Most famous speeches of America, UK and Canada

[@justins9786]

“I did not have sexual relations with that women” Bill Clinton

[@georgelloydgonzalez]

That was a press conference, not a speech

[@ThinWhiteDude]

Have a cigar!

[@davidsradioroom9678]

@@georgelloydgonzalez He was probably talking about Hillary.

[@ssik9460]

@@davidsradioroom9678 Touché

[@Navy35]

It depends on what the word is is

[@themarm9679]

Emperor Hirohito’s surrender speech “the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan’s advantage”

[@rubenvo3627]

No one even understood what he was saying

[@appleslover]

Not Japan's but at least the world's

[@heisvi9317]

@@rubenvo3627 didn't he say it in old Japanese, or something to that effect?

[@jetwaffle1116]

That’s the most roundabout way of saying “we goofed up lmao”

[@rubenvo3627]

@@heisvi9317 Yes and that´s why the broadcaster at the end of the speech had to tell the Japenese what they had just listened to

[@corey2232]

FDR's address after Pearl Harbor, and the line everyone remembers "a date which will live in infamy," is pretty iconic.

[@angrygermantoaster2758]

Yeah I’m surprise he didn’t include it

[@williamking6787]

"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

[@ethan9409]

Bro, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself though

[@collincaperton6718]

@@ethan9409 "the only thing we have to fear is running out of beer"

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

"Four score and seven years ago..."

[@potatoweaver4116]

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

[@sumdumbmick]

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.

[@potatoweaver4116]

@@sumdumbmick ok, I mean sure. He did say it wouldn't be easy, but like seriously I don't really care.

[@michaelterrell5061]

@@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.

[@Mr.Nichan]

That's actually the first one I thought of when he said "John F Kennedy", mainly because it's in so many space documentaries.

[@bigpapi6688]

That and Bush’s bullhorn ground zero speech are my two favorite in history

[@brucculi349]

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.

[@DDub04]

Not really. Most people would not be able to come up with it off the top of their head.

[@M30W3R]

The Legal Immigration speech too is pretty iconic, even though I guess it's not as famous as many other US speeches.

[@jamier65551]

No. Not at all. I didn't know that existed until now lol.

[@edwardcampbell1305]

But thia one is better. teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/new-nationalism-speech/

[@mxmayaa]

Yes.

[@strive4252]

When you mentioned the Berlin Wall I was waiting for the Reagan quote. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

[@levygaming3133]

And when he talked about JFK and the Moon landing I kept waiting for “we choose to go to the moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard”

[@mahlholm]

Those two were some of the first ones I were thinking of too 😅

[@sleepysakamoto]

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

[@Ndsl710]

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.

[@alfonsoarroyo3283]

"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.

[@konstantinopoulos33]

It sort of spawned a famous SNL skit in the US, too, in Chevy Chase’s early fame en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalissimo_Francisco_Franco_is_still_dead

[@alisonmarie450]

Yes, this one! I think we in America even know it pretty well

[@maxhess3151]

I still remember where I was when the news anchor came on air to announce that *Generalísimo Franco was still dead.*

[@cashcleaner]

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.

[@ellegendariovendedordeduru6818]

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

[@archdukefranzferdinand567]

"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."

[@Birb728]

Forgot trump and Biden. Bush is the original memelord

[@Waldzkrieger]

The best bush speech is the one where he dodged not one but TWO shoes

[@EdbertWeisly]

I thought you were Austrian

[@tonyayers6809]

Ah yes the great language of bushism

[@JamesTilsley1]

I believe that human beings and fish can coexist peacefully.

[@giorgosandrigiannakis1375]

"If the punishment for disobeying a law is a fine, then this law is for the poor" Andreas Papandreou, former Greek prime minister.

[@BradyPostma]

What if it's a fee defined as a percentage of income?

[@CatholicWeeb]

@@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]

that's really the best speech from Greece?

[@giorgosandrigiannakis1375]

@@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.

[@iuriepripa3171]

@@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.

[@keychain___8836]

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.

[@ryleeroseborough7885]

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.

[@xavierboi936]

Bummed that he didn't say it either

[@caulkins69]

"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

[@theredhunter4997]

The Gettysburg address by lincoln is also pretty famous

[@DanielKivari]

I was also waiting for that Reagan speech!

[@cassianoneto1553]

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.

[@enzolabre6295]

Excelente escolha e apresentação!

