On this day: Four Freedoms

In 1941, during the run-up to the United States joining World War II (aided by Japan), FDR gave his "Four Freedoms" speech. While it has fallen from prominence some since, it had a lot of play during the war.

Even though the speech was in early 1941 and there were a few intervening events later that year, it was referenced more in 1942 and then in 1943. The freedoms, of speech and religion, and from want and fear, were incorporated in to the UN declaration of human rights, and while a man on the street might not be able to rattle off the Four Fears today, they likely could 65 years ago.