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Iconic SpeechesSpeeches are orations, a medieval English term derived from the Latin "oracioun" for prayer, referring to formal addresses typically delivered to the public. Public speaking has been studied and practiced worldwide for thousands of years, going back at least to Mesopotamia's Sumerian and Akkadian empires. The practice's origins are often traced to ancient Greece, where early philosophers and educators coined the term rhetorike. The philosopher Plato described rhetoric as the art of winning the soul through discourse, but today it's often considered the study of persuasion in all its forms. What makes a speech great is up for debate, though a strong metric is whether the speech's story transcends the moment it's delivered in and remains relevant for future generations.Explore Iconic Speeches

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Roosevelt’s post-Pearl Harbor address became one of America’s most iconic speechesDelivered to a joint session of Congress on Dec. 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Dec. 7 “a date which will live in infamy.” The speech, heard by tens of millions of Americans, helped consolidate national support for entering the war. War Archives Tigers emerged much earlier as a species than lionsBoth lions and tigers are iconic big cats known for their size and power, but they remain distinct species. Beyond just looking different, they can exhibit very different behaviors. For example, tigers are significantly less social than lions, who live in social matriarchal groups. Tigers and lions are unlikely to ever interact in the wild, but humans have artificially bred them in captivity, creating a "liger." Live Science Malcolm X's 'Ballot or the Bullet' speech emphasized the political power of Black votersThe 1964 speech addressed institutionalized racism in the United States and urged Black Americans to exercise their right to vote or be prepared to defend themselves if democracy continued to fail them. It is lauded as one of the most unflinching speeches from the Civil Rights movement. Teaching American History In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to a health conditionGehrig's diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that now bears his name, forced him to retire early. Weeks later, he spoke with gratitude and stated, "For the past two weeks, you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Gehrig died at the age of 37, about two years later. The most famous lines of the 'I Have a Dream' speech were improvisedThough largely scripted, Martin Luther King Jr. shifted off text mid-speech after gospel singer Mahalia Jackson called out, “Tell them about the dream, Martin,” prompting the improvised passage that became the most iconic moment of his public legacy. The Wall Street Journal A smooth, scrollable timeline of every 'SNL' cast memberStarting from season 1 in 1975, scroll through the years of the show's comic actors in this well-designed visual record and get a sense of their relative endurance on the show. Stop to click and read more on that season's highlights or the specific career arc of the actor. Kayla Plunkett The mushrooms in 'Super Mario Bros.' are modeled after a real mushroomAlmost every mushroom in "Super Mario Bros." is based on the Amanita muscaria, sometimes referred to as the fly agaric, because it is known to attract flies. It's also the basis for the original mushroom emoji and the mushrooms from the popular game "Minecraft." Popular Science Reagan’s 'tear down this wall' speech challenged Soviet control of BerlinIn 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate of the Berlin Wall and urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” The speech became one of the most iconic moments of the Cold War and a symbol of growing pressure on the Eastern Bloc. C-SPAN The Heisman Trophy has honored college football’s top player since 1935Awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football, the Heisman Trophy has become iconic for its storied history, memorable acceptance speeches, and the success of many winners who went on to NFL stardom. Heisman Springsteen is considered one of rock's greatest songwritersSpringsteen is considered one of rock's greatest songwritersThe New Jersey native has sold over 150 million albums, won 20 Grammy Awards, and influenced several generations of heart-on-sleeve songsmiths. In 1999, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Norman Rockwell's 'Freedom of Speech' has become an internet memeThe famous painting, which portrays a man in work clothes speaking up in a crowd of men in suits, has become a companion image for internet users posting unpopular or controversial opinions. (Some users may experience a paywall.) The New York Times The true origins of the Western tumbleweedTumbleweeds are iconic features of classic American westerns, seen blowing across a desert landscape as a cowboy walks into town. But this species isn't native to the US Southwest. In fact, it was unintentionally imported from Russia. As farmers loosened the ground in the West, they created the perfect breeding ground for the Russian thistle tumbleweed to flourish there. Watch more on its history here. BBC Global Britain's PM signaled the acceptance of African decolonization in 1960This audio excerpt captures Harold Macmillan’s 1960 “Wind of Change” speech, in which he acknowledged rising African nationalism and declared that Britain would not resist decolonization—a pivotal moment signaling the Empire’s accelerating retreat from the continent. Iconic David Foster Wallace's iconic commencement speechDavid Foster Wallace’s remarkable 2005 commencement speech, This is Water, is a timeless trove of wisdom for living a meaningful life. Here is a full transcript along with audio. Farnam Street

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