Best Historical Figure Quotes

"Bass Reeves was impressed with my efforts and he decided to trust me."

"Queen Mary became known as Bloody Mary due to her vicious tirade against Protestants in England during her reign."

"Swami Vivekananda said, 'The Buddha was the sanest man who ever lived; no cobwebs in that brain.'"

"Golda is up for best makeup and hair styling and it tells the story of Golda Meir, the former Prime Minister of Israel, and recounts the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War."

"Like the United States of America itself, the legacy of George Washington is not simple, clean, or bloodless."

"Sarah's story is a tragic carnival, an intense and devastating journey honoring the life of Sarah Bartman."

"The villagers ceased in Israel--they ceased to be--until I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel."

"Harold Shipman played God but in the years since his crimes were revealed, he is now considered the devil of Hyde."

"Martin Luther King Jr., who was regarded as the figurehead and martyr of the Civil Rights Movement."

"Ishtar would become the most famous goddess in Mesopotamian history."

"The father of computer science and not quite Benedict Cumberbatch lookalike, Alan Turing."

"John Wilkes Booth was acting on his own out of passion and a misguided sense of patriotism."

"Most historians agree that Hideki Tojo...did play a crucial role in the instigation of World War II in the Pacific."

"Hannibal's lifelong mission: destroy Rome, or die trying."

"Madame CJ Walker, who if you don't know who she is, go Google her. She's like one of my favorite historical figures."

"In death, she was canonised as St. Olga, with the epithet: 'equal to the Apostles'."

"Roxelana got a new name Hurrem - 'the cheerful one' and very soon rose through the ranks of women in the Harem."

"It was a black man who came up with the inoculation for smallpox."

"James Watt's statue in Westminster Abbey has an epitaph that reads, 'Watt enlarged the resources of his country, increased the power of man, and rose to an eminent place among the most illustrious followers of science and the real benefactors of the world.'"

"Jesus is called a carpenter... but the word actually is 'Tecton' which means sort of artisan or a builder."

"Thomas Jefferson spoke English, French, Italian, Latin and he could also read Greek and Spanish."

"This is strongly inspired by Vlad Tepes III, Vlad III, or Vlad the Impaler."

"Cromwell is a man totally committed to godly reformation, completely convinced of the fact that God has called him to some great cause."

"Yon Hus was a preacher, an academic, the instigator of a religious movement, and he was a forerunner to the Reformation."

"I was thrilled to see the bust of Churchill there in the room."

"If you could interview one person, whether from history or current day, who would it be and why?"

"Akhenaten became a focus of interest for Egyptologists who saw him as a visionary humanitarian as well as the first monotheist."

"Historical accounts also claimed that Hadrian had something of a paradoxical personality, stating that he was austere and genial, dignified and playful, dilatory and quick to act, stingy and generous, deceitful and straightforward, cruel and merciful, and always in all things changeable."

"Arminius was the deliverer of Germany...in the height of her empire's glory had fought indecisive battles, yet in war remained unconquered."

"The inventor of macaroni and cheese, also the author of the Declaration of Independence, fought for our right to put in as much or as little macaroni in our macaroni and cheese as we damn well please."

"He was a man of the people. Wallace came to represent personal freedom as well as Scottish independence."

"Whatever the truth about Edward the first or whatever your opinions are on his actions, there is no denying that he is still one of the most famous, controversial, important Kings ever to sit on the throne of England."

"Mount Royal Park...was actually designed by the same man who designed Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted."

"All of this marks him out as a sadly overlooked philosopher in the history of philosophy."

"The book told me that Galileo was a man who had courage and would have died in order to defend his truth."

"Thomas Quain is really more than anybody else in the tradition."

"Rose of Cimarron: beauty and grace under pressure."

"So I wanted to put this together and let Eugene Stoner explain to you in his own words."

"Nikola Tesla was born during a lightning storm."

"Let's talk about probably the smartest man to ever live in modern history."

"Narmer was successful in his campaign and unified the people of Lower and Upper Egypt under his command. He was the first pharaoh of Egypt."

"Montgomery returned to Britain as a hero, he was the country’s most famous and most popular commander to have emerged from the Second World War."

"Elizabeth is remembered today as one of the most legendary rulers in English history."

"When asked about Nobara's ideal type of man, Gage said it was Oda Nobunaga."

"Hitler's a very good actor and indeed a very good manipulator he's able to change his mood at whim."

"Elizabeth, unlike her more reserved and dignified sister Mary, resembled the young Henry in that she was vivacious, witty, charming, and a ferocious intellectual."

