Possible Informative Speech Topic List

INFORMATIVE SPEECH TOPIC IDEAS
People
First woman astronaut
Buddy Holly-the day the music died
Individuals who made a difference
Belle Gunness—America’s first female serial killer-early 1900’s (42 people)
Jesse Owens— extraordinary American athlete
The British Invasion (musical genre from the 60’s)
Henry the VIII—events behind the two wives he beheaded
Josef Mengele-Nazi doctor at Auschwitz
Mary Queen of Scotts, why did Queen Elizabeth have her beheaded
Winston Churchill: one of most influential men of World War II
Hank Williams Sr.—was a prolific writer, but lived a short, troubled life
James I-- had the Bible translated into the King James Version
The Beatles from start to finish
Woody Allen, brilliant and funny
Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone
Suleyman the Magnificent—his death marked the beginning of the Ottoman Empire
Curt Siodmak—the man noted for creating the criteria for the movie werewolf character
Alfred Hitchcock—master of the weird—a director who appeared in most of the movies he directed
Men in support of civil disobedience
Houdini –the most famous magician
____one of the funniest comedians
Nostradamus
TV’s most popular nerds
Patty Hearst—victim or criminal?
Yogi Berra—remembered as a ball player as well as famous quotes
Who was the Desert Fox of World War II?
Tiny Tim of the 60’s became famous because he was a joke.
Jim Carey—a perfectionist
Joan of Arc—a persecuted Saint
Life of King Edward VI
Stephen King—why so popular?
The Elephant Man- a tragic story
Catherine the Great
Jesse & Frank James
Bonnie & Clyde
Elvis Presley—from rags to riches
Elizabeth I –arguably best ruler of Great Britain
Jerry Lewis: Comedian and Innovator (Jerry’s kids host)
Mohammad Ali- told all that “I am the greatest” and he was
Joseph McCarthy- why the term McCarthyism is frowned upon
Nikola Tesla—scientific genius who proved Edison wrong about current
The Marx Brothers- talented brothers—Hollywood greats
Alvin York-extraordinary American World War I hero
Roy Orbison—not your typical rock star
W.C. Fields- colorful figure of Hollywood –hated dogs and kids
Poets of the Romantic Movement:
Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats,
How they changed poetry
Robert E. Lee—an officer and a gentlemen, whose talents unfortunately prolonged civil war
Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison all great musical talents who died from drug-abuse
Individuals who made a sacrifice
George M. Cohen-music giant
The Barrymores- Family of actors

Past Events
Bay of Pigs-Failed U.S. invasion of Cuba- JFK’s fiasco
Hollywood used to have a star system: the good and bad of it
Events that led up to the crash of 1929
How the Romanov family influenced Russian society
Amber Alert –history and effectiveness
Events that led up to the economic crisis beginning around 2008-09.
human cadavers - history of, uses of (Great informative book on this subject - Stiff)
The Mini Ice Age—how it affected mankind and is it likely to happen any time soon?
The witch hunts across Europe—when, how they got started, and how extreme they became
history of comic books (general or choose a specific one, i.e. Superman, X-Men, etc)
The amazing King Kong movie model of 1933 and why it was the most realistic until the last few years
What is a fable? How did they come about and what is their significance to the times?
Some of the famous baseball superstitions and their birth
The British Invasion (musical genre from the 1960’s)
The French Revolution & Robespierre
The History of the Revenge Movies of the U.S.—when and why
Mt. Vesuvius - what happened that day to another less famous town
Unsolved crimes – Jack the Ripper, D.B. Cooper, Lizzie Borden
History of Sun Records
History of the Bermuda Triangle
The birth of political cartoons
History of the discount store
History of Art Deco
History of anatomists
Prohibition and why it was repealed
The Teapot Dome Scandal
The dark origins of Sleeping Beauty
Printing Press- most important invention of all time
Child Chimney Sweeps in Victorian England had little hope to survive
History of special effects in movie making
History of Old Mother Hubbard
Lindbergh baby kidnapping
Some origins of some unusual words
Mysteries of the Bible
Conspiracy theories
History of tobacco use
Presidential scandals
History of television censorship
History of transplants
Most Decisive Battles in World History
How the days of the week got their names
Hiroshima–then and now
The French Reign of Terror and overuse of the guillotine
Some books that have been banned in the past and why they were
Some movies that have been banned in the past and why

Places
Plan a vacation to: Yosemite or Yellowstone or Grand Canyon, New York City, Sequoia National Forest
Top 7 Don’t Miss Attractions at Disney World’s – Disney MGM Studio Theme Park
What is considered to be one of the best places in the world to live?

Current Topics- political
The pros and cons of using animals for medical research
The First Amendment, what it is, and famous examples of its importance
What is the significance of the 14th Amendment?
What U.S. soldiers do for us and what they have been promised in return from the government
What would-be journalists need to know about public records and the Freedom of Information Act
What are your legal rights as:
A landlord, or property owner
abused spouse or abused child
What U.S. soldiers do for us and what they have been promised in return from the government, but don’t always receive
What would-be journalists and reporters need to know about public records and the Freedom of Information Act
What you need to know about
Good Samaritan laws in Arkansas, or
When you should give up your legal rights

Current Topics - Scientific
How stress affects you
Best new gadgets for spyware
Possible future of mankind
When cosmetic surgery goes wrong
What you should know about:
Mononucleosis, Cystic fibrosis or fluoride or lyme disease or diabetes
What is a lobotomy and what famous person had it performed on their daughter?
Alternative fuels, or
Nanotechnology—cancer treatment
Some basic tips for saving energy in your home
The future of Alzheimer’s treatment:
Special Care Units
What is strep throat and why is it very important to treat it seriously?
What are staff infections, and C. diff. & what can be done about them?
Einstein’s theory of relativity –what does it all mean?
What causes tsunamis (tidal waves) and how big can they get
The possibility and dangers of chemical warfare
What meth does to your body and how to tell if someone is on meth
What would happen if the earth’s axis were tilted just one or two more degrees than it is now?
How a hurricane, tornado, earthquake develops and the best way to protect yourself
What chemicals are fed to the animals we eat, or sprayed on crops, and how is it affecting our health

Current Topics - Miscellaneous
What is a cult movie & what & why are some of the most famous ones?
I think the best comedic horror films are _______because ________.
What you need to know to become a forensic sketch artist.
How the days of the week got their names
Labs are considered by many to be one of the best pets because ___.
How metal detectors work
What were some of the famous Bible Epic Movies and why are they no longer made
What are the latest internet scams and what groups are these crooks targeting?
Unforgiven is a western that portrays a more realistic old west than most westerns prior to it.
Why Spider Man is so popular with young Americans
How to get started investing in the stock market
How to use your time wisely and get better organized
Get rich quick schemes and how they turned out for all involved
How have The Rolling Stones managed to stay together so long?
Fallacies and misconceptions that most people still believe are true
Why Spider Man is so popular with young Americans
What are some interesting methods used for predicting the future?
What you should know about keeping dangerous pets

Processes
How to plan an outdoor party or
Plan a quinceanera
How evidence is handled at a crime scene (steps, importance of each)
How to build your own wind turbine for less than $300.00
How to turn your watch into a compass or how to read a map and use a compass
How does a hybrid vehicle work compared to an internal combustion compared to an all electric
How to get started investing in the stock market and avoid losing money on investments
How to be a professional clown
How to prepare for a job interview
Furnish an apartment on a budget