Introduction | Conclusion |
As World War II drew to a close society was experiencing a carefree time, Rock and Roll music was born and society was becoming more youth oriented. As 1950 drew closer we became involved in the Korean War. The fifties, as we affectionately refer to the era from 1950-1959, was a time when families moved to the suburbs, moms stayed home, and dinner was at 6pm. As the fifties closed the Cold War was so present on our minds that fallout shelters (a place to survive a nuclear strike) became common in suburban backyards. The carefree time was coming to an end.
The years from 1960-1969 were a time of political and social upheaval. It began with the election of John F. Kennedy as President, only to see him assassinated in 1963, and ended with the assassination of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. The Cuban Missile Crisis, the beginning of the Vietnam War, hippies, black panthers, putting a man on the moon, Woodstock, the British music invasion, and the civil rights movement all contributed to social unrest.
In the 1970’s we were trying to recover from the Vietnam War and the social change of the 1960’s. Tired of the focus on social issues, people began to focus on themselves leaving the decade to be known as “The Me Decade” (Wolfe). The 70’s had its problems. President Nixon was impeached as a result of the Watergate scandal, gas shortages caused long lines at the pumps, the women’s movement took hold, and Gay Rights activists marched on Washington, D.C.
The 1980’s saw the end of the cold war and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Technology began to take hold on a personal level with personal computers, gaming systems, and mobile phones. A world wide health crisis was becoming front page news; AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) once considered a gay disease had become a pandemic.
The 1990’s saw the world become truly global with the increased availability of the internet and instant access online. But, the 90’s also saw school shootings, home grown terrorism, and riots.
The 21st century begins. From 2000 to 2006 our world has been immersed in fear. On September 11th, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States. The invasion of Afghanistan and the Iraq War soon followed. Technology continued to advance; the mapping of the human genome is just one example of incredible medical breakthroughs.
Work Cited:
Wolfe, Tom. "1970's." History E Notes. 1 Dec. 2006
Work Cited