"Elizabeth is often remembered for her clever and poetic turn of phrase."

"Princess Elizabeth was born when few predicted she would one day rule Britain as its monarch."

"Louisa May Alcott: the first American woman to earn a living as a writer."

"Augustus, the first emperor, ruled for 43 years."

"Tesla's power of prediction was another fascinating aspect of his genius."

"Harding was almost constitutionally incapable of saying no."

"German-born American businessman Isidor Straus, who co-owned the American department store Macy's, also refused to board a lifeboat, stating that he would not take up any space while women and children were still waiting to be rescued."

"Hosono was rescued in lifeboat 13 and was attacked by the Japanese public press and government who felt that he had not done enough to save his passengers."

"Andrews determined that it was a mathematical certainty that the ship would sink, so he got to work."

"Napoleon, the synthesis of the inhuman and superhuman."

"You don't have their version of Assata Shakur..."

"For the rest of the 1760s, Adams, with every passing year, becomes increasingly more involved in the local Massachusetts, more particularly Boston, revolutionary movement."

"Adams stood up and he gave this kind of fiery argument for independence, spoke for an hour and a half. Thomas Jefferson described this speech as having, he said, 'moved us from our seats,' and he described Adams as the Colossus of independence."

"Hamilton is a very strange example in history of someone of extraordinary brilliance, but who was also capable, at times, of the most atrocious judgment."

"It wasn't for his crimes of extortion, murder, robbery, or bootlegging that took him down."

"Hague's calm and decisive leadership in stabilizing his forces against modest attacks earned him praise from Kitchener."

"John of Gaunt was one of the most remarkable figures in the history of medieval England."

"Andrew Carnegie donated over 90% of his wealth to charity saying that philanthropy was the duty of great industrialists."

"Rockefeller donated over half of his entire net worth to various charities over his life."

"Lincoln only ever had around one year of total schooling from traveling teachers growing up."

"He was someone that, in particular, the African-American community pinned a lot of its hopes on."

"One of Lincoln's greatest traits was in the darkest of times with composure and determination he kept moving forward."

"The Widow of Windsor as she was known struggled with public appearances because she was shy."

"Years ago she had unashamedly fallen for his political opponent Benjamin Disraeli whose One Nation tourism was her kind of politics."

"The hour of my death now drawing on forceth me... to put you in remembrance with a few words of the health and safeguard of your soul." - Catherine of Aragon

"There is also an annual celebration of her life in the cathedral every 29th of January to mark the anniversary of her internment."

"Pomegranates, which you'll remember were her symbol, are also frequently left on her tomb by visitors."

"He was also probably the most English king that the realm had had since the Norman conquest."

"He will be remembered for crushing inflation at any cost."

"John Harvey Kellogg is singularly responsible for America’s obsession with 'regularity.'"

"She was ruthless and power-hungry, but she was also a great sponsor of arts and religion."

"Much debate has emerged about Rommel's involvement in Nazi policies and persecution of Jews."

"Rommel agreed to take his own life to protect his family and image."

"Maria Theresa's son Joseph finally became Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of Austria in his own right."

"Johnny Appleseed very famous guy actually existed I forget his real name off the top of my head real dude he would go around helping homesteaders set up apple orchards with his apple seeds."

"Dr. King was the Moses of the generation, leading those who followed him to a promised land."

"Aegon's personality is not what we thought it was. There's more to him than meets the eye."

"Anne Bonny may very well be the reason we remember Calico Jack at all."

"Legend goes, Nashville's own Thornton Prince, a taste maker, essentially an influencer of Yesteryear, came home from a wild night out."

"Politicians tell you that they care for you but Bill Clinton showed you how he cared for you."

"There is very little to say against Alfred that we know of. He was by all accounts a model king."

"King's eccentricities were considered embarrassing, but Canada had Mackenzie King making its decisions for 21 years, and it turned out okay."

"Luis Cyr: Legendary strongman, gentle giant."

"She was just the best ruler this country has ever had, there's no question about it."

"Louis XIV is widely considered today to be one of the most important and controversial kings in the history of France and Europe as a whole."

"Early Years Karl Marx was born on May 5th, 1818 in the historic German town of Trier."

"Jesus Christ himself was someone who fought against the religious conventions of his time."

"Nikola Tesla was easily one of the greatest minds that ever lived."

"Bloody Mary, based on a real person, the first queen of England from the 1500s, haunting and killing those who summon her in the mirror."

"Who actually was Pontius Pilate when we cut through all the noise?"

"When you use any device that is powered by electricity, you have Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest scientists to ever live, to thank."

