Today, let’s look at some famous speeches that changed the world. Here is a selection.
“Freedom or death” – In the struggle to get women the vote, Great Briton Emmeline Pankhurst made her famous speech in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, on the 13th November 1913.
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” was said by Franklin D. Roosevelt on the 4th March 1933.
“I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat, toil and tears.” This speech was made by Sir Winston Churchill on the 13th May 1940. One month later on the 4th June 1940 Sir Winston said, “We shall fight them on the beaches.”
Following Margaret Thatcher’s death, protesters have propelled a song into the downloaded music charts called Ding Dong The Witch is Dead. The song from the movie The Wizard of Oz has caused a storm of protest across Britain; more so in the British press, to the point that the BBC decided at first to ban the song being played!
The BBC says the campaign promoting the song is “distasteful”. They issued a statement: “The BBC finds this campaign distasteful but does not believe the record should be banned. On Sunday, the Radio 1 chart show will contain a news item explaining why it is in the charts. During this a short clip will be played, as it has been in some of our news programmes.”
Category: Music / Songs / Margaret Thatcher
Recently Britain lost one of its most famous Prime Ministers. Baroness Thatcher, who was Britain’s first female Prime Minister died “peacefully” at the age of 87 following a stroke. Baroness Thatcher will have a full ceremonial funeral with military honours at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Current Prime Minister David Cameron praised Baroness Thatcher saying she was “the greatest peacetime Prime Minister. She was a great leader, a great Briton”. He added, “She didn’t just lead our country, she saved our country.”
Category: Politics / Great Leaders / Margaret Thatcher
The co-founder and former chief executive of US technology giant Apple Steve Jobs recently died at the age of 56. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer since 2004. Apple said he had been “the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives” and had made the world “immeasurably better”.
Worldwide tributes were made to the man who introduced the colourful iMac computer, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad to the world. President Barack Obama said the world “had lost a visionary”. He added, “Steve was among the greatest American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”
A statement from Mr Job’s family said they were with him when he died peacefully on Wednesday 5th October 2011. The family said, “In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family.” They requested privacy and thanked those who had “shared their wishes and prayers” during his final year.
Category: Technology / Apple / Steve Jobs
A steam train carrying evacuees from the former Czechoslovakia who escaped the holocaust as children arrived at London's Liverpool Street station on Friday (4th September). They were met by the man who saved their lives. Sir Nicholas Winton, an indefatigable 100-year-old, greeted the passengers who had boarded the train in Prague to mark the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War.
Now walking with a stick, he shook hands with many of the evacuees as they stepped off the steam train. Twenty-two of the evacuees were part of the original 669 mostly Jewish children he helped to escape from the Nazis ahead of war being declared on 3rd September 1939. The others were the descendants of these children.
The event was organised by Czech Railways who hired the new British steam train Tornado to re-enact the journey. Before the steam train departed on Tuesday from Prague a statue of Sir Nicholas was unveiled at the station. The train then passed through Germany and Holland en-route for England. A band played as "The Winton Train", as it was dubbed, arrived at Liverpool Street. The event drew many people who wanted to meet the man dubbed the British Schindler...
