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State of the Union Address

State of the Union: 14 moments that made history

David Jackson
USA TODAY
In his Jan. 8, 1964, State of the Union Address, Lyndon Johnson declares a "war on poverty."

Most State of the Union speeches deal with issues of the day, but some presidential proclamations in these annual messages to Congress have echoed through history.

For most of the 19th century, presidents wrote out their annual messages to Congress. In 1823, James Monroe warned Europe to stay out of North and South American political affairs, declaring what came to be known as the Monroe Doctrine. Twenty-five years later, James Polk disclosed the discovery of gold in California, triggering a historic land rush.

Woodrow Wilson helped make the State of the Union the big event it has become, opting to give his speech to Congress in person starting in 1913.

In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt outlined the "Four Freedoms" that would help guide government policy during World War II. President Lyndon Johnson declared a "war on poverty" in his State of the Union of 1964. A year later, LBJ made the move that solidified the speech as a major media event: He delivered it in prime time.

Check out the gallery below for 14 notable moments from State of the Union Addresses.

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