[@enzolabre6295]

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

[@brunogripp]

Definitely I was going to mention this speech, very well known, very quotable and meme material before we had memes.

[@tomasgirardi1569]

@@enzolabre6295 not really a speech tho

[@dinamosflams]

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

[@SoundblasterYT]

"I'm never gonna give you up" Rick Astley

[@nielk.]

Why, I just got rickrolled...

[@TheConMan1]

@@nielk. he’s never gonna let you down.

[@MrPatters]

No love for “I am not a crook” and “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” huh?

[@DDub04]

Neither were prepared speeches, they were press conferences.

[@edsyktyk]

@@DDub04 Is this a prepared speech too? kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5bZqGeKabmMm5I

[@vacatiolibertas]

It depends on what your definition of the word "is" is

[@fburejsza]

“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

[@frogmilk5678]

lol

[@guppy719]

""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.'" '

[@pyrotechnic96]

Speak for yourself, dude

[@travisewart4551]

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.

[@martinmaynard141]

I was thinking that as I was watching. There is a famous poster of that quote. He also coined the phrase "Iron curtain"

[@Alexis-pg8do]

"By so many to so few", but yeah

[@Klingklangklong]

You never mentioned the “Ladies and gentleman, we got em.” For the USA

[@EnggBear]

FBI, Open up!

[@AntonWongVideo]

*🅱️ E E P F R I E 🅱️ 🅱️ A S S*

[@charlespriestly7613]

probably because it hasn't had time to have an impact and the war on terror has continued on

[@DDub04]

@@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.

[@mitulsivakumar13]

"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom." - Nehru's speech on India's independence.

[@harshbhandari5801]

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.

[@aFlacidIguana]

Slightly off topic, but, how do Indians view the British these days? Is there any animosity?

[@konstantinopoulos33]

Funnily enough it was around noon in the Americas ;)

[@nzx.]

@@aFlacidIguana No one cares in a practical sense. Britain can't possibly can't pay the trillions in reparations it stole from India.

[@vaibhav0055]

Yup. This, and as Harsh above pointed out, Atul Bihari Vajpayee's speech are the most influential in the history of modern India.

[@ericcadman1329]

"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.

[@lincolnickler9354]

ooh, that would’ve been a fantastic one if he broadened the scope beyond the last 100 years

[@ericross4125]

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.

[@catherineransom6880]

Many of us had to memorize that speech in school.

[@zakdickerson9154]

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.

[@dhanushs6506]

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.

[@aniseedus]

Yes, was gonna comment this too

[@shimnakt955]

Nehru's Speech after GANDHI'S death was also iconic

[@amanmeena3638]

"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.

[@Suryapoosarla]

@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..

[@saptarshisengupta8235]

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.

[@MrMr3pic]

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..

[@muhilan8540]

Kind of unpopular opinion: the Berlin wall was completely justified.

[@Shebbi04]

@@muhilan8540 How?

[@oceanorvital5373]

@@muhilan8540 lmao wut

[@ephraimduke]

@@muhilan8540 Commie spotted.

[@ephraimduke]

@@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)

[@SamTheTrainFan]

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.

[@XaviMacBash]

yo what is sam doing here lol, i love how diverse the internet it is yet u can see when one of ur favourite youtubers on a different corner of youtube

[@austen6847]

Nuclear free NZ! Let's gooo

[@AW-zk5qb]

that doesn't compare to so many American speeches

[@austen6847]

@@AW-zk5qb firmly implanted in the NEW ZEALAND public conscious

[@twoscarabsintheswarm9055]

@@austen6847 why is being nuclear free ok?

[@diesel9324]

Don’t forget Rocky Balboa’s “everyone can change” after he defeated Ivan Drago in Moscow on Christmas Day in 1985.

[@nathangale7702]

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!

[@Origin820]

“We live in a land down under” - Men At Work. Australia.

[@peanuts4723]

Let's all be real, this is the first quote anyone outside of Australia thinks lol

[@JML6988]

Vegemite sandwich

[@NoAlarms.NoSuprises]

@@peanuts4723 True

[@mizcaesar1804]

@@JML6988 true

[@shyryTsr2k]

@@JML6988 I've tried Vegemite before... I wanted to chop my tongue off.

[@taqqiraja2722]

"I have a dream" speech always makes me tear up even though I'm not even American...such a noble sentiment represented MLK Jr.

