20th Century
The 20th century, spanning 1901-2000, was marked by rapid technological advancements, two world wars, social revolutions, the Cold War, decolonization and groundbreaking achievements in science, space and civil rights.
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During the 1950s, the United States was the world’s strongest military power. Its economy was booming, and the fruits of this prosperity–new cars, suburban houses and other consumer goods–were available to more people than ever before. However, the 1950s also saw great conflict. The nascent civil rights movement and the crusade against communism at home and abroad exposed underlying divisions in American society.
The 1960s saw John F. Kennedy elected to the White House and gains in civil rights before America splintered amid cultural divisions and Vietnam War protests.
The 1970s brought social change in the battles for women's and gay rights, along with the launch of an environmental movement and a new conservative populism.
The 1980s were a decade of political conservatism, such as Ronald Reagan’s Reaganomics, and of blockbuster movies, MTV music and technology.
1930s
The 1930s
Learn more about the 1930s, a particularly tumultuous decade in world history that got its start with a bang - or, more accurately, a crash.
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