Random Famous Short Speeches (13 items)

(#13) Charles De Gaulle's The Appeal of 18 June
As the new Prime Minister of France seemed poised to surrender control of the country to German forces, General Charles de Gaulles escaped to England and was granted permission by Winston Churchill to read this appeal on the BBC. The speech, delivered on June 18, 1940 was an attempt to persuade the French forces to continue resisting the German occupation.
(#2) Lou Gehrig's Farewell to Baseball Address
Speaking to fans at "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, legendary baseball player Lou Gehrig explained how he was "the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
(#8) Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream Speech
Empowering a generation and beyond, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his legendary I Have a Dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963.
(#5) Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Infamy Speech

United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the Joint Session of Congress on December 8, 1941, just one day after Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii. The short speech was later dubbed the "Infamy Speech" due to Roosevelt describing the attack as "a date which will live in infamy."
(#7) John F. Kennedy's Ich Ben Ein Berliner Speech
Considered one of the best from President John F. Kennedy, the Ich bin ein Berliner speech was given on June 26, 1963, in West Berlin, Germany, during the Cold War. Though the Soviet Union, which he denounced in the speech, didn't fall for another 30 years, Kennedy's words remain a uniting force to this day.
(#9) Douglas MacArthur's Duty, Honor, Country
On May 12, 1962, General Douglas MacArthur delivered an acceptance speech for the Sylvanus Thayer Award at the United States Military Academy at West Point that mirrored the values and motto of the Academy, "Duty, Honor, Country".