This makes sense considering many of them began their careers in its aftermath. Last but not least, Millennials are the only generation to note the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, and the subsequent Great Recession, as a momentous event. Sadly, a lot of Millennials recollect instances of gun violence more than any other generation, from Orlando and Columbine to Sandy Hook. Most Impactful Historic Events, Millennials (Survey Results) They also paid close attention to the aftermath of this occurrence, as marked by the inclusion of both the Iraq/Afghanistan wars and the death of Osama Bin Laden among their most notable events. Millennials remember the September 11 attacks the most of all generations, with 86% citing it as their most influential event. Most Notable Historical Events: Millennials The hurricane-which caused a significant share of New Orleans’ population to resettle-left a lasting impression on the nation. Hurricane Katrina (which occurred in 2005) is the only natural disaster to make it on any of these lists. Most Impactful Historic Events, Gen Xers (Survey Results) The Challenger disaster impact was widely felt because it involved civilians alongside astronauts, making the space shuttle’s explosion all the more notorious. Interestingly, neither of of these events stood out for other generations. Most Notable Historical Events: Gen Xįor Gen Xers, two unique events made their list: the Challenger disaster (1986) and the Gulf War (1991). Not surprisingly, Black Americans were far more likely to name MLK’s death as a top defining moment.
It’s worth noting that responses varied between Americans of different racial backgrounds. Most Impactful Historic Events, Boomers (Survey Results)įor this generation, the moon landing in 1969 made the cut, as did Barack Obama’s election win in 2008.īaby Boomers only identified one event that was unique to their cohort (Martin Luther King’s death). Kennedy’s in 1963, and Martin Luther King’s in 1968. For instance, Boomers identified two assassinations on their list-John F. Many of the historical experiences cited by Baby Boomers were related to war and violent acts. Most Notable Historical Events: Baby Boomers And interestingly, some of these impressionable moments occurred later on in life.įor example, the youngest members of The Silent Generation were already in their mid-t0-late forties when cellphones became common in the ‘90s-yet, 27% identified the tech revolution as one of the top 10 most impactful events that happened in their lifetime.Ĭlearly, life never stops throwing you curve balls-no matter how far along you might be. Of course, other not-so-violent events made the list as well. For context, Boomers identified three conflicts (including the Cold War), while Millennials only referenced one (Iraq/Afghanistan).
In fact, the Silent Generation cited four different wars on their list, more than any other cohort. Most Impactful Historic Events, Silent Gen (Survey Results) In other words, their formative years fell smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest international conflicts in modern history.īecause of this, it makes sense that World War II ranks as the second most impactful event in their lifetimes, trailing only the far more recent Sept. The oldest members of the Silent Generation were 11 years old at the start of World War II, and were teenagers by the time it ended. It’s also worth noting that these generational definitions are somewhat specific to North America. sources including the Pew Research and the U.S. These generational categories aren’t universal, but we went with the most widely cited definitions from reputable U.S. Quick Context on Generational Definitionsīefore diving in, it’s important to clarify which generations we’ve included in our research, along with their age and birth year ranges. Using insights from our Generational Power Index 2021 report, along with survey data from Pew Research in 2016, we identified some key milestones for each cohort, to understand how these events helped shape each generation’s unique perspectives. Looking back at history is a necessity when trying to understand what the future may hold.
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