222 10.2 IntroducIng Your Speech
Either by themselves or in tandem with another method of introduction,
questions can provide effective openings for speeches. Like quotations, how-
ever, questions can also be crutches for speakers who have not taken the time to
explore other options. Unless you can think of a truly engaging question, work
to develop one of the other introduction strategies.References to Historical Events
What American is not familiar with the opening line of Lincoln’s classic Gettysburg
Address: “Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this
continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal.” Lincoln’s famous opening sentence refers to the
historical context of the speech. You, too, may find a way to begin a speech by
making a reference to a historical event.
Every day is the anniversary of something. Perhaps you could begin a
speech by drawing a relationship between a historical event that happened on
this day and your speech objective. Executive speechwriter Cynthia Starks illus-
trated this strategy in a speech delivered on February 16:
On this date—Feb. 16, 1923—archaeologist Howard Carter entered the
burial chamber of King Tutankhamen. There he found a solid gold cof-
fin, Tut’s intact mummy, and priceless treasures.
On Feb. 16, 1959, Fidel Castro took over the Cuban government
45 days after overthrowing Fulgencio Batista.
And America’s first 9-1-1 emergency phone system went live in
Haleyville, Alabama, on Feb. 16, 1968.
Today, I won’t be revealing priceless treasures. I promise not to over-
throw anyone, or generate any 9-1-1 calls. But I do hope to reveal a few
speechwriting secrets, provide a little revolutionary thinking and a sense
of urgency about the speeches you ought to be giving.^20
To discover anniversaries of historical events, you can search “This Day in
History” in your Web browser or download it as an app for your tablet or
smartphone.References to Recent Events
If your topic is timely, a reference to a recent event can be a good way to be-
gin your speech. An opening taken from a recent news story can take the form
of an illustration, a startling statistic, or even a quotation, giving the additional
advantages discussed under each of those methods of introduction. Moreover,
referring to a recent event increases your credibility by showing that you are
knowledgeable about current affairs.
“Recent” does not necessarily mean a story that broke just last week or even
last month. An event that occurred within the past year or so can be considered
recent. Even a particularly significant event that is slightly older can qualify. The
key, says one speaker,