Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall" -Ronald Reagan daring reformist leader of the Soviet Union Gorbachev to end the division of Berlin 7: "Ich bin ein Berliner" -John F. Kennedy giving a speech in Berlin during the Cold War 8: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" -Franklin Roosevelt during his inaugural address at the time of the Great Depression 9: "We choose to go to the moon" -John F. Kennedy declaring the United States will land a man on the moon before the end of the decade 10: "Slipped the surly bonds of earth, to touch the face of God" -Ronald Reagan addressing the nation after the explosion of the Challenger Space Craft Honorable mentions: "I've been to the mountaintop" -Martin Luther King Junior's final speech before being assassinated in which he predicted his early death "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away slowly" -Douglass MacArthur after resigning/being fired from the Korean War "I will die on my feet, before I'll live in my knees" -George Washington quoting Euripides during the American Revolution "Military industrial complex" -Dwight Eisenhower's farewell address warning of the powers of the military industry
South Africa undeniably has the "Never, Never and Never again" speech by Nelson Mandela. It is synonymous with the end of the apartheid regime and is very well known and sentimental in South Africa.
“Today I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat, do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.” - Yasser Arafat
“The people must know that this country belongs to the people, not of the King like what they fool us” rough translation of the 1st declaration of the people’s party which established democracy in Thailand
I can’t believe you didn’t mention Ronald Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” speech. Or FDR’s “A day that will live in infamy” speech. Another more recent speech from the 21st century would be George W. Bush’s Ground Zero speech after 9/11, where he said, “I hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”
For a more infamous speech I would have gone with Bush's "you're with us or you're with the terrorists" but those are all good shouts. I think the Americans are rather more fond of flowery memorable speeches than the rest of us
The Dean Scream was definitely odd to include over these three, but then again it’s the most recent. Maybe one of Obama’s? I’m a political junkie so maybe I’m biased, but I know at least a word or two from his 2004 DNC, 2008 Victory, and 2009 Inaugural speeches. “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." Barack Obama, 2008 Election Night speech opening line.
Sir Robert Menzies, Australia's longest serving Prime Minister's 1942 speech 'The Forgotten People', a speech recognising the Australian middle class as "the backbone of this country."
In Finland, one of the most memorable speeches must be the one given by Mannerheim at the end of the Winter War. Here is a link with English translation: histdoc.net/history/mheim.html There are a couple of similar speeches given during the 2nd world war, but this one in particular has started a life of its own. It is common to see this speech hanging and presented proudly on the walls of a wartime building, usually a school or perhaps in a corner of a church. The speech is used as an example in Finnish high schools when talking about rhetorical methods and has appeared on the mandatory end-of-high school test multiple times over the years. An example about an essay topic you could be asked to write about it is: "This is an speech given by Mannerheim at the end of the Winter War. Examine it as an argumentative speech.". It is an interesting speech since it had to sell the harsh peace term to the Finnish people. During the war, somewhat misleading reports were given on the radio about the state of the Finnish army. Most people thought the fight was still going somewhat well. The truth could not be further from the truth. No Western nation was in a place where they could help Finland, the other Nordic countries were afraid of the Soviet union, and Germany had a non-aggression pact with the Soviets. Finland was out of money, out of ammo and running out of soldiers. You can see Mannerheim almost trying to sugarcoat the harsh peace terms throughout the speech. He emphasizes the Herculean effort of the Finnish soldiers, underlines the impossible the odds they faced, and then tells how Famous lines from the speech include: "You did not want war; you loved peace, work and progress; but you were forced into a struggle in which you have done great deeds, deeds that will shine for centuries in the pages of history. " "You did not hate them or wish them evil; you merely followed the stern law of war: kill or be killed." "Our Army was small and its reserves and cadres inadequate. We were not prepared for war with a Great Power. While our brave soldiers were defending our