[@asamyers4572]

My personal favorite is JFK’s “We choose to go to the moon” speech. Also FDR’s “A day which will live in infamy” speech

[@BobbyHernandez]

ya I think thats the most famous JFK speech of all. i feel cheated...

[@yunleung2631]

Gettysburg address

[@tsareric1921]

I'm not American and I can quote large but from both speeches. I felt cheat by the moon one but I assumed the "A day in Infamy" was not as well known.

[@andrewmoore7022]

It's "a day which will live in infamy"

[@asamyers4572]

@@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.

[@NickFordCPTMusic]

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.

[@pr0megia515]

“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

[@jochen9367]

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.

[@MrHoggReads]

De Gaulle is famous for some words in Canada too! (Older English Canadians kinda don't like it) Vive Le Quebec libre!

[@popsab25]

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

[@konstantinopoulos33]

Já soc aquí, no?

[@adrienrenaux6211]

The "appel du 18 juin" is also vey big in France

[@babaopizza]

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.

[@peterb6233]

"The future of our nation is in our children's schoolbags" - Dr. Eric Williams, Trinidad & Tobago 🇹🇹.

[@rowanking1578]

Was ABOUT to comment that

[@jaidoni.vincent6773]

And his independence address as well

[@DaRealRessonance]

@@jaidoni.vincent6773 I just commented that

[@peterb6233]

@@jaidoni.vincent6773 yes

[@alsyrriad]

Those are just brilliant words in general.

[@DrMavDawg]

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!

[@valencecartier4639]

It’s more a soundbite than a speech, but it’s a good soundbite alright

[@stephanecaron8894]

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.

[@TheYukonguy]

@@valencecartier4639 a sound bite before there were sound bites

[@mrsteffen4692]

"let's talk about Canada's famous speeches" and proceeds to say "I'm sorry" as the first line

[@alantaylor3910]

Fuddle Duddel

[@substatikvideoarchive]

That moment was so Canadian that my ice tea next to me turned into maple syrup.

[@has3219]

pierre trudeau's 1980 referendum speech was amazing

[@lewisw4262]

"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: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJ_Uqp-CeMpra7M (27:19 mins for the famous 'revolutionary means' line)

[@maxdavis7722]

I’m not against the welsh language as an Englishman but it was bloody confusing on road signs.

[@Smelly556]

I refuse to recognize a language where Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is an acceptable name

[@eggmeister2634]

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

[@nemrody7828]

"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

[@benjaminmoloy7163]

what a mighty traitor

[@nemrody7828]

@@benjaminmoloy7163 like Horthy, right?

[@selkesmooth4928]

FDR’s “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” from his first inauguration I would say is pretty iconic too

[@TBH_Inc]

And “We choose to go to the moon”

[@Dahras1]

Love it or hate it, I'd also say that the "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" and "Evil empire" speeches from Reagan are pretty iconic.

[@potatoweaver4116]

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.

[@ratfat17]

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.

[@jono2851]

Australia: “God save the queen, because nobody will save the Governor General” - Gough Whitlam

[@nicegan8902]

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.

[@braveninja111]

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

[@alankohn6709]

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

[@ajlevy01]

Julia Gillard's misogyny speech has to be up there somewhere

[@liam9193]

Another is the "Light on the Hill" speech by Ben Chifley. Except its recognition has faded over time.

[@Reagankarr1]

An American one you missed is Reagan’s Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall speech

[@appleslover]

That'd be Germany's.. Y'know, reunification..

[@LucasBenderChannel]

In my experience, that's not actually that well known in Germany.

[@empireepic92]

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

[@timothygeorge5806]

With Regean you could choose any day of his presidency and find something memorable he said, he truly had a way with words!

[@antonsilva6263]

Too bad u don’t have a quote about Reagan selling arms to Iran

[@alban6489]

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...

[@nincom4441]

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.

[@moritz6312]

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.

[@ScEd21]

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.

[@moritz6312]

@@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.

[@appleslover]

Germany: *"immediately without delay!!"*

[@MrTohawk]

"Wollt Ihr den totalen Krieg?"

[@appleslover]

@@MrTohawk this is not "iconic" it's infamous

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

That is not a speech.

[@appleslover]

@@imrehundertwasser7094 I know but it's a beautiful iconic symbol of modern day Germany Plus: meme worthy

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

@@appleslover The title asks for "your country's most famous speech", not "iconic".

