Ronald Reagan, 1987
Ronald Reagan, 1987. It was becoming apparent that the Cold War was nearing an end when Reagan gave this speech. But it's best remembered for the science fiction the celebrated former president brought to the United Nations. "I occasionally think how quickly our differences would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world," Reagan said, confusing many of the delegates. According to his biography, Reagan had a mild obsession with aliens, and aides tried and failed to get him to leave it out of this and other speeches.