frontiers we had by insuperable efforts to procure what we lacked. We had to construct lines of defence where there were none. We had to try to obtain help, which failed to come. We had to find arms and equipment at a time when all the nations were feverishly arming against the storm which sweeps over the world. Your heroic deeds have aroused the admiration of the world, but after three and a half months of war we are still almost alone. " "When some day the history of this war is written, the world will learn of your efforts." "After sixteen weeks of bloody battle with no rest by day or by night, our Army still stands unconquered before an enemy which in spite of terrible losses has grown in numbers; ..." "We are proudly conscious of the historic duty which we shall continue to fulfill; the defence of that Western civilisation which has been our heritage for centuries, but we know also that we have paid to the very last penny any debt we may have owed the West. " Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
That is the one that also came to my mind first but I think it cannot be counted. It is an order of the day and althought it was later read in radio, Mannerheim didn't read it himself. The only real speech that I can think of is the one that president Svinhufvud read during the Mäntsälä rebellion on 2nd of March in 1932. "Fascist" of the Finland, Lapualaiset, had violently attacked socialists and president Svinhufvud ordered all people to stop rebelling and go their homes. It is not very quoted speech but at least I remember well the part "- ja käskeä heitä, niinkuin eilen allekirjoittamassani julistuksessakin sanotaan, kuuliaisina laille viipymättä palaamaan kotiseuduilleen." Eventually the rebellion stopped and actions of the president was the reason why ONLY Finland remained democratic of those countries that became indepent from Russia after the first world war. This is not the original recording : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0MYV61FZD-s.html
@@nuppusaurus3830 Fair point. I thought about the "Kekkonen, Kekkonen, Kekkonen..." -moment as a more quotable moment, but that is not really a speech. The "Jytky" speech though is a contender. I think that this speech by Mannerheim doesn't have that quatable line, but it is regognizable all the same.
@@meikapellepelle That is a good one. I did think about the radio speech (given by Ryti) at the start of the Continuation war too. It doesn't have a quatable moment in it either and isn't as regognizable, but it was used at the beginning of "Tuntematon Sotilas" so it has stuck in my mind.
@@VeelkiEllää I'd say, out of those mentioned, Mannerheim's is the most recognised, Svinhufvud's is the most traditional speech and Jytky speech is the most quoted. But don't tell JJ about the jytky :D
"Italy is a country that I love" - Berlusconi announces his descend into politics, '94 "Surrender or perish!" - Pertini's message the day of the Liberation of Milan from Nazi forces, '45 "We will break Greece's back!" - Mussolini's declaration of war, '40 - thank god (and Pertini) now used to mock him 🇮🇹
Also from that time, in my country, Romania, Marshal Ion Antonescu's speech "Romanians, I order you: cross the Prut!" (his speech on radio commanding the Romanian army to cross the Prut River to liberate Bessarabia from the Soviets, marking our entrance into WW2 on the side of the Axis at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, in what we called Crusade against Communism).
Cato the elder in the Roman Senate:“Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam“, issued more than 2200 years ago, still quoted and Carthago is still destroyed....😉😅😂
For Singapore, the speech PM Lee Kuan Yew gave at a press conference where he tearfully announced Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia, thus forcing Singapore into independence. "For the whole of my adult life, I have believed in merger and the unity of these two territories. People connected by geography, economics, and ties of kinship" Though it is a press conference rather than a public event so...
France 18th of June speech by Charles de Gaulle: the most famous speech done by the most popular French politician. Although it's not to my knowledge quotable it nearly instantly made him the face of free France and put him on route to being the single most influential person in modern French history. He went from a no name mid ranking soldier to the de facto President in one speech.
Other options for the UK: - Chamberlain: “peace in our time” - Thatcher quoting Francis of Asisi: “where there is discord, may we bring harmony” - Kevin Keegan: “I would love it if we beat them, love it!” (This is the only apolitical one I can think of) - Tony Blair on Diana: “she was truly the people’s princess”
Sorry to hear mate ! Even though it isn't an excuse; it was 1980. Somehow, being oppressed didn't teach us to be more inclusive. Hopefully it's getting better.