[@antoinevauterin]

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'

[@zobristen]

I think the "Françaises, Français! Aidez-moi!" (French women, French men! Help me!) stands out.

[@AW-zk5qb]

there are dozens of American speeches better than that

[@letsbeginrpg]

Even in Quebec his '' Vive le Québec Libre'' is one of the most quoted one

[@tktru]

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.

[@rode7916]

"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.

[@substatikvideoarchive]

Interesting.

[@AW-zk5qb]

that's the best speech from Latvia ever?

[@rode7916]

@@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.

[@professorknowitall4240]

The Gettysburg address "... Of the people, by the people, and for the people.."

[@GoldenEagle-cq6ib]

He said it was only for the last 100 years

[@connormacdonald3762]

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.

[@okk]

Yeah I instantly thought of this when thinking of Canada

[@basilatari5719]

I thought this wasn't said and i was a bit scared. Thank you!

[@gamingochgeografi4039]

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]

@@AleksLehti Is it supposed to be mocking the king or just in jest?

[@SteamboatW]

@@sentientarugula2884 The King is famously dyslectic, so it is mocking his disability. I would say the quote is used exclusively derogatory against the king.

[@Kirk.thompson]

“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

[@andrewcamacho1352]

Trump won in a landslide and the election was flat out stolen from the American people.

[@LjuboCupic1912]

@@andrewcamacho1352 *C O P E*

[@Noam_.Menashe]

Only he thing he did with the olive branch is hit people. Coward fled Jordan and Lebanon after the failed cuops.

[@Kirk.thompson]

@@Noam_.Menashe yeah true

[@cwagungood]

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!”

[@jameskilgour387]

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

[@megameow321]

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.

[@dalton2680]

He also didn’t mention JFK’s “we will go to the moon” speech at Rice stadium, I’d say that one is more iconic than the ich bin ein Berliner speech

[@henzohewson]

What about the “Axis of Evil” speech or the “I’m Not A Crook” speech?

[@Navy35]

megameow I think of Obama saying that if you have a business, you didn’t do that: someone else did that for you.

[@JocelyynKennedy]

"We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

[@boryssobczak7392]

"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.

[@peyuko5960]

"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.

[@nathangale7702]

I was thinking of this one too...and "Les pregunto: Qué hubieran hecho ustedes?", one of Peña Nieto´s many classics, jajaja.

[@peyuko5960]

@@nathangale7702 lol yeah

[@manuelalejandrolopezrodrig3786]

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

[@thesenate6700]

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

[@manuelalejandrolopezrodrig3786]

@@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

[@donaghb7307]

Padraig Pearse's "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace" speech is probably one of the top irish contenders

[@GeographyWorld]

Agreed. You could also count Pearse reading the proclamation outside the GPO.

[@eoghan.5003]

@@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.

[@darklordnoodlez9863]

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

[@susannarita4259]

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.

[@MrDoobla]

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]

that doesn't compare to dozens of American speeches

[@susannarita4259]

@@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

[@sentientarugula2884]

@@susannarita4259 Some Americans just can't hold themselves back

[@mikhailv67tv]

Paul Keating's Redfern speech was great.

[@SpideyDee]

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)

[@TheBluverde]

I think Angela Merkel's "Wir schaffen das" (We will make it) during the 2015 European migrant crisis already qualifies.

[@kacknap70]

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.

[@sickyDlx]

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

[@adrianehartmann8711]

I suggest Joschka Fischer's "I am not convinced" when the USA presented "proofs" for the need to go to war against Iraq . (kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaHYf2CvgpamkLc)

[@laurahillebrand4964]

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"..

[@petergillett5765]

I can't say for most of the world but another particular Churchill one was: "Never in the course of human history, has so much been owed to so few."

[@Limonenmixgetraenk]

Germany: "Travelling is allowed... effective immediately" as a good one, or on the negative side Goebbel's total war

[@moritz6312]

i would also think of those two, i´m not shure but i also have Kohl with his "blühende Landschaften" on my mind

[@appleslover]

Mister Gorbachev tear down this wall? I'm a berliner?

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

@@appleslover Those were held in Germany, but by US presidents. Not sure if they really qualify.

[@appleslover]

@@imrehundertwasser7094 "Gorbachev tear down this wall" is a symbol of modern Germany's history because of reunification In my opinion

[@LucasBenderChannel]

@@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.

[@jinitak1234]

“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

[@rezajafari6395]

And this ideal hasn’t been lived up to

[@santiir1]

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.

