20th century

Explore 4282 quotes from the 20th century

If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love.

Point Break

Watch Point Break at Amazon Watch Point Break at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Living on the edge Taking risks

Speaker

Bodhi

Actor

Patrick Swayze

Source

Point Break

Medium

Film

Genre

Action (film) Crime (film) Action Crime

Language

English

Time

1991 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Point Break. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Johnny Utah Productions/Largo Entertainment, 1991.

An old friend is never an extra guest.

Notorious

Buy Notorious at Amazon Buy Notorious at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Old friends Friends Guests and visitors

Speaker

Alexander Sebastian

Actor

Claude Rains

Source

Notorious

Medium

Film

Genre

Film noir Spy (film) Spy

Language

English

Time

1946 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Notorious. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, RKO Pictures/Vanguard Films, 1946.

Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage.

John F. Kennedy

Buy a book containing this speech at Amazon Buy a book containing this speech at Amazon
Read this speech at UVA's Miller Center website

More information about this quote

Topic

Americans American politics

Speaker

John F. Kennedy

Source

Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1961 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Kennedy, John F. "Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 1961, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

A work of art is good if it has grown out of necessity.

Rainer Maria Rilke

More information about this quote

Topic

Art

Author

Rainer Maria Rilke

Source

Letters to a Young Poet

Medium

Letter

Language

German

Time

1929 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Rilke, Rainer Maria. Letter to Franz Kappus. 17 Feb. 1903.

Current Citation

Rilke, Rainer Maria. Letters to a Young Poet, translated by Charlie Louth. Penguin Classics, 2014.

Between grief and nothing I will take grief.

William Faulkner

More information about this quote

Topic

Grief Experiencing things

Author

William Faulkner

Source

If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1939 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Faulkner, William. The Wild Palms. Random House, 1939.

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.

Rudyard Kipling

More information about this quote

Topic

Power of words Language Drugs

Author

Rudyard Kipling

Source

Surgeons and the Soul

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1923 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Kipling, Rudyard. "Surgeons and the Soul." The Royal College of Surgeons Annual Dinner. 14 Feb. 1923, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Kipling, Rudyard. "Surgeons and the Soul." A Book of Words. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1928.

There is no trap so deadly as the trap you set for yourself.

Raymond Chandler

The Long Goodbye

Buy The Long Goodbye at Amazon Buy The Long Goodbye at Amazon
Read The Long Goodbye at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Self-sabotage

Author

Raymond Chandler

Source

The Long Goodbye

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1953 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Chandler, Raymond. The Long Goodbye. Hamish Hamilton/Houghton Mifflin, 1953, ch. 12.

A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns.

Don Corleone

Quoted in The Godfather (novel), by Mario Puzo

More information about this quote

Topic

White collar crime Lawyers

Speaker

Don Corleone

Author

Mario Puzo

Source

The Godfather (novel)

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1969 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Puzo, Mario. The Godfather. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1969, ch. 1.

If you need a friend, get a dog.

Gordon Gekko

Wall Street

Watch Wall Street at Amazon Watch Wall Street at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Man's best friend Dogs

Speaker

Gordon Gekko

Actor

Michael Douglas

Source

Wall Street

Medium

Film

Genre

Drama (film) Drama

Language

English

Time

1987 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Wall Street. Directed by Oliver Stone, American Entertainment Partners/American Films, 1987.

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss.

The Who

Won't Get Fooled Again

Listen to Won't Get Fooled Again at Amazon Listen to Won't Get Fooled Again at Amazon
Read the lyrics to Won't Get Fooled Again at genius.com

More information about this quote

Topic

The boss The man Plus ça change

Speaker

The Who

Source

Won't Get Fooled Again Who's Next

Medium

Song

Genre

Rock music

Language

English

Time

1971 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Townshend, Peter. Won't Get Fooled Again. Performed by The Who. Track Records/Decca Records, 1971.

Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting progress in the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land.

Mao Zedong

Read this quote at marxists.org

More information about this quote

Topic

Chinese communism

Speaker

Mao Zedong

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

Chinese

Time

1957 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Zedong, Mao. "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People." Eleventh Session (Enlarged) of the Supreme State Conference. 27 Feb. 1957, Beijing, China.

