The 144-year history of one of the most influential corners in the world.

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Tucked away in the northeast corner of a popular London park sits a small site where freedom of speech reigns supreme.

Since 1872, the ordinary and extraordinary have gathered in the unspectacular concrete cove in Hyde Park known as Speakers' Corner to declare their views on an array of topics, many controversial. Everything from Brexit and the Iraq War to gender equality and veganism have been up for lively and spirited speeches and debates.

Men the likes of Marcus Garvey, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and George Orwell have taken a turn at Speakers' Corner, but most days you'll find people decidedly less notorious who just want to be heard.

A man at Speakers' Corner in 2002. Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images.

Despite its serene setting, the origins of Speakers' Corner is little messier.

The location itself may have macabre origins. Hyde Park was once the spot of the Tyburn Gallows, installed in 1196. Onlookers would buy seats to watch the executions. Before people were put to death, they were allowed to make one final speech.

In 1783, the gallows were dismantled and executions were moved to the prison, but speeches and protests in Hyde Park continued. Police frequently attempted to stop the demonstrations, but the people of London continued to use the space to assemble and protest. Close to 100 years later, in 1872, Parliament set aside this particular section of the park for public oration.

Speakers' Corner in 1923. Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images.

For 144 years, Speakers' Corner has hosted a steady stream of lively orators.

Through their words and photos, you can see some incredible history unfold.

1. If you were passionate and well-spoken, it was easy to draw a crowd at Speakers' Corner, especially before the advent of TV.

A man addressing the crowd at Speakers' Corner in 1933. Photo by J. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images.

2. Some speakers essentially became local celebrities, like Charlie in the 1920s.

Photo by J. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images.

3. Religious speakers and proselytizers have always been common.

A speaker lectures on "Christianity Astray — The Bible Truth" in 1933. Photo by J. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images.

4. Including rising political leaders of all stripes.

Here, a young Aneurin Bevan speaks to the crowd on May Day 1936. Bevan would go on to spearhead the creation of the National Health Service.

Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images.

Now, you may be thinking: 'Hey, wait a second, where are all the women and people of color?'

Great question. They have a place in Speakers' Corner history too.

5. Because free speech was celebrated and encouraged, people of color had the opportunity to speak out on issues too.

Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Women, children, and families took center stage to stand up for their beliefs too.

6. This woman used her time in front of the crowd to sing a powerful hymn.

Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images.

7. And when these women marched for equal rights, their journey started at Speakers' Corner, quite literally.

Their march to No. 10 Downing Street began near the same spot where suffragettes gathered decades prior.

Members of the National Women's Movement, marched from Speakers' Corner to No. 10 Downing Street to celebrate International Women's Day in 1971. Photo by Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

8. Hundreds of children marched to Speakers' Corner during a school strike in 1972.

Photo by Steve Wood/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

9. And single-parent families demanded equality in 1975.

Photo by Angela Deane-Drummond/Evening Standard/Getty Images.

10. Even with the rise of blogs, social media, and independent publishing, Speakers' Corner remains a popular place to share strongly held opinions.

Anarchists rallied at Speakers' Corner in 2009 ahead of the G-20 summit. Photo by Bruno Vincent/AFP/Getty Images.

11. Or, at the very least, a place to share the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

Yep, that's Heather Mills. She brought a truck and a weird ad campaign to Speakers' Corner.

Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.

Whether or not you agree with the speakers' words or causes, Speakers' Corner is a celebration of free speech and assembly.

No avatars or pen names to hide behind. Speakers literally stand up for what they believe in. And regardless of whether their opinions jibe with yours, it's a powerful remnant from an era long gone.

Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images.

Nulo

Pets

The most inspiring pet stories of 2024

Leading pet brand Nulo knows every cat and dog has the power to be incredible.

via Keswick Mountain Rescue Team/Instagram, Cat Protection/Youtube

Incredible pets deserve incredible food.

2024 was a year filled with heartwarming stories that reminded us of the incredible bond between humans and their furry companions. From acts of bravery to heartwarming gestures, these pets made a huge impact on the lives of their owners… and the lives of many, many more.

It’s stories like these that continue to inspire leading pet nutrition brand Nulo, which is committed to helping pets live their best lives with functional, delicious and nutritious food. Through their innovative and intentional formulas, Nulo fuels incredible cats and dogs just like the ones below each and every day.

Enjoy some stories below of 2024’s goodest boys and girls — courageous dogs, trauma-informed kitties and much, much more —that really show the unwavering love and loyalty animals bring into our lives. Their inspiring actions fuel incredible.

assets.rebelmouse.io

When a 71-year-old man went unconscious and collapsed during a steep hike, his golden retriever and a black labrador instinctively broke up into a rescue team — the smart and resourceful labrador going off to look for help, and the loyal goldie staying by its owner's side. Sometimes it’s smart to have two of “man’s best friends.”

