In carrying out his roles of popular leader and chief executive, the president often makes compelling speeches in order to rally the American people around a national goal or reassure them during a time of crisis. While it can be argued that each president has made a memorable speech or proffered key words of wisdom, some of the more timeless and poignant orations include George Washington’s farewell address (1796); James Monroe’s State of the Union address proclaiming the Monroe Doctrine (1823); Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (1863) and his Second Inaugural Address (1865); Woodrow Wilson’s war message, advising Congress to declare war on Germany (1917); Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inaugural address and first fireside chat (1933) and his war message (1941); John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address (1961); Lyndon B. Johnson’s State of the Union address proposing his “Great Society” program (1965); Richard Nixon’s resignation speech (1974); and Ronald Reagan speaking in Germany near the Berlin Wall, imploring Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” (1987).