@@letsbeginrpg Man, I was 8 or 9 at the time & thought it would've been so cool for Quebec to become its own country. I wanted the US to have another neighboring country. Of course, I had no idea the political ramifications or anything lol
I am from Bangladesh and I would like to highlight a speech, specifically the speech given by Sheikh Mujibar Rahman at the Ramina race course in Dhaka city on the 7th of March 1971. He called for the independence of Bangladesh against Pakistani oppression for which he is considered the father of the country. The speech was half an hour long, was caught on tape and was witnessed by 2 million Bengalis in person. The main quote from that speech which is engraved into the memory of every Bangladeshi is “এবারের সংগ্রাম আমাদের মুক্তির সংগ্রাম, এবারের সংগ্রাম স্বাধিনতার সংগ্রাম” (ebarer shongram amader muktir shongram, ebarer shongram shadinatar shongram in the Latin alphabet). This roughly translates to “This struggle is for our emancipation, this struggle is for our independence.” Many consider this the official declaration Independence of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Here’s the link ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZsQfqlkayJ4.html Time stamp: 11:00
Honestly, the most iconic "Canadian" speech I can think of (as a Canadian) would be De Gaulle's "Vive le Quebec Libre" speech, it's probably the only one I could have quoted a line from off the top of my head.
I feel the same! Outside of some provocative quotes from Pierre Trudeau's government ministers during news interviews, Canada does not have a legacy of orators.
Pierre Trudeau’s “Just Watch me “ Is up there also “No place for the state in the nations bedrooms” And lee kuan yew of Singapore’s Merdeka speech is also up there Those 3 are relatively iconic.
@@AG-lh9ic 20s America wasn’t able to either, that’s why he was shot. Also Long was a pretty racist man (his progressive programs only really helped poor white people) so I don’t think I’d want him in the 21st century America.
Spain: "Españoles, Franco ha muerto" (Spaniards, Franco has died) It was the end of the Francoist dictatorship and the beginning of a new democratic era.
HW’s “No New Taxes”, Clinton’s “I Did Not Have Sex”, W’s announcement of the Iraq War and Mission Accomplished speech, and Obama’s Osama Bin Laden announcement all are notable, although maybe not to the degree to the ones highlighted here.
Obama was a very good public speaker but I don't remember his Osama bin laden speech, I remember the event but not the speech. I think his most famous speech was "Yes We Can"
I don’t remember any direct words of bush’s mission accomplished speech. Only the backlash he received for making a speech in front of said banner. Although I think he said that the war is far from over.
He said no interviews, while Clinton's testimony is very well known it failed the criteria set by JJ. A deposition or this testimony was an interrogation arguably a type of interview, and not a speech.
I asked my dad about this, and we spoke about Ricardo Balbin's speech, from when the infamous populist president Juan Domingo Perón died. Ricardo Balbin had been imprisoned for five years because of his strong opposition to the government. Perón pardoned him, but Balbin decided not to accept the pardon, given that the trial for his imprisonment hadn't finished. In his speech after Perón's death, he said "Este viejo adversario, despide a un viejo amigo" meaning, "This old opponent says goodbye to an old friend". It's a very powerful speech that aches, considering the cordiality and warmth of the speech, knowing three years later we went on to have a military coup. I reccomend you watch it if you find it in English! (oh, and if you couldn't tell by now, I'm from Argentina :p)
If you want to go down the Peron route you also have "Por cada uno nuestro 3 de ellos" (For each one of our 3 of them will fall) or I suppose something from Eva and hers shirtless (Descamisados) from Alfonsin too "with democracy you educate, heal and feed". I'm saying from the top of my head and this quotes could be just phrases they repeated on gigs but if I wanted to track some iconic speeches I'd stick to the people I mentioned
Para mi el discurso de alfonsin donde recita la constitución en el Cabildo debe ser el más famoso. Sino el del tirano Perón cuando echo a los montoneros de plaza de mayo. Igual el más famoso es el de menem diciendo que vamos a la estratosfera
El "si quieren venir que vengan, les presentaremos batalla" ("if they want to come, let them come") from Leopoldo Galtieri, that time's Military leader, just before the Malvinas (Falkland) War is also a very well know and remembered line nowadays.
