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Baby boomers in the
United States
are normally defined as those born between 1946 and
1964 in the post war baby boom. Some choose to
divide them into baby boomers and “Generation
Jones.” This generation is significant both for its
great size and for its exposure during live to the
societal and technological progress of the post war
world.
While pretty much everyone has heard the term, many
may not be certain about just what it means and ask
“What is 'Baby Boomers? '”
From the name it is obvious that this has something to do
with birthrates and that is exactly how the United States
Census definitions just who and what is a baby boomer.
It
names a generation born after World War II when birthrates
peaked and were sustained from 1946 and 1964. Some
historians argue for slightly different dates, but the
Census figures are those most commonly recognized.
While many may have used some phrase to
describe the large number of babies being born
during this period, credit for coining it is usually
ascribed to author and journalist Landon Jones. The term
appears in his 1980 book Great Expectations: America and
the Baby Boom Generation. This work is still considered
a definitive analysis of the baby boomers.
Jones' name also is applied to a a
distinction sometimes made in the earlier and later baby
boomers. Some sociologists and political scientists consider the
true baby boomers to be the cohort born between 1946 and 1953.
The designate the second group, born from 1954 to 1964, as
“Generation Jones.” This would classify former President George
W. Bush as a baby boomer and current President Barack Obama as a
member of Generation Jones.
The United States was not the only
country to experience a post war baby boom. Many European
countries also had significant increases in their birthrates
post war and many also call them baby boomers. The years
included, however, vary from country to country, since the trend
started earlier or later there.
Baby
boomers were reared in a rapidly changing world. As television
replaced radio, news became more personal and visual. Baby
boomers did not just read or hear about wars or events like
space missions, they actually saw them for themselves. One
dramatic example was that millions watched the murder of accused
presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald live and as it happened.
During the Vietnam, television brought the grim
reality of war into nearly every home.
Baby boomers are leaving their mark on America in part
by their huge numbers alone, but they also have been part of the
reshaping of culture since World War II. They are educated and
technologically savvy and have learned to adjust to a rapidly
changing world.
the Baby Boom
Generation evolution continues....