The Greatest Generation, also known as the G.I. Generation and the World War II generation, is the Western demographic cohort following the Lost Generation and preceding the
The Greatest Generation commonly refers to those Americans who were born in the 1900s through the 1920s. The Greatest Generation members all lived through the Great Depression and many of them fought in World War II. These individuals have often been described as driven, patriotic, and team-players.
The Greatest Generation – born 1901-1927
This group was also representative of the majority of soldiers in World War II. If still with us, these folks are between the ages of 98 and 121.
Unlike the previous generation who had fought for "changing the system," the Silent Generation was about "working within the system." They did this by keeping their heads down and working hard, thus earning themselves the "silent" label. Their attitudes leaned toward not being risk-takers and playing it safe.
That is why the generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And so it follows that Generation Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.
Five-generation family: Rodd O'Donnell holding Bentley O'Donnell next to son Zane O'Donnell, with mother Denise O'Donnell and grandmother Irene Gale. It's not every day you hear about a family making it to five living generations, but the O'Donnell family have shown it's not impossible.
This generation lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and then on into one of the most prosperous eras in the history of our nation. The newfound prosperity contrasted sharply with previous decades of austerity.
As of 2022, approximately 167,284 (about 1%) of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II remain alive. Living members of this generation are either in their 90s or are centenarians.
Gen Xers are a comparatively rare group.
Compared to Baby Boomers (75 million) and Millennials (83 million), Generation X members are outnumbered. Estimates have placed the population at around 65 million.
Gen Z is also the smartest and best educated generation. Having an unlimited wealth of information at our disposal has not gone to waste. In America, 57 percent of Gen Z is reported to have enrolled in a two-year or four-year college, compared to 52 percent of Millenials and 43 percent of Gen X.
There were actually a total of 76 million births in the United States from 1946 to 1964, the 19 years usually called the “baby boom.” Of the 76 million baby boomers born, nearly 11 million had died by 2012, leaving some 65.2 million survivors.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has little to no memory of a world without the internet, smartphones, and social media. Technology is a substantial part of their life. Being continually connected can also result in self-esteem issues and feeling pressure to conform.
The makings of the Greatest Generation
Of the 16 million Americans who fought in World War II, only about 167,000 were still alive as of 2022.
The Greatest generation, those born 1901 to 1927, are known to have been born and come of age in the “American Century” of economic growth, technological progress, and mostly military triumph. The Silent generation describes adults born from 1928 through 1945.
The Silent Generation, also known as "Radio Babies" or "Traditionalists," includes people who were born between 1928 and 1945 and lived through World War II and the Great Depression, according to FamilySearch . These challenging experiences shaped many of the generation's attitudes toward the workplace.
It Started with a Quote. The term “lost generation” came from a statement. “All of you young people who served in the war. . . . You are all a lost generation,” writer Gertrude Stein said to a young Ernest Hemingway in the years after World War I, according to his account years later in A Moveable Feast.
“The Greatest Generation” refers to the generation in the United States that came of age during the Great Depression and later fought in World War II. They are sometimes called the G.I. Generation or the World War II Generation.
1) They have learned from the previous generations
Throughout history, the knowledge and experiences of the older generations are passed down. This naturally increases the awareness and the knowledge of the next generation. With every new generation, the Smithsonian has averaged that our IQ goes up 9 points!
What Did Baby Boomers Contribute to Society? The sixties defined the era of social change, and the Baby Boomers led the charge through activism, social change, and freedom. Baby Boomers opened our eyes to social attitudes with a decade of riots, boycotts, antiwar demonstrations, and protests for civil rights.
Given 25 years per generation, 40 generations occur in 1000 years.
According to OECD a human generation typically ranges from 22 to 32 years, but let's assume an average of 25 years. That means 100 generations of human life takes us back 2,500 years.
We generally figure three or four generations to every 100 years — in rare instances only two, in others five. The average span from one generation to the next is about 25 to 30 years. In the space of 350 years, you can estimate that there will be roughly 12 generations.