"How dare you?": 10 iconic speeches that made history

History has been made through iconic speeches that changed the world: From ‘I Have a Dream ’, ‘Are Women Persons?’ to ‘The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself ’, tectonic shifts have occurred after these words were spoken. All written and delivered by masters of ideas and expression, discover the ultimate 10 manifestos that modified how people felt, thought, and acted.

On the 28th of August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Dr Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech I Have a Dream, which was one of the most defining moments in history. This incredible speech was the climax of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which drew over 250,000 supporters to the city. Through his words, King galvanized the American Civil Rights movement, calling for racial equality and an end to legalized discrimination.

Through the reiteration of the title phrase, he managed to express hope powerfully, stating his wishes for the nation as a whole, in a relatable and inspiring way for all: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character".

This iconic speech was delivered by Winston Churchill on June 4th, 1940, in the House of Commons, while he was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It was the second of a three-speech series given by Churchill around the time of the Battle of France, where tough things had to be said, without losing all hope.

The objective of this delivery was quite complex: to warn the British public of a possible invasion attempt by the Nazi regime, without casting doubt about their eventual victory: "...we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone".

During John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address on January 20th, 1961, he had a climactic moment which has been remembered throughout history: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

His goal was for it to be a call to civic action, urging ordinary citizens to prioritize public service, community sacrifice, and the greater good over individual self-interest.

It was on April 20th, 1964, when the future leader of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, the eldest son of a Xhosa-speaking Tembu chief, had a difficult time ahead of him: He faced the death penalty for alleged sabotage and treason against the white-minority-ruled state and its segregationist policies during what was known as the Apartheid regime.

Mandela, also known as Madiba, used the trial in Pretoria to outline the ideals of the African National Congress (ANC). His closing statement, which became a defining document for the global struggle for human rights, shocked the courtroom: "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, my Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

On the 23rd of September of 2019, during the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York, Greta Thunberg delivered a speech titled: "How Dare You?" Just like Malala Yousafzai, she was 16 years old at the time, but she confronted world leaders on their inaction on climate change in a way that had rarely been seen before.

She demanded urgent measures to be taken to save the planet, urged them to stop ignoring scientific warnings, and accused those present of stealing her generation's future with empty promises: "We are at the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!"

During his First Inaugural Address on March 4th, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered this pivotal speech while facing the depths of the Great Depression. His intention was to assure the American public that, instead of the economic crisis itself, despair, inaction, and hopelessness were their biggest enemies.

The full historic passage reads: "So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

On her 16th birthday, on July 12th, 2013, Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, delivered her historic speech at the United Nations Assembly in New York to urge leaders around the globe to provide free and compulsory education for every child.

Incredibly, this took place just nine months after Malala survived an assassination attempt on her life by the Taliban for advocating for girls' education. In her address, she declared that the extremists were "afraid of books and pens" and that the power of education frightened them.

Following her arrest for illegally voting in the 1872 presidential election, Susan B. Anthony posed a powerful question in her groundbreaking speech of 1873: "Is it a crime for a United States citizen to vote?", where she passionately argued that the United States Constitution guaranteed women’s rights. Anthony famously stated, "The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not."

Since women are persons, she argued they are inherently citizens, pointing out that the Preamble of the Constitution begins with "We, the people," and does not say "white male citizens," or "male citizens," concluding that any state law denying women the right to vote was unconstitutional, null, and void.

In the Farewell Address given by J. Robert Oppenheimer to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists on November 2, 1945, he argued that scientific progress cannot be divorced from humanity, and that moral responsibility must guide the pursuit of knowledge.

"But there is another thing: we are not only scientists; we are men, too. We cannot forget our dependence on our fellow men. I mean not only our material dependence, without which no science would be possible, and without which we could not work; I mean also our deep moral dependence, in that the value of science must lie in the world of men, that all our roots lie there."

The British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst delivered her famous speech "Freedom or Death" on November 13, 1913, in Hartford, Connecticut, a speech that was a defining moment in the women's suffrage movement.

In the opening, she famously declared: "I am here as a soldier who has temporarily left the field of battle to explain—it seems strange that I should have to explain it—what civil war is like when women wage it."

