This Week in History: International
I recently had an assignment in London, where I coached speakers from Venezuela as well as Europe.
If you’re addressing international topics this week, or writing for global audiences, consider:
1503 Birthday of Michel de Notredame (in Provence). He became a doctor, and then published a book (under the pen name of Nostradamus) about predicting the future. [Note: If you’re working on speeches about health care reform, this could be the hook you’re looking for!]
1770 Birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven (in Bonn, Germany).
1797 Birthday of Heinrich Heine (German poet and journalist): “Experience is a good school, but the fees are high.”
1863 Birthday of George Santayana (in Madrid, Spain): “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
1870 Birthday of H.H. Munroe (in Burma). Known as Saki, he wrote: “Poverty keeps together more homes than it breaks up.” [Writing about the social impacts of the recession? This could be your line.]
1882 Birthday of Jack Hobbs (the first person in England to be knighted for playing cricket)
1899 Birthday of Sir Noel Coward (English playwright): “I write at high speed because boredom is bad for my health.”
1902 Birthday of Sir Ralph Richardson (English actor): “The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” [And, as a speech coach and a media trainer, I concur!]
1938 Birthday of Peter Snell (New Zealand’s great track hero)
Next speechwriting seminar: “The Basics of Writing & Giving A Speech” (Philadelphia, PA). Visit www.joandetz.com for more information.