Long after the Cold War
In a blog the Effing Librarian wrote the other day he spoke of not trusting anyone under 30. I thought about the things he had to say and I agree...I hate that people in my age group are part of this digital machine; seemingly not able to eat, sleep, or poop without having to text (or Heaven forbid) send someone a picture about it.
However, as I posted in Effing's comments section, I consider myself to be more akin to those of an older generation, partly because I was raised (until Grad school, really) as a technological retard, and also because I grew up in a family that demanded communication. Unlike many people today, our communication came in the form of "pass the taters please" ("What's taters, Precious?"), as opposed to "BFF pass t spuds...WTF...LOL..."or whatever people text each other (I hate those new damn commercials!)
Then, thinking about what might separate some of us generationally, I found this super website, where you put in your birth (and death year?) and got a list of some of the events that have happened in my life. If I ever remember or find the link to that site I will post it-sorry.
Birth: 1980
1946-1980 The Cold War from before birth until age 9
1977-1980 James Earl Carter Jr. President of US
1980 I was born 1980 Mount St. Helens Erupts
1981-1988 Ronald Reagan President of US from age 1 to 8
1981 1st female supreme court justice at age 1
1983 Bluford 1st black in space at age 3
1984 HIV determined to be cause of AIDs at age 4
1986 Chernobyl Power Plant melts down, Shuttle Challenger explodes, at age 6
1989 1. Powell is 1st black Chairman Joint US Chiefs of Staff 2. Fall of Berlin Wall 3. Breakup of the Soviet Union 4. U.S. Invades Panama, topples Noriega at age 9
1989-1992 George Bush President of US from age 9 to 12
1991 Iraq attacks Kuwait, US Attacks Iraq at age 11
1992 Blacks riot in South Central neighborhood, Los Angeles at age 12
1993-2000 William Clinton President of US from age 13 to 20
1993 Muslim terrorists bomb World Trade Center at age 13
1994 South Africa moves to 1 person, 1 vote system at age 14
1995 American Terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City at age 15
1998 Pres. Clinton Impeached December 19th. at age 18
1999 US attacks Bosnia at age 19
2000 North Pole ice melts - 1.5 km of open water in August at age 20
2001 1. Muslim terrorists destroy World Trade Center Sep 11th 2. US attacks Afghanistan, October 7th 3. Earthquake at Gujarat, India - 20,000 deaths at age 21 2001-2009 George W. Bush President of US, age 21
2002 Euro currency introduced, age 22
2003 1. Shuttle Columbia destroyed during re-entry, 2. 28,000 die in 3. Iran earthquake, age 23
2004 1. Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami kills 290,000 - December 26 2. Ten terrorist bombs kill 200, injure 1240 in Spain, age 24
2005 1. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita devastate New Orleans - Aug, Sep. 2. Muslim terrorists bomb London transit system July 7th, age 25
2006 and 2007 were not covered by this site so I did some exploring of my own since, honestly, the last two years have been a blur, and decided to leave those two years blank...too much Debbie Downer shit.
However, as I posted in Effing's comments section, I consider myself to be more akin to those of an older generation, partly because I was raised (until Grad school, really) as a technological retard, and also because I grew up in a family that demanded communication. Unlike many people today, our communication came in the form of "pass the taters please" ("What's taters, Precious?"), as opposed to "BFF pass t spuds...WTF...LOL..."or whatever people text each other (I hate those new damn commercials!)
Then, thinking about what might separate some of us generationally, I found this super website, where you put in your birth (and death year?) and got a list of some of the events that have happened in my life. If I ever remember or find the link to that site I will post it-sorry.
Birth: 1980
1946-1980 The Cold War from before birth until age 9
1977-1980 James Earl Carter Jr. President of US
1980 I was born 1980 Mount St. Helens Erupts
1981-1988 Ronald Reagan President of US from age 1 to 8
1981 1st female supreme court justice at age 1
1983 Bluford 1st black in space at age 3
1984 HIV determined to be cause of AIDs at age 4
1986 Chernobyl Power Plant melts down, Shuttle Challenger explodes, at age 6
1989 1. Powell is 1st black Chairman Joint US Chiefs of Staff 2. Fall of Berlin Wall 3. Breakup of the Soviet Union 4. U.S. Invades Panama, topples Noriega at age 9
1989-1992 George Bush President of US from age 9 to 12
1991 Iraq attacks Kuwait, US Attacks Iraq at age 11
1992 Blacks riot in South Central neighborhood, Los Angeles at age 12
1993-2000 William Clinton President of US from age 13 to 20
1993 Muslim terrorists bomb World Trade Center at age 13
1994 South Africa moves to 1 person, 1 vote system at age 14
1995 American Terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City at age 15
1998 Pres. Clinton Impeached December 19th. at age 18
1999 US attacks Bosnia at age 19
2000 North Pole ice melts - 1.5 km of open water in August at age 20
2001 1. Muslim terrorists destroy World Trade Center Sep 11th 2. US attacks Afghanistan, October 7th 3. Earthquake at Gujarat, India - 20,000 deaths at age 21 2001-2009 George W. Bush President of US, age 21
2002 Euro currency introduced, age 22
2003 1. Shuttle Columbia destroyed during re-entry, 2. 28,000 die in 3. Iran earthquake, age 23
2004 1. Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami kills 290,000 - December 26 2. Ten terrorist bombs kill 200, injure 1240 in Spain, age 24
2005 1. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita devastate New Orleans - Aug, Sep. 2. Muslim terrorists bomb London transit system July 7th, age 25
2006 and 2007 were not covered by this site so I did some exploring of my own since, honestly, the last two years have been a blur, and decided to leave those two years blank...too much Debbie Downer shit.
Comments
When you list all the stuff that's happened in our lives, I feel oooold...
We are trapped in a strange generational netherworld between "What's the internet?" and "IMFAO, LMAO LOL, p'wnd!" What year will it be, do you think, that the first entirely acronymous novel will be written?