Oh there they go. There they go, every time I start talkin 'bout boxing, a white man got to pull Rocky Marciano out their ass. That's their one, that's their one. Rocky Marciano. Rocky Marciano. Let me tell you something once and for all. Rocky Marciano was good, but compared to Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano ain't shit.

Coming to America

Watch Coming to America at Amazon Watch Coming to America at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Boxing

Speaker

Clarence

Actor

Eddie Murphy

Source

Coming to America

Medium

Film

Genre

Comedy (film) Comedy

Language

English

Time

1988 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Coming To America. Directed by John Landis, Eddie Murphy Productions, 1988.

Friend, there's nobody up there shooting back at you. It isn't always being fast or even accurate that counts. It's being willing. I found out early that most men, regardless of cause or need, aren't willing. They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't.

The Shootist

Watch The Shootist at Amazon Watch The Shootist at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Courage Facing one's fears Buckling under pressure Pressure

Speaker

J.B. Books

Actor

John Wayne

Source

The Shootist

Medium

Film

Genre

Western (film) Western

Language

English

Time

1976 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Shootist. Directed by Don Siegel, Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica/Dino de Laurentiis Company, 1976.

Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen.

Willa Cather

My Antonia

Buy My Antonia at Amazon Buy My Antonia at Amazon
Read My Antonia at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Winter Seasons

Author

Willa Cather

Source

My Antonia

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1918 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. Houghton Mifflin, 1918, bk. 2, ch. 7.

Current Citation

Cather, Willa. My Ántonia. W. W. Norton & Co., 2015, bk. 2, ch. 7.

It's our wits that make us men.

Malcom Wallace

Braveheart

Watch Braveheart at Amazon Watch Braveheart at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Nature of man Reason

Speaker

Malcom Wallace

Actor

Sean Lawlor

Source

Braveheart

Medium

Film

Genre

Epic (film) Historical drama (film) Epic Historical drama

Language

English

Time

1995 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Braveheart. Directed by Mel Gibson, Icon Productions/The Ladd Company, 1995.

Keaton always said, "I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him." Well, I believe in God and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze.

Verbal

The Usual Suspects

Watch The Usual Suspects at Amazon Watch The Usual Suspects at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

The boogeyman

Speaker

Verbal

Actor

Kevin Spacey

Source

The Usual Suspects

Medium

Film

Genre

Mystery (film) Thriller (film) Mystery Thriller

Language

English

Time

1995 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Usual Suspects. Directed by Bryan Singer. Bad Hat Harry Productions/Gramercy Pictures/PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/Spelling Television/Blue Parrot Productions, 1995.

Money, it turned out, was exactly like sex, you thought of nothing else if you didn't have it and thought of other things if you did.

James Baldwin

More information about this quote

Topic

Money and sex Sex Poverty

Author

James Baldwin

Source

The Black Boy Looks at the White Boy Esquire

Medium

Essay Magazine

Language

English

Time

1961 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Baldwin, James. "The Black Boy Looks at the White Boy." Esquire, 1 May 1961.

The most exciting thing is not-doing-it. If you fall in love with someone and never do it, it's much more exciting.

Andy Warhol

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again)

Buy The Philosophy of Andy Warhol at Amazon Buy The Philosophy of Andy Warhol at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Abstinence Sex

Author

Andy Warhol

Source

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again)

Genre

Autobiography and memoir

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

English

Time

1975 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Warhol, Andy. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again). Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975, ch. 3.

When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object.

Milan Kundera

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Buy The Unbearable Lightness of Being at Amazon Buy The Unbearable Lightness of Being at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Reason and emotion The heart Emotions The mind Reason

Author

Milan Kundera

Source

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Medium

Novel

Language

Czech

Time

1984 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Kundera, Milan. L'insoutenable légèreté de l'être [The Unbearable Lightness of Being]. Gallimard, 1984.

Current Citation

Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, translated by Michael Henry Heim. Harper Perennial, 2009.

Faith is a torment. It is like loving someone who is out there in the darkness but never appears, no matter how loudly you call.

The Seventh Seal

Watch The Seventh Seal at Amazon Watch The Seventh Seal at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Faith Existence of God

Speaker

Antonius Block

Actor

Max von Sydow

Source

The Seventh Seal

Medium

Film

Genre

Fantasy drama (film) Drama (film) Fantasy drama Drama

Language

Swedish

Time

1957 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Det sjunde inseglet [The Seventh Seal]. Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Svensk Filmindustri, 1957.