20th Century Industrialization-Transforming Economies: Decade briefs

The Vietnam War was still a major event in the beginning of this decade.  Watergate forced the resignation of Richard Nixon and it marks the beginning of "America's distrust with government".  Oil Crisis, and until 2020, the highest rates of inflation ever recorded in the later half of the decade.  There were other tragic events this decade as well, including the deadliest earthquake of the century, the Jonestown massacre, the Munich Olympics massacre, and the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. Culturally, disco became extremely popular and Star Wars hit theaters.  

1970s

The Cold War ends, Nelson Mandela is released from prison, the Internet becomes popular - in many ways this decade seemed a decade of both hope and relief. Unfortunately, the decade also saw its fair share of tragedy, including the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine High School massacre, and the Rwandan genocide.  The first attack on the World Trade Center occurs.  In pop culture, Grunge music rules the airwaves.  Napster and Myspace mark big changes in how people get their music/entertainment- it marks the beginning of the influence of "social media" and people connecting digitally rather than "in the real".

1990s

The Great Depression hit the world hard in this decade. A complete and total collapse of the financial and banking sector.  The Nazis took advantage of this situation and were able to come to power in Germany, establish their first concentration camp, and begin a systematic persecution of Jews in Europe. Breadlines and Hoovervilles, 25% unemployment rates and the Dust Bowl in the United States.  Other news in this decade included the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, a wild and murderous crime spree by Bonnie and Clyde, and the imprisonment of Al Capone for income tax evasion.

1930s

To many, this decade can be summed up as the Vietnam War, hippies, drugs, protests, and rock and roll. (A common joke goes "If you remember the sixties, you weren't there.") Although those were important aspects of this decade, other events occurred as well. For instance, the Berlin Wall was built, the Soviets launched the first man into space, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the Beatles become popular, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his "I Have a Dream" speech, and so much more!

1960s

This decade is sometimes referred to as the Golden Age. Color TV was invented; the polio vaccine was discovered; Disneyland opened; and Elvis gyrated his hips on The Ed Sullivan Show.  Suburbs and highways become the norm.  The Cold War continued as the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union began. The U.S. along with 17 other U.N. countries go to Korea to stop communism early in the decade. This decade also saw segregation ruled illegal in the U.S. and the beginning of the Civil Rights movement.

1950s

This decade features with amazing feats like the first flight by the Wright brothers, Henry Ford's first Model-T, and Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It also had hardships like the Boxer Rebellion and the San Francisco Earthquake. This decade also saw the introduction of the first silent movie and teddy bear.  

1900s

This decade was a time of Prohibition and speakeasies, Flappers & short skirts, the Charleston dance, and jazz music. Never before seen growth in the stock market.  This decade also showed great strides in Women's Suffrage and archaeology hit the mainstream with the discovery of King Tut's Tomb. There were an amazing number of cultural firsts in this decade, including the first talking film, Babe Ruth hitting his home-run record, and the first Mickey Mouse cartoon.

1920s

This decade was unfortunately dominated by the first "total war".  The Industrial Revolution contributes new mechanized weapons of all kinds (tanks, machine guns, airplanes, etc...) and the carnage is unprecedented during the Great War/World War I. It also saw other huge changes during the Russian Revolution and the beginning of Prohibition. Tragedy struck when a fire rampaged through Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, the "unsinkable" Titanic hit an iceberg and up until Covid-19, the prior pandemic- the Spanish flu killed millions around the world. On a more positive note, people in this decade got their first taste of an Oreo cookie and could fill out their first crossword.

1910s

Conservatism rules in America.  President Ronald Reagan defines the decade.  Wall Street and Big Business rebounds.  America spends more than in takes in and U.S. as well as personal debt soars.  In the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and perestroika began the end of the Cold War. This was soon followed by the surprising fall of the Berlin Wall. There were also some disasters this decade, including the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion, the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez, the Ethiopian Famine, a huge poison gas leak in Bhopal, and the discovery of AIDS. Culturally, this decade saw the introduction of the mesmerizing Rubik's Cube toy, Pac-Man video game, the first home computers become popular, and Michael Jackson's Thriller video.

1980s

World War II was already underway by the time this decade began and it was definitely the big event of the first half of the decade. Plus, the Nazis in Germany established death camps in their effort to murder millions of Jews during the Holocaust. The U.S. enters the war with the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7.  President Franklin Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented 4th term.  An Atomic bomb is built, and used.  When World War II ended, the Cold War began. The 1940s also witnessed the assassination of Gandhi in India and the beginning of Apartheid in S. Africa.

1940s