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Marley, a seven-year-old, black and white feline known for his "incredible gift of empathy” won Cat Protection's National Cat of the Year 2024 for the way he comforts women who have been enslaved, exploited and trafficked and staying at the Caritas Bakhita Safe House in London. He’s known to often leave a reassuring paw on guests’ legs to “let them know they’re not alone,” a gesture often called “the first kindness they’ve experienced in years.”

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

In early 2024, Kobe, a four-year-old husky with an extraordinary sense of smell, began digging obsessively in the yard. At first the pooch’s owner, Chanell Bell, thought this was just typical behavior, but soon discovered that Kobe had indeed detected a dangerously large cloud of natural gas that would have not only been seriously life-threatening to her, but the entire neighborhood. It’s like they say, “the nose knows.”

Eight-year-old golden retriever Roger, may have failed his drug-sniffing training in Taiwan, but it turns out he has a knack for rescue operations during natural disasters. After a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck, Roger dug through the rubble of a collapsed building to locate the body of one of the 13 people killed in the quake, offering closure to a grieving family. This earned him the nickname of “the pride of Taiwan” on social media.

Made My Day ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u4fTZjFlVf
— Animals Fucking Dying 🐕 (@AnimalNmlfckng) January 27, 2024

Dogs don’t only save humans — sometimes they rescue other animals as well.

When folks scrolling through the X account called “Animals Dying” saw a video of a creature swimming through murky water with a deer fawn in its jaws, they probably assumed it was an alligator enjoying its latest meal. But to everyone’s surprise and delight, it was actually a Labrador Retriever making sure the sweet little fawn didn’t drown.

It’s amazing what can pop up at the rustle of a paper bag 😹#Hedgewatch #CatsofTwitter #cats #caturday pic.twitter.com/NW4mfze52E
— Cilla the Outwoods Cat - Priscilla Outwoods (@OutwoodsCat) September 28, 2024

Once a stray, 12-year-old Cilla found her home at Outwoods Primary School in Warwickshire, England, where she calms anxious students, inspires a community of cat lovers on X, and has even used her social media celebrity to help raise £5,000 to restock the school library — a place she loves to lounge in.

scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net

In July, Bloodhound puppy and K-9 unit member Remi used his powerful nose to help an autistic and non-verbal boy who had gotten lost find his way back home. Deputy B. Belk, Remi’s partner, used a piece of sterile gauze to collect the scent from the boy’s forearms and the back of his neck and had Remi “reverse” track backwards for about half a mile to locate the child’s home in a nearby neighborhood.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

When a beautiful pooch named Gita saw her 84-year-old owner fall and hurt his leg, she ran down to the main road, and refused to move until someone stopped to help. Eventually she was seen by a man named Deputy Wright, who tried to get Gita into his patrol car, but the dog wouldn’t budge. When Gita did finally bolt off, Wright followed her down to where the man had been stranded, and was able to help him. Without her protection, who knows if the man would have been found in time? “The loyalty and heroism of our furry friends never cease to amaze us,” Wright would end up writing on Facebook.

If there’s an incredible furry friend in your own life, nothing says “thank you” quite like a nourishing meal. Check out Nulo for a variety of recipes sure to be loved by your beloved pet.

From Your Site Articles

animals

Family

Woman who was pressured to quit her job to raise stepdaughter's baby makes a bold decision

This sparked an important conversation about family responsibility.

via Pixabay

When parents can't step up, should grandparents step in?

A story that recently went viral on Reddit’s AITA forum asks an important question: What is a parent’s role in taking care of their grandchildren? The story is even further complicated because the woman at the center of the controversy is a stepparent.

At the time of writing her post, the woman, 38, met her husband Sam, 47, ten years ago, when his daughter, Leah, 25, was 15. The couple married five years ago after Leah had moved out to go to college.

Leah’s mom passed away when she was 10.

When Leah became pregnant she wanted to keep the baby, but her boyfriend didn’t. After the disagreement, the boyfriend broke up with her. This forced Leah to move back home because she couldn’t afford to be a single parent and live alone on a teacher’s salary.

Leah’s story is familiar to many young mothers facing similar difficulties.

The father isn’t involved in the baby’s life as a caretaker or financially. Sadly, research shows that 33% of all children in the U.S. are born without their biological fathers living in the home.

