Famous Quotes About History (2024)

Discover Your Roots With These Famous History Quotes

Famous Quotes About History (1)

By

Simran Khurana

Education Expert

  • M.B.A, Human Resource Development and Management, Narsee Monjee Institution of Management Studies
  • B.S., University of Mumbai, Commerce, Accounting, and Finance

Simran Khurana is the Editor-in-Chief for ReachIvy, and a teacher and freelance writer and editor, who uses quotations in her pedagogy.

Learn about ourEditorial Process

Updated on November 12, 2017

We marvel at the ancient architectural wonders that attract tourists the world over. But the essence lies in the history of the foundation. History's frozen music is like a mute sentinel who helps cultures survive. Victories and failures, traditions and heritage, make history ever changing. Yet history remains the same.

Read these famous history quotes and get drawn into the realms of the past.

Voltaire
"History is only the register of crimes and misfortunes."

Napoleon Bonaparte
"What is history but a fable agreed upon?"

Karl Marx
"History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."

Winston Churchill
"History is written by the victors."

Thomas Jefferson
"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."

John Maynard Keynes
"Ideas shape the course of history."

William Shakespeare
"There is a history in all men's lives."

Mark Twain
"The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice."

Henry David Thoreau
"It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man."

Alexander Smith
"I go into my library and all history unrolls before me."

Robert Heinlein
"A generation which ignores history has no past and no future."

Marshall McLuhan
"Only the vanquished remember history."

Mohandas Gandhi
"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."

Stephen Covey
"Live out of your imagination, not your history."

Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We are not makers of history. We are made by history."

Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Things have never been more like the way they are today in history."

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Khurana, Simran. "Famous History Quotes." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/famous-history-quotes-2832302.Khurana, Simran. (2021, February 16). Famous History Quotes. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/famous-history-quotes-2832302Khurana, Simran. "Famous History Quotes." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/famous-history-quotes-2832302 (accessed June 17, 2024).

Famous Quotes About History (2024)

FAQs

What is the most famous quote about history? ›

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

What did Winston Churchill say about history? ›

And in a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons, Winston Churchill said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” No matter the origin, the sentiments are eternal.

What is a famous quote about ignoring history? ›

Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” most likely writer and philosopher George Santayana who originally wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

What is a famous quote about not forgetting history? ›

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905. From the series Great Ideas of Western Man.

What is an inspirational quote about making history? ›

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The quote by Making History, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of studying history and learning from past experiences.

What is history quotes Oscar Wilde? ›

Quote by Oscar Wilde: “The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it.

What famous quotes about history repeating itself? ›

Eugene O'Neill once said, “There is no present or future - only the past, happening over and over again - now.” Karl Marx said, “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.” And of course, the most well-known quote about history repeating itself was said by George Santayana: “Those who cannot ...

What is the quote about the importance of studying history? ›

Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” “Everyone can recognize history when it happens. Everyone can recognize history after it has happened; but it only the wise person who knows at the moment what is vital and permanent, what is lasting and memorable.”

What is Winston Churchill's most famous quote? ›

“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” —Harrow School, 29 October 1941.

What is a wise quote about history? ›

"A generation which ignores history has no past and no future." "Only the vanquished remember history." "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." "Live out of your imagination, not your history."

What did George Santayana say about history? ›

Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it.” This sentence, often attributed to the philosopher George Santayana, is actually a misquotation of his comment, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Who said the quote about history? ›

Irish statesman Edmund Burke is often misquoted as having said, “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” Spanish philosopher George Santayana is credited with the aphorism, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” while British statesman Winston Churchill wrote, “Those that fail ...

What is an inspirational famous history quote? ›

70 examples of historical quotes
  • 'History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. ...
  • 'I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. ...
  • 'The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.
Mar 9, 2023

What is the quote about ignorance of history? ›

"Our ignorance of history makes us libel our own times. People have always been like this." "History repeats itself because nobody listens."

What is the old saying about those who forget history? ›

'Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. ' The quote is most likely due to writer and philosopher George Santayana, and in its original form it read, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

What is the most powerful quote? ›

10 of the most powerful quotes in the world
  • The simple things are sometimes the most significant — Anon.
  • Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value — Albert Einstein.
  • Remembering you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose — Steve Jobs.

What is the deepest quote ever? ›

  • Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
  • No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
  • Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.
  • You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
Mar 22, 2014

What is a quote about history repeating itself? ›

Eugene O'Neill once said, “There is no present or future - only the past, happening over and over again - now.” Karl Marx said, “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.” And of course, the most well-known quote about history repeating itself was said by George Santayana: “Those who cannot ...

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