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British statesman Winston Churchill is responsible for some of the most stirring and evocative speeches ever made, and remains one of the greatest orators in history. On June 4, 1940, he delivered his famous "we shall fight on the beaches speech." Later, in 1946, he coined the phrase "iron curtain" during his speech in Fulton, Missouri.
General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, escaped to England on June 15, 1940 ahead of the advancing German Army. De Gaulle was later given permission by Churchill to address the French nation on BBC radio, in which he exhorted its citizens not to give up hope and continue the struggle against the occupying forces and the Vichy Regime. This famous broadcast is known as "The Appeal of 18 June."
Adolf Hitler's rhetorical skills were honed in the beer halls of Munich during the 1920s. By the following decade, the Nazi leader was addressing hundreds of thousands at Nuremberg. Hitler had early on recognized the power of the spoken word, writing in Mein Kampf in 1925: "I know that men are won over less by the written than by the spoken word, that every great movement on this earth owes its growth to great orators and not to great writers."
Hitler's Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels was an equally accomplished public speaker, his unscrupulous instincts and powerful voice ably suited to the overblown political rhetoric of the Nazi Party.
Referred to as Il Duce, Italy's fascist leader Benito Mussolini relied a lot on his oratory abilities to maintain control over his country. He was the first ruler in history to make use of a loudspeaker electrically to amplify his voice. Possessed of an arrogant, overconfident swagger and maintaining a habit of stepping back and folding his arms between sentences as if allowing time for his rhetoric to be absorbed, Mussolini developed into a specialist in crowd psychology.
On August 8, 1942, Gandhi called for determined but passive resistance against British rule in India in what became known as the Quit India speech. His words motivated an entire continent and would later inspire an American Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr.
Malcolm X shocked many white Americans, and some Blacks too, with his inflammatory rhetoric. An enthusiastic vocal spokesmen for the Nation of Islam, he was credited with the group's dramatic increase in membership between the early 1950s and early 1960s. He even inspired the boxer Cassius Clay—who changed his name to Muhammad Ali—to join the Nation. Disillusioned and seeking a voice elsewhere, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam in 1964. He was assassinated by members of the group the following year.
The 35th President of the United States delivered several notable speeches during his short time in office. Among the most famous are his January 20, 1961 inauguration address, the decision to go to the Moon speech, made on May 25, 1961, and the rousing Ich bin ein Berliner speech given on June 26, 1963.
Arguably one of the most quoted lines from any speech in history, Martin Luther King Jr. uttered the famous words "I have a dream" on August 28, 1963 while speaking at the March on Washington. He was calling for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States.
Nelson Mandela became an icon of democracy and social justice during his lifelong struggle against apartheid in South Africa. He made clear his opposition to institutionalized racism during his three-hour "I Am Prepared to Die" speech delivered from the dock on April 20, 1964, during the infamous Rivonia Trial. Mandela would eventually serve 27 years in prison before being released in 1990.
During her near 10 years in power as Britain's first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher provided some of the UK's most memorable political soundbites. She uttered one of her most famous catchphrases during a speech at a party conference in 1980 when she boldly defied her critics by saying: "You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning." Thatcher's fighting spirit and stern expression led many commentators to label her as the "Iron Lady," and she was known for her steely-eyed gaze that made opponents feel very uncomfortable.
Ronald Reagan was dubbed the "Great Communicator" for his public speaking abilities, skills the 40th President of the United States put to good use on several occasions, including the memorable moment when he urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" while delivering a speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987. The Berlin Wall fell two years later.
Regarded as one of the finest orators in modern politics, Barack Obama first established his reputation as a powerful, influential speaker in 2008 when he made his victory address to crowds in Chicago after his historic election win.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs pioneered the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s. His passion for the company and the devices it created made product launch days international events, with rock concert-like crowds arriving en mass for Jobs' enthusiastic and often emotional presentation.
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has gained an international reputation for challenging world leaders to take immediate action against climate change. She's spoken at meetings around the globe, including at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. Her speech there, in which she exclaimed "how dare you," was widely taken up by the press and incorporated into music. She is followed on social media platforms, and is admired by students and young people in general for her commitment towards securing a sustainable future for the planet.
