"For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of the people: Yes we can."
- Barack Obama
This 16-month wall calendar features the most moving and memorable quotes from Barack Obama's groundbreaking political career, from his electrifying address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004, to his seminal speech on race in early 2008 and his historic win of the Democratic Presidential Nomination in June. Dynamic photos show an engaging Obama in action on the campaign trail, at work in the community, addressing crowds of thousands, in a quiet moment with Michelle and family, and victorious in a sea of confetti.
This calendar also chronicles the legacy of hope in America, with dates of famous firsts throughout history and key moments that united our nation. Such as:
June 12, 1987 - President Ronald Reagan stands in a divided Berlin and issues a challenge to Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" and allow freedom to the Eastern Bloc. (17 months later the wall fell.)
October 23, 1945 - Jackie Robinson signs a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first African American to play major league baseball.
January 10, 1737 - Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense, advocating independence for the American colonies.
July 12, 1984 - Geraldine Ferraro becomes the first woman to run for Vice President on a major party ticket.
Inspirational quotes are also included throughout the grid:
"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
"There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1936
"The future depends on what we do in the present."
- Mahatma Gandhi