Single motherhood comes with unique hardships.

via Alexander Grey/Unsplash

The new mother is a teacher and can’t afford to live on her own with a child. In 2019, a study found that out the top 50 U.S. cities, Pittsburgh is the only one where a new teacher could afford rent.

Today, Portland, OR has joined the very short list of cities where an "average teacher can afford 91.3% of apartments within community distance of their school" according to a recent study.

The stressors of taking care of the baby made Leah realize she needed help.

“But once she had the baby around 4 months back, Leah seemed to realize having a baby is not the sunshine and rainbows she thought it was,” the woman wrote on Reddit. “She barely got any sleep during the last four months. All the while Sam was helping her with the baby while I did almost all chores myself.”

“Now her leave is ending. She did not want to leave the baby at daycare or with a nanny,” the woman continued. “Sam and I both work as well.”

Leah asked her stepmother if she would stay home with the baby. The stepmother said no because she never wanted to have a baby and she has a job. “I asked why Leah can't stay home with the baby herself,” the woman wrote. “She said how she was young and had to build a career. I said many people take breaks to raise kids, and she broke down crying about how she was so tired all the time being a mom and needed something else in her life too.”

The demands of new motherhood are usually all-encompassing.

via Pixabay

After the woman told her stepdaughter no, her husband pressured her to stay home with the baby. But she refused to give up her job to raise her stepdaughter’s child. “Leah said yesterday how she wished her mom was alive since she would have had her back. She said I didn't love her, and my husband is also mad at me,” the woman wrote. The woman asked the Reddit community if she was in the wrong for “refusing to help my stepdaughter with the baby,” and the community responded with rapturous support.

"[The woman] should tell her husband to knock it off and stop trying to pressure her into raising his daughter’s baby. If he wants a family member to look after her baby while she works, then he can do it," user Heavy_Sand5228 wrote.

"This is Leah's baby that she alone chose to have. That doesn't obligate you to change YOUR life to suit her desires. The whole business of saying you don't love her because you won't quit your job to watch her baby is manipulative and messed up, and I'm shocked your husband is siding with her," user SupremeCourtJust-a** added.

Leah and many women like her are in this situation because, in many places, teachers are underpaid, rent is high, and not all dads pay child support, even those required by law.

Another commenter noted that the baby is much more the father’s responsibility than the stepmother's. "To add, Leah should consider seeking child support from her ex. Her kid should be getting that money," Obiterdicta wrote.

While there are resources to help stepparents connect with their stepchildren and step-grandchildren, it's important to remember that the responsibility to raise a child ultimately rests with the parent(s).

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles

The 144-year history of one of the most influential corners in the world.

Tucked away in the northeast corner of a popular London park sits a small site where freedom of speech reigns supreme.

Despite its serene setting, the origins of Speakers' Corner is little messier.

For 144 years, Speakers' Corner has hosted a steady stream of lively orators.

1. If you were passionate and well-spoken, it was easy to draw a crowd at Speakers' Corner, especially before the advent of TV.

2. Some speakers essentially became local celebrities, like Charlie in the 1920s.

3. Religious speakers and proselytizers have always been common.

4. Including rising political leaders of all stripes.

Now, you may be thinking: 'Hey, wait a second, where are all the women and people of color?'

5. Because free speech was celebrated and encouraged, people of color had the opportunity to speak out on issues too.

6. This woman used her time in front of the crowd to sing a powerful hymn.

7. And when these women marched for equal rights, their journey started at Speakers' Corner, quite literally.

8. Hundreds of children marched to Speakers' Corner during a school strike in 1972.

9. And single-parent families demanded equality in 1975.

10. Even with the rise of blogs, social media, and independent publishing, Speakers' Corner remains a popular place to share strongly held opinions.

11. Or, at the very least, a place to share the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

Whether or not you agree with the speakers' words or causes, Speakers' Corner is a celebration of free speech and assembly.

Leading pet brand Nulo knows every cat and dog has the power to be incredible.

This sparked an important conversation about family responsibility.

Leah’s story is familiar to many young mothers facing similar difficulties.

They're funny because they're true.

Gordon shared 15 of his oh-so-real comics with us. They're all funny 'cause they're true.

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I love Gordon's comics so much because they're just about the reality of parenting — and they capture it perfectly.

The eyes are muscles like any other and need both stimulation and relaxation.

First and foremost, we need to allow our vision to relax.

Second, stimulate the eyes by focusing on motion.

Costco really is the best.

The 12-year-old's letter to Costco's CEO was too good to ignore

And Costco CEO Craig Jelinek had the perfect response

This is one of the many reasons people love Costco so much

Kayla Sullivan's "news report" has been viewed a whopping 30 million times.