Uff so much anti-Peronism here. I’m 100% behind Peron’s speach on the 17th of October 1945. It changed the country forever. Although, I can’t remember a quote from it. Alfonsin’s “la casa está en orden” is the one people quote (and parody) the most.
There are so so so many famous US speeches and presidential quotes. FDR's "Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy" is also up there
Another American speech I would say is one of the more memorable and melancholy ones in recent memory is Lou Gehrig’s departure speech. Particularly the line: “But today, I consider myself…the luckiest man…on the face of the earth.”
Poland: Peace is a precious and a desirable thing. Our generation, bloodied in wars, certainly deserves peace. But peace, like almost all things of this world, has its price, a high but a measurable one. We in Poland do not know the concept of peace at any price. There is only one thing in the lives of men, nations and countries that is without price. That thing is honor. Joseph Beck, Minister of Foregin Affairs, May 5th 1939
Well it is of course powerful speech combined with it's background, but the most famous polish speech must be the declaration of martial law by gen. Jaruzelski.
From Israel, there have been several speeches by Yitshak Rabin that became very iconic. The most famous one is the one he gave in a peace rally in Tel Aviv on November 4th, 1995. It included the now iconic line: "Violence is the erosion the foundations of democracy" He was assassinated on the steps off that stage.
I think, quite ironically tbh, that Churchill's "Some chicken, some neck" speech may be one of the best impactful in Canadian history. And although it doesn't fit under your guidelines I'd say Old Man Trudeau's "Just watch me" interview during the October Crisis is very iconic, although it's technically not a speech.
In Sweden one of the most memorable and quotable speeches in political history is the one made by formerly moderate prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt which came to be known as the "Öppna Era Hjärtan" (Open your hearts speech). The speech was given during the 2015 migrant crisis, addressing the swedish people and asking them to open their hearts and accept these new people fleeing from violence and hate. It really didn't end well since theres a bit of anti immigrant sentiment in Sweden now (unfortunetly). A bit more back in time, former social democratic prime minister Olof Palme made a speech while he was minister of education in a park by the name of "Almedalen" on the swedish island of Gotland. Since then, every august there has been a big political gathering and subsequent speech week in that same park where every political party and aspect of swedish society is represented. Olof Palme is remembered as being one of the most memorable prime ministers of Sweden since he is the only one to ever have been assasinated.
"Peace is a precious and a desirable thing. Our generation, bloodied in wars, certainly deserves peace. But peace, like almost all things of this world, has its price, a high but a measurable one. We in Poland do not know the concept of peace at any price. There is only one thing in the lives of men, nations and countries that is without price. That thing is honor." 5th of May 1939. Joseph Beck in the Sejm 3 months before the start of the second world war. This speech sums up the feelings of the population at that time and during the war. Also Starzyńskis 20th of September address is quite iconic.
Also iconic, albeit it not positive way: "Citizenesses and citizens of the Polish People's Republic! Today I am addressing you as a soldier and head of the Polish government. I am addressing you in matters of the highest importance. Our fatherland is on the edge of the abyss. The achievements of many generations, the Polish house raised from the ashes is falling into ruin. State structures cease to function. Everyday new blows are dealt to the decaying economy. Living conditions of people fail with an ever greater burden. There are lines of painful divisions running through every workplace, through many Polish homes and families. (...) I announce (...) that Council of State, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, introduced martial law throughout the whole country at midnight today".
If you got rid of the arbitrary "last 100 years" restriction, I would also include the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln. It's a very iconic speech in which, during the darkest era of American history, the President outlined America's national purpose and argued that preserving that purpose and this union was worth fighting for.
