On June 5, 1947, George C. Marshall delivered a speech to the graduating class of Harvard University. His address outlined the U.S. government’s proposal to contribute to the European Recovery Program following World War II. This speech and subsequent American initiative to provide foreign aid to Western Europe came to be known informally as the Marshall Plan. The 1953 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Marshall for his plan to rebuild Europe.

On September 17, 1787, Benjamin Franklin wanted to deliver a closing speech to the Convention prior to the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Physically unable to give the speech himself, Franklin had fellow Pennsylvanian James Wilson deliver the speech he had prepared. It is considered one of his finest and most important speeches ever written.

On September 11, 1893, Swami Vivekananda delivered the first of six groundbreaking speeches on Hinduism. Most notably, he called for religious tolerance and an end to fanaticism. His collective of speeches, titled Death Knell of Fanaticism, won him national respect and notoriety for his spiritual beliefs and teachings.

On August 22, 1930, Albert Einstein gave an opening speech at the Seventh Great German Radio and Phonograph Exhibition. The famous speech, titled "Wonders of Science," was broadcast live over the radio, astonishing listeners and proving just how important of a technological and scientific achievement the radio was for mass communications.

On August 16, 1903, Theodore Roosevelt delivered a moving speech about human decency and overall conduct to a crowd of 2,000 people gathered at the Society of the Holy Name of Brooklyn and Long Island in Oyster Bay, New York.

On August 1, 1915, Patrick Henry Pearse delivered a graveside eulogy at the funeral of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa that would go down as one of the most important speeches of 20th century Irish history.

This is a trailer for the podcast "Figures of Speech" hosted by author and voice actor Jordan Ferrell.