List of generations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Generations are exaggerated periods of time that are connected with pop cultures throughout the world. Many characteristics of these generations are the music, fads, inventions, and wars random to each period of time. Each generation is categorized by the general birth years of the people within the generation.

[edit] 20th century America and Europe

  • The Lost Generation was a term originally used to identify a group of American literary expatriates living in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s; it is now used more generally to describe the generation of young people who came of age in the United States during and shortly after World War I.
  • The Greatest Generation is the worldwide generation of Allies that served in World War II. This group overlaps with the G.I. Generation, the generation of Americans that fought and won World War II, later to become the Establishment, and the parents of children who would later become the Baby Boomers.
  • The Silent Generation was the generation born between the two World Wars, who were too young to join the service when the war started. Many had fathers that served in World War I. (1925-1945)
  • The Baby Boomers were the generation born during or just after World War II; there was a worldwide increase in birthrate for about 14 years (1945-1959). The end of the baby boom period is cited by various sources as early as 1954 or as late as 1965 -- see Baby Boomers.
  • Generation Jones is the generation born between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. The generally accepted birth years for Jonesers are 1954-1965. Jonesers are primarily the offspring of the Silent Generation; mostly they were children in the 1960's, and teens in the 1970's.
  • Generation X is the generation born between approximately 1966 to 1980, although the birth years are sometimes cited as early as 1960, and as late as 1969. Other names used interchangably with Generation X are 13th Generation and Baby Busters. Most of this generation are children of Baby Boomers. They tended to grow up with video games and MTV, and spent most of their teen years in the 1980s.
  • XY Cusp, also known as the MTV Generation or Doom Generation, was caught between the end of Generation X and start of Generation Y, mainly living out their childhood through the 80s and teen years in the mid-90s. This generation was influenced by the launch of MTV, the popularization of Web technology circa '95, segmented musical tastes, the evolution of 80s glam fashions into grunge and the remainder of Generation X, many of whom were older siblings. (1975-1985).
  • Boomerang Generation, also known as the Generation Why?, was a sub-group of Generation Y, growing up in the '90s and early 2000s, whose emergent experiences straddled the Cold War/Space Age and Internet eras. In many ways more connected to the G.I. Generation than other recent generations, this group came of age in the period directly following the September 11th attacks. (1982-1986)

[edit] Japanese Americans

  • Nisei Japanese Americans are second-generation, American-born citizens of the United States of Japanese ancestry, who generally reached adulthood by the outbreak of World War II.
  • Sansei Japanese Americans are third-generation Japanese-Americans, most of whom were born during the baby boom after the end of World War II, and the children of the Nisei Japanese Americans.

[edit] List of Generations Chart

This graph is based on birth years.The major events on the list happen at some time within 30 years of each generation's birthdates, usually something very significant to the pop culture of the generation. Generation Y is placed in the 21st century because even the oldest members of the generation had not yet entered high school when the new millennium began.

Century Era Generation Sub-Generations Time Table Notable Occurrences
19th century
Missionary Awakening

(American Civil War and Industrial Revolution)

Progressive Generation 1843 - 1859 Introduction of the Lightbulb/Industrial Revolution
Missionary Generation 1860 - 1882 American Civil War, Reconstruction, Dawn of the Automobile
20th century
Lost Generation World War I Generation 1883 - 1900 Experienced WWI in adulthood
Interbellum Generation 1901 - 1910 Roaring 20's
American High

(Great Depression and World War II)

Greatest Generation G.I. Generation 1911 - 1924 Experienced WWII in adulthood
Silent Generation 1925 - 1942 Experienced WWII in childhood
Baby Boomers 1943 - 1950 Civil Rights Movement
Consciousness Revolution

(Vietnam War / Counterculture / Cold War)

Generation Jones Beat Generation 1957 - 1968 First modern "subculture"
1969 - 1971 Rise of the Arcade/Atomic Age
Generation X Baby Busters 1960 - 1981 Experienced Vietnam War/Cold War
MTV Generation / Boomerang Generation 1974 - 1985 Rise of Mass Media/end of the Cold War
21st century
Culture Wars
Generation Y
Echo Boom 1986 - 1994 Dawn of the 21st century
iGeneration 1994 - 2001 Rise of the Information Age/Internet
Generation Z 2001 - 20?? Wars on Terrorism/Globalization