NAME ANCESTRY

14 Surprising Origin Stories Behind State Names In The USA

Image: Pin Adventure Map

Ever wondered where most US states’ names come from? From Native American roots to foreign or made-up words, the stories behind many of them are riddled with surprising historical references. Although the origin of some US states’ names is fairly obvious, many derive from unexpected people or places. The origin of names like Colorado, Montana, or Nevada are easy to infer —especially if you know a bit of Spanish— but many others have Native American origins with intriguing meanings. Some are even derived from fiction. If you ever wanted to know where names like Oregon, Connecticut, or Wisconsin come from, you are in the right place. Enjoy the surprising etymologies behind some of the names that make our country.

Image: Joshua Woroniecki

Interestingly, for a state whose main economic activity is agriculture, the word Alabama comes from the Choctaw language and can be translated as "plant-cutters" or "vegetation pickers", recalling the farming practices of the Native Americans that lived in this area.

Image: olio creative

Alaska is a corruption of an Aleut word that means "mainland", but can be translated literally as "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". This is one of those names that manage to bring poetry into a word as simple and down-to-earth as land.

Image: Vital Sinkevich

This one comes from… a Spanish adventure novel! Bet you didn’t expect that. In Las Sergas de Esplandin by Garcia Ordez de Montalvo, a book from the 1500s, there is a fictional place called the "Island of California". Even when the modern state of California is clearly not an island, some die-hard fanatic of the novel decided to bring the name to life here in the U.S.

Image: Juliette Dickens

Derived from the Algonquian word quinnehtukqut, which can be translated as "besides the long tidal river", in reference to the river Connecticut. If you are wondering what the "tidal" part means exactly, this is because the Connecticut River's flow and level are effectively influenced by tides along much of its course. Certainly some amazing insight into the rigorous knowledge of local hydrology that Native Americans managed to accrue over the centuries.

Image: Luke McKeown

Although the origin of this name is disputed, there are two main theories. One suggests that the islands may have been named after Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. However, others have speculated that it is actually derived from the ancient Polynesian word hawaiki, meaning "place of the gods".

Image: NEOM

Another crazy one. Although the name was first claimed to be derived from a Shoshone word that meant "Gem of the Mountains", it is highly likely that the word was fabricated by George M. Willing, and meant as a practical joke.

Image: Stéfano Girardelli

Quite literally, "land of Indians", using a Latin suffix. The word Indians originally referred to the ancient dwellers of the shores of the Indus River, in South and Central Asia.

Image: NOAA

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!" said Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz, right after a rampant tornado literally lifted her house in the air and took it to God knows where. Well, this US state’s fame for violent winds predates even the first settlers, since Kansas is a Native American word used by the Dakota, strongly related to the idea of "wind".

Image: Drew Beamer

This state owes its name to an Iroquoian word that means "land of tomorrow". Quite a blockbuster-worthy movie title, if you ask me.

Image: Mercedes Mehling

The origin story behind the name of "The Pine Tree State" is still disputed. However, there are some interesting theories. One states that it derives from "mainland", as a form of distinction from the many coastal islands in the vicinity. Other theories propose that it was named in honor of Henrietta Maria, queen of England, or after the province of Mayne in France.

Image: Anthony Cantin

To the Native Americans that lived in this region, Missouri meant "town of the large canoes", as the Missouri tribes were renowned for their skill in making dugout canoes.

Image: Ashley Levinson

A largely disputed one. Many suggest that the name has Spanish origins, being similar to other words like orejón (meaning "big ear") or orégano, in reference to a type of plant (similar to the Mediterranean oregano) that grows in the southern part of the state.

Image: Donnie Rosie

This is the only state that has a part of its founder’s name in it. It is widely believed that Pennsylvania means "Penn’s Woodland", and was named as such in honor of Sir William Penn, father of its founder William Penn.

Image: Brydon McCluskey

This is probably a French corruption of a native Miami word that meant "it lies red" or "river running through a red place", in reference to the bed of the river Wisconsin.

If our quick dive into the peculiar world of US state names wasn’t enough to quench your curiosity, stay around! We will keep uploading more content related to language and the weird stories and etymologies behind many English and foreign words.