Word Marathon Trivia Quiz

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Possibly one of the most famous speeches in American History, "The Gettysburg Address" was spoken by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War on November 19, 1863. Edward Everett and Abraham Lincoln had traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to dedicate a national cemetery to honor those who had died during the American Civil War. Everett's speech lasted over two hours while Abraham Lincoln's was merely two minutes in length, but perhaps one of the most powerful speeches in world history. The famous "four score and seven years ago" quote began a speech that was merely 272 words in length.

The speech was meant to examine the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence. He memorialized those who had fought and given their lives during the American Civil War to try and ensure freedom and equality for future generations.

Answer: Martin Luther King, Jr.

On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech as a cry to end racism in the United States. He addressed the "Emancipation Proclamation" of 1863, which ensured the freedom of slaves across the nation. He noted that "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free". Later in his speech, he spoke out his vision for a better future:

"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. I have a dream today!"

Tragically, Martin Luther King, Jr. would be assassinated nearly five years later by James Earl Ray (who consistently claimed he was not the assassin). King had been involved in many political activities before his death for the betterment of America. These included various movements in Albany, Georgia, Birmingham, Alabama, and Selma, Alabama. Other political activities were the Chicago Freedom Movement in 1966, Opposition to the Vietnam War in 1967, and Poor People's Campaign in 1968.

Answer: Lou Gehrig

From 1923 to 1939, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig was renowned for both his prowess on the field and for setting many baseball records at that time. In 1938, he had struggled during the first half of the season noting some of the first signs of physical changes. On April 30, 1939, Gehrig would play his last game of baseball after 2130 consecutive games. On May 2, 1939, Gehrig convinced his manager Joe McCarthy to bench him for the "good of the team".

On June 19, 1939, after a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, he was officially diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a motor neuron disease now known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease". Gehrig would give his "Farewell to Baseball" speech at a sold out Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. His speech began with the famous words "Fans, for the past two weeks, you've been reading about a bad break. Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

His speech would go on to state how much of an honor it was to be a part of the New York Yankee organization, meeting various owners and managers, and ending with a tribute to his wife, Eleanor. During his final years, his health deteriorated quickly and he died on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37. Flags in New York City were held at half-staff while all major league ballparks did the same. His remains were cremated and his wife never remarried, being heavily involved in ALS research until her death 43 years later in 1984.

Answer: Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill came in to power as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in May, 1940 after dissatisfaction of the leadership of Neville Chamberlain during the early years of the Second World War. In what is often referred to as the "We Shall Fight On The Beaches" speech, Churchill was a motivational speech given as an update on the progression of the war to that point. The actual quote "we shall fight on the beaches" only occurred towards the end of the speech. The importance of this speech lies in the fact that Churchill was ensuring his support for his French allies. Prior to this speech, France had fallen in battle and the Belgian army was forced to surrender. In a speech that brought many to tears, Churchill stated:

"We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall never surrender!"

Answer: Jesus Christ

"The Sermon on the Mount" were a collection of sayings that have been credited to Jesus Christ. In particular, they were many of the moral teachings that were noted in the Gospel of Matthew. It is the longest continuous section of Jesus Christ speaking that can be found within the New Testament of the Bible.

The significance of "The Sermon on the Mount" is that historians believe that it was both Jesus' first utterance to the general public and most likely his first speech to his disciples in Matthew 5:1-2. Matthew 7:28-29 closes out the sermon and historically it is believed that these were moral instructions given by Jesus to both his believers and non-believers.

Answer: Frederick Douglass

"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July" is an untitled speech that was delivered by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852. The subject of the speech was mainly in regards to American slavery. The speech itself was over 2,500 words long and condemned America and its founding principles within the Declaration of Independence. Douglass criticized America for its inequality and lack of liberty for the Black population in the United States. A powerful excerpt from the speech describes how the slave truly felt about independence and the Fourth of July:

"Your 4th of July is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license [for enslaving blacks] . . . your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery."

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi

The Quit India Movement was a civil disobedience movement started by Mahatma Gandhi that began on August 8, 1942 in the midst of the Second World War. This movement was a demand to end the British Rule on India. On the evening prior to the movement, Gandhi delivered his famous "Quit India" speech. In his speech, he called for passive resistance to move towards India's independence:

"Ours is not a drive for power, but purely a non-violent fight for India's independence. In a violent struggle, a successful general has been often known to effect a military coup and to set up a dictatorship. But under the Congress scheme of things, essentially non-violent as it is, there can be no room for dictatorship. A non-violent soldier of freedom will covet nothing for himself, he fights only for the freedom of his country."

Answer: Nelson Mandela

Apartheid was the law in the 1950s and 1960s in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was an activist who wanted to put an end to these racial segregation policies. For his actions, Mandela was arrested and imprisoned for trying to overthrow and conspire against the South African government. During his trial, Mandela delivered a speech that has been regarded as one of the most important speeches during the 20th Century. These powerful words spoken addressed that he would continue his fight in support of the African people and that if need be, he would die for this cause. It has been reported that he delivered these final words while staring directly into the face of Judge Quartus de Wet:

"During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. 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."

Answer: Fidel Castro

In October 1953, future Cuban President Fidel Castro delivered his famous four hour speech titled "History Will Absolve Me". After his involvement in the Moncada Barracks attacks in July 1953, Fidel along with his brother Raul were arrested for what was classified as "rebel" behavior. Fidel and Raul led a group of over 100 rebels into these military barracks and by the end, fifteen soldiers and three policemen were killed in the attacks.

This attack is often regarded as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro prepared a four hour speech for his trial following his arrest. No record of the speech was officially kept, but Castro later reconstructed them for publication purposes. During his speech, Castro is believed to have spoken out against the treatment of Cuban farmers, lack of education, and lack of work.

Answer: Wilfrid Laurier

In Canada, one of the most important speeches of the 19th Century involved two of Canada's most famous Prime Minister's; that of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and John A. MacDonald. Following MacDonald's death on June 6, 1891, his opponent Laurier spoke with "eloquence" during his eulogy speech of Canada's first Prime Minister. In what was an emotional speech, Laurier spoke positively about the achievements and developments MacDonald had performed while in office:

"As to his statesmanship, it is written in the history of Canada. It may be said without any exaggeration that the life of Sir John Macdonald from the date he entered Parliament is the history of Canada. I am only too glad to remember only the great services he has performed for our country, to remember that his actions always displayed great originality of view, unbounded fertility of resource, a high level of intellectual conception and, above all, a broad patriotism, a devotion to Canada's welfare, to Canada's advancement, and to Canada's glory".