If you got rid of the last 100 years limitation then you'd have so many it'd be impossible to choose. The "body of a weak and feeble woman" speech by Elizabeth I, "England expects every man to do his duty" by Lord Horatio Nelson, thinking back through other great orators like Disraeli, Gladstone, Wallace, Wellesley, Pitt the Younger and so many others.... That said, I'm surprised Churchill's "...an iron curtain has descended across Europe..." speech didn't make it
Here in Northern Ireland I think Ian Paisleys speech “Ulster Says No” is particularly remembered. Which way you remember it is another conversation all together.
@@catarinamelchiorgomes8750 perfect example, the letter even fulfills the rule of having a memorable sentence that resonated in popular culture. Even if they don't know exactly where its from, every Brazilian recognizes the line "I leave life to enter History"
"Se é para o bem de todos e felicidade geral da Nação, estou pronto! Digam ao povo que fico". (If it is for the well-being of all and for the general happiness of the nation, I am ready! Tell the people I stay) - Dom Pedro I, from Brazil.
De Gaulle's speech in '44 in Paris. "Paris martyrisé! Paris outragé! Paris brisé! Mais Paris... Libéré!" "Paris Martyred! Paris outraged! Paris broken! But Paris liberated!
For Ireland probably the most Famous is DeValera's "It is indeed hard for the strong to be just to the weak but acting justly always has its rewards.” response to Churchill when he threatened that he could have invaded Ireland during world war 2. It likely kept him in power for another 15 year which was very damaging to the country but its a damn good response and made Churchill look petty and belligerent something he admitted to later.
In Australia - Prime Minister Gough Whitlam after being dismissed saying "well may we say God save the Queen, because nothing will save the Governor General" - is probably as iconic as it gets Unsure whether this moment would pass your criteria though - seemed more of a spur-of-the-moment interview rather than an organised speech - though it being delivered from a PM probably makes it sufficient Alternatively, Kevin Rudd's 'apology' to the Aboriginal Australians for the Stolen Generation was very important. Julia Gillard's misogyny speech also went quite viral worldwide and is pretty instantly quotable anywhere.
One of the better fits. The only rival I can think of off the top of my head would be Gillard's "I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny *by this man*." Keating's "recession we had to have" and "cultural cringe" speeches don't have quite the same hold on the public as Whitlam's or perhaps Gillard's examples.
Whitlam's 'nothing will save the Governor-General' was the 1st one I also thought of, along with Rudd's 'We Are Sorry'. Dunno about Gillard, it was a good speech but I had almost forgotten about it and I don't see it referenced much at all unless specifically talking about her time in office. EDIT: also John Howard's 'Who do you trust?' could be a potential candidate.
Keating's Redfern Speech on the impact of European settlement on Aboriginal Australians: 'We brought the diseases. The alcohol. We committed the murders. We took the children from their mothers.'
Here in Australia it would be Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's 1975 speech when he and his government was sacked by the Governor-General. The most notable lines from it are "Well may we say God Save the Queen, because nothing will save the Governor General" and "Maintain your rage and enthusiasm through the campaign for the election now to be held and until polling day." The first quote is probable more notable and more famous within the general Australian public. Another speech that comes to mind was Prime Minister Julia Gillard's misogyny speech which was delivered to Parliament criticising the Opposition Leader's remarks, the most notable line is "I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man." Hope you include these are they are very notable speeches and quite important to Australia's culture and history.
🇮🇳 India- 1.The most famous one wud be India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny" speech which he gave during the midnight hours b/w 14th and 15th aug 1947, the day we got our independence. The line "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom" is v memorable. 2.“Give me blood and I will give you freedom” speech - Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose(nationalist indian freedom fighter) 3."Swaraj (Freedom) is my BIrth right and I shall have it" speech-Bal Gangadhar Tilak(this one was in the Marathi language but the quote is most famous as its English translation) 4.Address at the World Parliament of Religions - Swami Vivekananda 5.Quit India speech - Mahatma Gandhi P.S. The quotes from speeches 2 and 3 are more famous than the speeches themselves. Most Indians may not even know that they were part of a speech
