Speech Anecdotes

100 years ago, the five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke


The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30 !!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Only 6% of all Americans had graduated high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores!

How You End a Speech is Vital

On April 26, 1961, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees began his successful run at Babe Ruth's single-season home run record with the first of 61 home runs. Maris connected in the 5th inning against Detroit pitcher Paul Foytack. What makes this fact particularly significant is that the Yankees had already played 20 games in the 1961 season.

So, it's not how you begin a campaign, it's how you end. Likewise even if your presentation starts off less than stellar, if your impact builds and builds, and you close with a flourish, you will still win the day.

FYI, Jeff Davidson offers three timely blogs:
* for the time-pressured: www.BreathingSpaceBlog.com
* for meeting planners: www.OpeningKeynote.com
* for the info-whelmed www.CommunicationOverload.com