[@suressh]

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...

[@ssik9460]

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 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKS0l6SioMasgJY Time stamp: 11:00

[@javidproductions9353]

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.

[@skippy1961]

Churchill's "never in the course of human conflict, has so much,been owed by so many, to so few"

[@josefinasalinas3404]

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)

[@julianguastadisegno]

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

[@pedroleuenberger4270]

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

[@nicolasbuzzeo1731]

@@pedroleuenberger4270 menem a la estratósfera, definitivamente.

[@nicolasbuzzeo1731]

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.

[@malev05]

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.

[@nico4500nb]

Dolores Ibárruri's "No pasarán" speech is perhaps one of the most iconic Spanish speeches, while also becoming rather famous internationally

[@martinmaynard141]

And the Farewell to the International Brigades. "Sois la historia, sois la leyenda"

[@sidsrivastava2371]

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” or “four score and seven years ago” here in the states

[@delaneymarie9281]

He said last 100 years so the second doesn't count

[@michaelryvin7308]

Maybe also the "Mr Gorbachev Tear down this wall"

[@jackyex]

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman"

[@jadecarlile4842]

I've never even heard of the second. I think it would have to be "i have a dream"

[@sidsrivastava2371]

@@jadecarlile4842 are you American?

[@VeelkiEllää]

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.

[@nuppusaurus3830]

This speech doesn't really pass the quotebility test. I don't think really any speech in Finnish history has an instantly recognizable line in it.

[@meikapellepelle]

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 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn68h2lne793Y9U

[@VeelkiEllää]

@@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.

[@VeelkiEllää]

@@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.

[@meikapellepelle]

@@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

[@amanshukla8758]

How about this one - "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall." - Donald J. Trump

[@elij.514]

i pray to god i never see that on a bbq apron

[@matteomarranini9127]

"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 🇮🇹

[@georgios_5342]

Lol Greece beat Italy under the Incompetent Mussolini

[@octavianpopescu4776]

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).

[@ShadowSkryba]

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

[@kacperwoch4368]

Wyprzedziłeś mnie

[@Autool2306]

My w Polsce nie znamy pojęcia pokoju za wszelka cene, bo pokoje w Rumunii są tańsze

[@Hounker]

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.

[@ShadowSkryba]

@@Hounker oh that's another surely worth of mention

[@mastersingleton]

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."

[@Jimthousand]

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”

[@MegaCathal97]

The Keegan one is a good shout.

[@Euan_Miller43]

I think the river of blood is also up there

[@jimmu8689]

@@Euan_Miller43 Enoch Powell can go to hell

[@lordcharles9786]

Winstons Iron curtain speech

[@georgegreaves8382]

Keegan's I would love it so something else, great shout

[@leomercy3016]

Churchill also famously said: Never was so much owed by so many to so few

[@whereisamine]

As an Arab who was born and raised in Quebec I’m still extremely salty at Parizeau for that quote

[@letsbeginrpg]

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.

[@whereisamine]

It was 1995 though 😂

[@letsbeginrpg]

@@whereisamine oups sorry I was 6 in 1995; i don't have a clear memory of those 2 referendum

[@corey2232]

@@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

[@Christopher_TG]

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.

[@ImAMassiveBender]

I think it's 100 years because you can't have an original recording of any speech older than that, it wouldn't be as good a video

[@callumhey8577]

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

[@Kn0wka]

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.

[@DanielKivari]

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.

[@rugaritolager7411]

it’s for all of Canada not for just for Quebec

[@xgn7301]

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.

[@hermanthesupercat740]

"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.

[@pothkan]

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".

[@bartoszkosmowski7149]

@@pothkan the last part is ironic because it was against constitution at the time

[@trlacr1781]

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!

[@DanielKivari]

Also famous in Canada for, "Vive le Québec libre!"

[@TheGabeNewellGamingChannel]

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.”

[@rishabhsinha4765]

Nehru's Independence speech- "Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom"

[@sivaprasadv77]

Ya it’s called tryst with destiny

[@rishabhsinha4765]

@@sivaprasadv77 yeah but just giving some direct context and who delivered it

[@youreminence2179]

@@rishabhsinha4765 Isn't PM Modi's recent 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or "Self Reliant India" speech not Iconic. I think it pretty much completes the other Criteria of being quotable speech which has seeped into popular culture.

