Quotes about History

“Britain kept its position as the dominant world power well into the 20th century despite steady decline. By the end of World War II, dominance had shifted decisively into the hands of the upstart across the sea, the United States, by far the most powerful and wealthy society in world history.”

“As a kid, I had this ultimate goal to be a teacher. I wanted to be a history teacher like my dad.”

“He was what I often think is a dangerous thing for a statesman to be - a student of history; and like most of those who study history, he learned from the mistakes of the past how to make new ones.”

“History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.”

“Revolutions are the locomotives of history.”

“The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.”

“A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life.”

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

“The Russians feared Ike. They didn't fear me.”

“The 1st Amendment protects the right to speak, not the right to spend.”

“History is only the register of crimes and misfortunes.”

“The United Nations has a critical role to play in promoting stability, security, democracy, human rights, and economic development. The UN is as relevant today as at any time in its history, but it needs reform.”

“Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.”

“Memoirs are the backstairs of history.”

“I don't think all buildings have to be iconic, but the history of the world has shown us that cultures build iconic buildings for their major public buildings.”

“Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.”

“My Dublin wasn't the Dublin of sing-songs, traditional music, sense of history and place and community.”

“All objects, all phases of culture are alive. They have voices. They speak of their history and interrelatedness. And they are all talking at once!”

“It is in the very nature of things human that every act that has once made its appearance and has been recorded in the history of mankind stays with mankind as a potentiality long after its actuality has become a thing of the past.”

“No people in the history of the world have ever been so misunderstood, so misjudged, and so cruelly maligned.”

“I've been fortunate enough to witness some of the biggest moments in football history mere yards away from the action, but I wanted to go out on a high rather than stay too long. I didn't want to get to the stage where people say, 'Oh blimey, Motty's lost it. He's getting the players wrong, and his voice is going.'”