"He perfectly matched up with the ideal image of a Victorian explorer...popular throughout the centuries."

"Maybe it was fame, maybe it was his ego, but Walter refused to admit lobotomy wasn't a good thing until his dying day in 1972."

"That was Harriet Tubman leading them out of the Underground Railroad."

"Unlike Martin Luther King Jr and other civil rights activists of that time Malcolm did not advocate for the integration of black Americans in white America."

"In the North, Jackson was feared and hated, but also respected in an old-fashioned chivalric way as a worthy enemy."

"Hero or tyrant, a great modernizer or a ruthless killer, there can be no doubt that Stalin was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century."

"Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th president of the United States."

"Esther's courage shines through her choices."

"Disney might have been shaky about his feelings towards you know the Jews but there's one thing he knew and that is how to be the jay-z of feature-length animated films and that business acumen stuck with the company long after he passed."

"Elliott Ness refused any officer bribery, prompting one of the Chicago newsmen to come up with an iconic name for his squad: the Untouchables."

"Lucifer, the Light Bearer, is it he who bears the light." - Albert Pike

"Know your company, know what it costs you to run a mile, know what percentage you want to make off your truck."

"You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word." - Al Capone

"Catherine of Aragon is one of the most curious figures in English political history."

"Now it turns out she may have been a very important figure in Egyptian history."

"Justinian became sole emperor with Theodora at his side."

"Pazuzu is from real Mesopotamian history and was used to keep evil entities at bay."

"Jane gave birth to Henry’s longed-for son and heir."

"It's rather poetic that a place that once sought to break Yoshi Shiratori's spirit now celebrates him as the ultimate Japanese anti-hero."

"He treated both his crew and his captives with fairness and mercy."

"The Prince of pirates... dressed in fancy clothes and exhibited polite manners."

"Bellamy lived up to his reputation as a merciful captain."

"Anna lived the last fourteen years of her life quite happily and comfortably on her English estates."

"Peterson got popular precisely because he was a throwback to that 19th-century approach of being a bit of a Renaissance man."

"Churchill might be the most impressive 20th-century figure to me...yet this chapter is murky and dark."

"In the end, Hitler committed suicide in the Reich Chancellery Bunker on the 30th of April 1945."

"There can be no freedom without spiritual freedom, without human beings being able to choose." - Mikhail Gorbachev

"Look at me, I'm Charlie Chaplin... People were trying to keep up something human."

"That is the man who is now recognized as the father of the electronic age."

"Terrified and desperate, Tarrare returned to the military hospital and begged Doctor Percy to cure his hunger by any means possible."

"Michael Faraday had a different value proposition. For him, it was all about how do we make physics, the natural world, seeable to everyone?"

"Remembering Jackie Wilson: a legend in music history."

"Ada Lovelace wrote the first-ever computer program for Babbage's analytical engine. Could set dials to compute Bernoulli numbers."

"James Madison drafted the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, enough said."

"Gerald was seeking something stranger and in 1939 he found it. Gerald was about to become a witch."

"Defiantly, Nobunaga signed his reply as 'Dairokuden Mao,' the sixth heavenly demon king, a righteous demon."

"Santa's passing marks the end of an era in Italian politics leaving behind a legacy of dedication and impact."

"Malcolm X by any means necessary was the greatest American."

"Hopkins gave himself a grand new title: witchfinder General."

"Hopkins abusive techniques and his cavalier attitude to the law would be his undoing."

"I much prefer apples to those bitter Orange bastards." - William of Orange

"There is one certain means by which I can be sure never to see my country’s ruin: I will die in the last ditch." - William III of England

"Eben Khaldun is responsible for developing the labor theory of value, a central concept of economics even today."

"Henry grew to be a man of reason, a lover of order and logic."

"He was a symbol of the Holocaust, the methodical killer, the Nazi Holocaust monster. He is directly culpable for the murder of six million Jews."

"Bormann's monopoly over access to Hitler had rendered lay impotent and demonstrated to all in government that he was the sole political voice of the Fuhrer."

"A towering figure in both the Western and Chinese imagination, this is the story of Kublai Khan: the Mongol warrior who became a Chinese emperor."

"Mao Zedong died on this day in 1976 the time said he began as an obscure peasant and died one of history's great revolutionary figures..."

"Under his leadership, Athens flourished almost unlike any other city in history."

"She spent her final evening, laughing and joking that, she may well be known to history as quote: ‘Queen Anne lack-head’, this was perhaps the last act of defiance open to her."

"West Germany: Franz Beckenbauer, the greatest defender of all time."

"Soviet Union: Lev Yashin, widely considered to be the greatest goalkeeper in the sport's history."

"Mithridates reportedly consumed and survived fatal doses of poison."

"Marie Antoinette almost prostrated by grief."

"Rich history? Yes. That is Ms. Harriet Tubman to you—the badass slave-freeing, Civil War spying, O.G. feminist."

"There's not a person in the whole of history that can compare with Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam."

"He murders his officer corps, his diplomatic corps, his intelligence officials, his party officials, his state officials..."

"A general of the Hussites, who led for five years, about half of which he spent entirely blind."

"In 1625 James dies. He's been ailing for quite a long time, he chronically unwell because of the way in which he serve wastes away."

"He started out as Detroit Red, went through his trials and tribulations."

"Dr. Martin Luther King wasn't getting punched in the head and spit on because he was a sucker. He was a gun owner. He did that because he knew."

"Frederick's legacy: Abolishing judicial torture, promoting religious tolerance, and fostering scientific innovation."

"In the face of adversity, Frederick stood bold, cunning, and supremely intelligent."

"I discovered that the man who drafted this document of Vatican II became a laya sized priest, married a woman, and yet also had a homosexual relationship lasting into the 1980s."

"I just wanted to announce I'm very excited about. I'm proud to say that myself and seven bucks productions are gonna make a film about the life of one of your founding fathers the pioneering founding fathers the smashing machine Mark Kerr."

"Richard Wagner let out a cry of pain while resting in his Venetian villa. He died within the hour."

"Charles Manson arrived to destroy the hippie dream."

"Kennedy was really a glamorous figure, poised, handsome, tanned, and all of a sudden the impact of the visual became very apparent."

"Damocles was a great, no, revered leader in a vast army!"

"He saved them not because he was... noble, moral, and the like, but because on a very deep level, he developed a human attachment to these people." - Michael Berenbaum

"Abraham Lincoln was the president during the Civil War, you know, he freed the slaves."

"Darwin was clearly remembered as one of the greatest scientists who had ever lived."

"All hail his most respected and magnanimous emperor Pedro II of Brazil."

"George Whitfield is beyond any question the greatest English preacher of all time."

"The life of Ben Franklin was not so much enumerated experiments, his entire life was an experiment."

"One aspect of Rommel’s character that can never be denied is his military genius."

"By the time John D died, his assets equaled out to 1.5 percent of America's total economic output."

"He shall be the embodiment of such power and personage that the world has never seen."

"Give him all that he wants. Keep him informed. People still did think of him as important."

"Churchill was backing the extreme end of an unpopular cause and the impact was devastating."

"Roosevelt deeply loved his nation, not just the people and culture, but also the physical land itself."

"Many now consider goody glover a Catholic martyr."

"Lincoln's greatest qualities included his ability to think ahead and his determination to preserve the union."

"She’s often remembered as one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century."

"In this video, I want to tell you about Nadia Boulanger, a woman of incredible achievement and one of the most extraordinary behind-the-scenes figures in classical music history."

"Nelson's victory at the Battle of the Nile made him a national hero."

"Nelson had so many places and things named after him."

"Sarah Winchester herself was a truly interesting person, even without the tall tales about her supposed guilt and haunting and despair."

"Caesar, the greatest man who ever lived, a truly superhuman figure."

"Joseph Stalin would aim to turn the Soviet Union into a modernized industrialized country and he wanted it done rapidly."

"Stalin's control over the lives of those who worked for him... was so pervasive."

"Princess Alice of Greece, great granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was back under the roof of the British royal family."

"No one born of a woman has ever been greater than John the Baptist."

"Garibaldi's revolutionary soldiers, the iconic Red Shirts, would invade Sicily with only a thousand men before marching north to unite the peninsula."

"Von Manstein's effectiveness in overcoming superior numbers had been noticed by Hitler."

"There is no doubting von Manstein’s abilities as a military commander."

"The doors of the Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital swung open, and for the first time in two-and-a-half years, Prince Philip's mother was free."

"Muhammad Ali never went to jail he didn't know that he was going to get the backlash."

"But the reality is more complex, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar was a strange and fascinating character."

"Powerful, tragic, and nuanced, this is the life of Haile Selassie, Africa's king of kings."

"Saddam Hussein was unquestionably one of the most brutal dictators of the twentieth century."

"She wasn't born to be Queen, but she died as one of the most quietly influential monarchs this country has ever known."

"How can someone be hugely popular, hero worshipped as a brilliant general and reformer, yet hated enough to be killed by the people who knew him best? That's the enigma thrown up by the mythic figure of Julius Caesar."