[@rishabhsinha4765]

@@youreminence2179 not in my book- it wasn’t the speech that marked the beginning of our nation, amongst other things

[@youreminence2179]

@@rishabhsinha4765 Yeah well PM Nehru's speech was surely significant and Iconic but it isn't quotable and has not seeped into popular culture. You don't see much refrences to it do you? I think Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's speech where he said " Tum mujhe khun do main tumhe azadi dunga" or " Give me blood and I will give you freedom" is much more iconic, quotable and also is widely known in India and has seeped into popular culture. What do you think?

[@baileyjorgensen2983]

For America, there re a couple that I think deserve to be mentioned: “We choose to go to the moon” by JFK “A date which will live in infamy” by FDR

[@ermland732]

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.

[@Carlyknarly]

Maybe not a speech per say but Huey Long’s “Every man a King” radio broadcast was very widely known in the early part of the 20th century.

[@AG-lh9ic]

Modern America would not be able to handle Huey Long

[@Carlyknarly]

@@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.

[@vilgothellgren1609]

Huey long dong

[@Carlyknarly]

@@vilgothellgren1609 They couldn’t handle the dong

[@JTLmedia]

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.

[@churro2357]

Hey man it was a pleasure running into you at the coffee shop last week! keep up the good work! Unfortunately I cant think of any speeches that haven't already been mentioned.

[@stevenwillett4136]

JJ: “for the whole solar system...” Martians: wut

[@rn8427]

Mars is in the solar system

[@CaeserOct]

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.

[@ImAMassiveBender]

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"

[@punnequraq]

@@ImAMassiveBender That’s just a phrase though, he said it in dozens of campaign events. Kinda like Churchill’s sound bits

[@Jack182Plato]

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.

[@TheNicolocomd]

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.

[@fishfinners505]

And “Mr Gorbachev tear down that wall!” is another iconic one

[@americanminotaur2518]

Regan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Speech is pretty iconic. GWB’s Ground Zero Speech as well. There are a lot of good FDR speeches, but I personally love his “Arsenal of Democracy” speech. Though it’s a lot older than the other ones, the Gettysburg address is one of the most famous speeches in American history. The ironic thing about it, is that it was a relatively short speech that was given by Lincoln following a three hour speech given by someone else. Awesome video btw.❤

[@DumpTruckOfH]

in India it's probably the "At the stroke of the midnight hour" speech.

[@hitenchoudhary9211]

Tryst with destiny - Nehru To commemorate India becoming independent

[@eshaanagarwal6081]

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was pretty iconic too. “Four score and seven years ago...” Chills.

[@thisisaname3283]

You're forgetting "We will go to the moon, and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are HAHD"

[@michaeltnk1135]

I think another iconic US speech has to be FDR’s inaugural address, where he said “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”

[@JWNimble]

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

[@tomas3909]

Salvador Allendes final speech during the 1973 coup is in my opinion the most iconic speech for Chile

[@tommay6590]

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....😉😅😂

[@lindafromowitz9071]

"Quo tandem abutere, Catalina, patienta nostra" is also still widely used

[@tallinex]

“I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man, I will not” - PM Julia Gillard, Australia 🇦🇺

[@Elitist20]

'Well may we say "God Save the Queen" - because nothing will save the Governor-General' - PM Gough Whitlam, 1975.

[@anuragfatehpuria7238]

“Give Me Blood, and I Will Give You Freedom”: Subhas Chandra Bose , India

[@aashishok1071]

also, Swaraj is my Birthright and I shall have it by Bal Gangadhar Tilak

[@arpitpatel2781]

Yes, I was going to comment the same phrase.

[@chilln0648]

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “The only thing we have to fear is... fear itself”

[@SteamboatW]

Even more iconic could be his "this day shall live in infamy".

[@qwe1237123]

A relevant speech in Australia that is widely recognisable was the impromptu speech made by the recently dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. On his way to request the Governor-General to call a half-Senate election, he was sacked and replaced Opposition Leader Malcolm Fraser with parliament dissolved and an election called. Whitlam went on the loose that election in a landslide. "Ladies and gentleman, well may we say God Save the Queen because nothing will save the Governor-General." There was (and still is) significant debate over how Governor-General John Kerr acted and there are even some conspiracy theories that believe the US Government or the British Government were involved. Transcript of full speech: pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript (it's so significant it doesn't even have a number in the URL, it is just linked as 'transcript')