The Lines That Stuck

Certain lines become part of our collective memory because they keep turning up in the background of our lives. They might begin in films, speeches, books, or songs, yet they end up repeated in conversations. Over time, these words turn into a kind of cultural currency, instantly recognized and understood regardless of background. So, here are 20 of the most famous quotes everyone seems to know by now.

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1. “I Have A Dream” (Martin Luther King Jr.)

These words were delivered during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. The speech became a key moment of the American Civil Rights Movement as he addressed over 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial. 

Nobel Foundation on Wikimedia

2. “To Be Or Not To Be” (William Shakespeare)

“To Be or Not To Be” is found in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1, written around 1600. Spoken by Prince Hamlet as he contemplates life and death, the soliloquy reflects profound themes of existentialism.

Attributed to John Taylor on Wikimedia

3. “That’s One Small Step For Man” (Neil Armstrong)

As Neil stepped onto the Moon on July 20, 1969, he spoke the historic words, “That’s one small step for man.” Armstrong had intended to say “for a man,” but the “a” was quite inaudible due to the technological limitations of the time.

NASA / Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. on Wikimedia

4. “The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself” (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a message that resonated with a struggling nation. His words were meant to restore public confidence, addressing widespread unemployment and economic despair, while emphasizing that fear itself could often be more crippling than the situation.

Leon Perskie on Wikimedia

5. “Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death!” (Patrick Henry)

In 1775, at St. John’s Church in Virginia, Patrick Henry delivered the electrifying words that became a rallying cry for revolution. Taught widely as a symbol of American independence, this phrase remains alive in classrooms, speeches, and civic discussions. 

George Bagby Matthews (1857 - 1943), after Thomas Sully (1783-1872) on Wikimedia

6. “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!” (Ronald Reagan)

At the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987, Ronald Reagan aimed directly at Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. His challenge called for the Berlin Wall to be torn down. Just two years later, the Wall did fall, marking the symbolic end of the Cold War. 

Michael Evans on Wikimedia

7. “Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee” (Muhammad Ali)

Before his fight with Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali coined this phrase that captured his graceful yet unorthodox boxing style. More than just a fight boast, the line helped define Ali’s persona as both poet and fighter.

Bernard Gotfryd on Wikimedia

8. “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (Julius Caesar)

Julius Caesar’s famous words, “Veni, Vidi, Vici,” meaning “I came, I saw, I conquered,” were reportedly written in 47 BC after his swift victory at Zela. It quickly became more than a battlefield report, entering common use as a mark of triumph.

ReneeWrites on Wikimedia

9. “The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword” (Edward Bulwer-Lytton)

Edward Bulwer-Lytton mentioned “The pen is mightier than the sword” in his play Richelieu, and it has endured as a timeless truth. These words suggest that ideas and writing often hold more influence than violence.

Henry William Pickersgill on Wikimedia

10. “I Think, Therefore I Am” (René Descartes)

Centuries ago, René Descartes set out to question everything, stripping away all assumptions until only certainty remained. Out of that pursuit came his Latin phrase “Cogito, ergo sum" (1637), translated as “I think, therefore I am.”

After Frans Hals on Wikimedia

11. “Knowledge Is Power” (Francis Bacon)

You might have noticed many schools and libraries carrying the motto “Knowledge is power,” a phrase first coined by Francis Bacon in 1597 in Meditationes Sacrae. Adopted widely during the Enlightenment, the idea reflected the growing belief in reason as a driver of progress.

Paul van Somer I / Formerly attributed to Frans Pourbus the Younger on Wikimedia

12. “Speak Softly And Carry A Big Stick” (Theodore Roosevelt)

While serving as governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt first used this phrase to sum up his belief in diplomacy backed by military strength. The idea became the core of his foreign policy, popularized further in his 1901 speech at the Minnesota State Fair. 

Adam Cuerden on Wikimedia

13. “A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand” (Abraham Lincoln)

A heated Senate race in 1858 set the stage for Abraham Lincoln to deliver one of his most striking warnings about America’s future. Speaking directly to the conflict between free and slave states, he cautioned that such deep divisions could only end in disaster.

Alexander Gardner on Wikimedia

14. “Power Corrupts; Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely” (Lord Acton)

Written in 1887, a letter from Lord Acton to Bishop Mandell Creighton carried a warning that has echoed for generations. As a British historian and moralist, he highlighted the danger of unchecked authority. That’s how the line became central to political analysis and ethics debates.

Allen & Co. on Wikimedia

15. “Carpe Diem – Seize The Day” (Horace)

First appearing in Horace’s Odes in 23 BCE, this Latin phrase urged readers to embrace the present rather than wait for tomorrow. Centuries later, it gained fresh popularity through the 1989 film Dead Poets Society.

Unknown author on Wikimedia

16. “Time Is Money” (Benjamin Franklin)

Benjamin Franklin first recorded the phrase in his 1748 essay Advice to a Young Tradesman, where he emphasized efficiency and productivity. Today, business and finance circles frequently quote it, turning it into one of the earliest modern motivational catchphrases. 

Joseph-Siffred Duplessis on Wikimedia

17. “Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge” (Albert Einstein)

During a 1929 interview, Albert Einstein emphasized the role of creativity in science with words that later sparked wide discussion. Often repeated in motivational speeches, the line continues to remind audiences that imagination can open doors that knowledge alone cannot.

Lucien Chavan [1] (1868 - 1942), a friend of Einstein's when he was living in Berne. on Wikimedia

18. “The Customer Is Always Right” (Harry Gordon Selfridge)

Retail history credits Harry Gordon Selfridge with coining a phrase in the early 1900s that redefined how stores treated their shoppers. Adopted as a business mantra worldwide, it also drew criticism for encouraging difficult customers. 

Unknown author on Wikimedia

19. “Workers Of The World, Unite!” (Karl Marx)

Appearing in The Communist Manifesto of 1848, this slogan quickly became the rallying cry of international socialism. Directly connected to labor revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries, it carried the weight of collective struggle. 

John Jabez Edwin Mayall on Wikimedia

20. “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” (Hillary Clinton)

Spoken at the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, Hillary Clinton’s words marked a turning point for global women’s rights advocacy. It also inspired NGOs and governments to push harder for gender equality.

Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia