Every decade, especially since the 20th Century, contains events or breakthroughs that alter the course of history and progression in some way, shape or form or another. But which decade did this the most, by this I'm referring to the last ten decades, the 1920s through 2010s, since we're now only a stone's throw away from 2020, I think we can now judge how much the 2010s changed society compared to other decades.

Here's how I'd rank them from 1-10, with number 1 being the decade that changed the world the most, and number 10 being the decade that changed the world the least.

1. 1940s
Particularly for one major event - World War II. There's even a book and a Time magazine article that states "1945: The Year That Changed The World". It was after World War II when you had the formation of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and other major world institutions of which we still live by today. It was the first decade of the Nuclear Age, the start of the Cold War, and the birth of the modern day world order. The first microwaves were invented, and television production started skyrocketing. Believe it or not, youth culture actually began in the '40s, we may tend to associate the birth of youth culture with the '50s with Elvis Presley, beatniks, and rock and roll, but it was actually in the '40s when you had Frank Sinatra, the first real "teen idol" with a plethora of giddy teenage female fans, and who pioneered the concept album in 1946 with "The Voice of Frank Sinatra".

2. 1960s
The '40s and the '50s may have been the start of youth culture, but the '60s was the decade when youth culture started to change the world. This was the decade the Baby Boomer generation, which was a monumentally bigger generation than the ones preceding it, was now coming of age. In this decade, you had Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 pass. In this decade, you had the British Invasion and Beatlemania bridge the gap between American and European youth culture. In this decade, you had rock music transform from a fad into an art form with albums such as "Pet Sounds" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". In this decade, you had the Sexual Revolution, with women's fashion becoming more revealing, and the normalization of pre-marital sex and birth control. The change of social norms, attitudes, and culture in this decade was momentous, plus you had the first moon landing in 1969.

3. 1920s
The '20s are often times referred to as "The First Modern Decade", and its easy to see why. The '20s was arguably the first decade with a true cultural identity, the 18th Amendment and Prohibition would be the source that would popularize the gangster counter culture, as well as speakeasies, which helped popularize the Jazz Age in America. In the '20s, the the first time, most Americans began owning cars, radios, and telephones, and at the end of the decade, you had birth of commercial passenger air travel. It was in the '20s when sliced bread, the greatest thing since ever, was first invented. It was also in the '20s when Walt Disney, talkie films, the Golden Age of Hollywood, as well as the Hollywood sign (which at the time read "HOLLYWOODLAND"), all started. You also had a rise in communism and fascism in this decade as well.

4. 1980s
A large quantity of modern day technologies we now take for granted today either started out in or were popularized in the '80s. In the '80s, for the first time, most Americans began owning Cable TV and VCRs, and the Nintendo Entertainment System changed video games from a fad to a major entertainment form, both of these were major breakthroughs in home entertainment. It was also in the early '80s when you had the debut of MTV, and a youth culture that popularized music videos, with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" becoming the best selling album of all time thanks to MTV. It was also in the '80s when teens began listening to music on portable devices with Sony's Walkman, as well as when the first commercially available mobile phone was released, both of which were the framework of what smartphones would encompass a couple decades later. Plus you has the boom of Personal Computers, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the birth of the World Wide Web in 1989.

5. 2000s
In 2000, internet adoption rates hit 50%, and the Dot Com Bubble bursted. In the '00s, for the first time, most Americans now had internet access, with broadband surpassing dial up in sales by Late 2004, and with devices such as the iPod, PSP, and smartphones helping to make the internet portable. You also had the breakthrough of other digital technologies, as well as with HDTVs outselling CRTs by the later years of this decade. Video Games started becoming way more realistic, and social networking started becoming increasingly popular, especially among the teenage youth of the 00s, with sites such as Friendster, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, and what have you. You also had the start of the War on Terror with 9/11, and with digital streaming medias becoming popular at the tail end of this decade.

6. 1950s
The first decade to be fully after World War II. In the '50s, for the first time, most Americans began owning televisions, which popularized a new form of entertainment known as "TV Shows", led at the forefront by "I Love Lucy", as well as with a new way for Americans to consume news and commercials. It was in the '50s when youth counter culture really started to take shape with icons such as James Dean and Elvis Presley popularizing a beatnik, rock and roll, and drive in culture that the teenage youth of the decade took a large part in.

7. 1990s
It was in the '90s when the Soviet Union collapsed, officially ending the Cold War. It was also in the '90s when you had the birth of the modern internet, with the release of Windows 95, which changed the world upon release. You also had animated movies going CGI with the release of "Toy Story", as well as with video games going 3D, as well as with them becoming tremendously more popular with the PlayStation selling over 70 million units. It was also in the '90s when cell phones became downsized and really started to become popular.

8. 2010s
We'll probably know more in retrospect how much this decade changed the world 10 years from now, but from what we know now, this is the first decade where the majority of Americans own smartphones, and with technologies such as the Smart Watch, iGlass, and self driving cars coming out. The SJW and the Far Right movements, as well as Trump's presidency, are destined to alter the course of political history going forward, and to have an impact that will shape the 2020s and further on.

9. 1970s
It was in the '70s when you had technologies such as personal computers, cable TV, video games, and the Walkman come out, although they wouldn't really start taking off until the '80s. It was also in the '70s when for the first time the majority of American households now had Color Television, which helped make television programming feel more engaging.

10. 1930s
A large part in why this decade is at the bottom of this list is because major pop cultural and technological breakthroughs were blocked by the Great Depression. Still though,you had the first colorized movies, including the first full length animated film, "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs". You also had the start of World War II in this decade.


One interesting thing to note, is that the decades in the top half of the list are all ones with an even numbered third-decimal, while the ones in the bottom half are all ones with an odd numbered third-decimal. I wonder if this is an indication that decades with a even third-decimal have more of an impact on the world than ones with an odd third-decimal, and if this means the 2020s will follow suit and change the world far more than the 2010s did.
What do you all think of this?

1960s:
Cold War,Civil Rights Movement,Space Race.

1940s:
WW2,New Weapons being made that time,Pearl Harbor

1930s:
Great Depression,Start of the Golden Age of Animation.

1920s:
New styles of music including Jazz.

1980s:
Video Game industry becomes Big after the Crash of '83, Berlin Wall comes down.

1990s:
Television, New Consoles including the SNES,  Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, PS1, N64, Soviet Union Dissolves,Internet.

2000s:
Internet becomes more useful,9/11,Iraqi Invasion, IPhone, First African American President

2010s:
Phones become more Useful, Technology, 2016 Election, March for Our Lives, Modern Music, SJW, Feminism becomes for prominent.

1970s:
Vietnam War ending,TV becomes becomes more watchful around this time,Notable Video Games like Pong.

1) The 1960s: I think this is a little bit obvious, society changed dramatically during the 1960s, there was a change in attitude, social norms and there was the sexual revolution, at the same time this was the decade where crime rates really began to kick off. During this decade, we saw the Civil Rights movement, tension towards the Vietnam War, Hippies becoming a thing towards the end of the decade and a lot more political changes. Pop Culture also had a dramatic change, colour television became a thing, movies transitioned from the Hollywood Golden Age (such as Musicals) to the New Hollywood Age (movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey). Music went through the most obvious changes, Motown music had become a lot more popular, Rock music changed, with Surf Rock, the British Invasion, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Country Rock and a lot more obviously, Fashion also went through a big change (such as hair becoming longer). The technological changes weren't that fast compared to other decades but, there were some, we had The Space Race, with the first man landing on the moon in 1969, we also had many inventions such as the Laser, Combat Cassette, first handheld calculator, the Internet and the ATM.

2) The 1920s: This is the first decade to not look completely ancient. Society went through moderate changes, with crime going through a drastic rise after prohibition, we also saw the rise of the Jazz Age. Though, the main changes the 1920s were notable for was technological as the economy and industries were booming throughout this decade. This was the decade when cars were standard, telephones were standard, radios became standard and by the end of the decade, there was commercial Air Travel (though, this wasn't quite standard yet). The 1920s was also the decade when modern advertising became a thing, this was also the decade that gave rise to the cinema, starting the Hollywood Golden Age and talking films, the term 'Celebrity' also became a thing. There was obviously a lot more changed throughout the 1920s too.

3) The 1940s: The type of changes that happened through the 1940s was similar to the 1920s, mainly revolving around technological change. Throughout the WWII, we saw drastic advancements in technology such as in Automobiles, Air Travel and weapons, by the end of the WWII, we saw the first Atomic Bomb and the rise of the nuclear age, we also saw the first ever computer named ENIAC. After WWII, there was a drastic change, we saw the formation of the United Nations, the rise of Suburbia, the Baby Boom, the start of the Cold War and the rise of television. There was clearly a lot more changes that I have probably missed out.

4) The 1990s: The 1990s saw a big change and saw the start of the Information Age, the birth of the World Wide Web in 1990, we also saw scientific breakthroughs such as Dolly the sheep. We saw the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union, we also saw the roots of ' Modern Political Correctness' during the early 1990s, crime also went through a large drop. Through the 1990s we saw an economic and tech boom (mainly in the latter half of the decade), we saw the rise of the internet (dot-com boom) and most people I knew had the internet by the end of the 1990s, we also saw the rise of Cell Phones towards the end of the decade and Video Games converting to 3D. CGI also became a lot more standard in movies, television kept pushing the boundaries as the decade progressed, Fashion also began looking more similar to today and a lot of trends from the 1990s haven't died off yet (such as baggy pants and piercings). During the early 1990s, we saw a dramatic musical change with the explosion of Gangsta Rap, New Jack Swing (which still influences songs to this very day) and Alternative rock.

5) The 1980s: This was the decade when technology was becoming more about entertainment, the 1980s was when Cable TV was becoming standard, VCR's were becoming popular, Microwaves becoming standard and we saw the rise of the Compact Disc and the Personal Computer. This was the first decade when Video Gaming was an industry standard, Cell Phones also first came out but, only snobby businessmen used them by the end of the decade. Most importantly, you had the Reagan Revolution which caused a shift in politics, MTV also premiered causing a change in Popular Music and popularizing music videos. There was also the Fall of the Berlin at the very end of the 1980s.

6) The 2000s: In terms of technology, the 2000s mainly advanced technologies that were already popular in the late 1990s. We saw the Rise of the Digital Camera, High Definition, more realistic and online video gaming, cellphones advancing, High-Speed Internet and the transition into Web 2.0 (such as Streaming and Social Media), technology also slimmed down. Smart Phones were also first released but, not many people used them. Politically, we had 9/11 which caused a big change in the way we live, the 2008 Election and Financial crisis also caused a big change too for society and the political climates. Music also changed mainly towards the end of the decade as Rock declined and EDM exploded. Fashion also became more Hipstery and less conformist towards the end of the decade.

7) The 1970s: A very Underrated decade in terms of change, we saw the decline of Hippy Culture, with the decade becoming more conservative towards the end, there was also the end of the Vietnam War, we also saw the rise of Neo-Liberalism towards the end of the 1970s. Towards the end of the 1970s, we saw the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Fashion also became a lot more casual (such as collars getting smaller) as the decade progressed, music also started becoming more electronic with New Wave at the end of the 70s. This was also the decade when personal computers, VCR's and video gaming first became available to the general public, though, not many people at all used them.

8 ) The 2010s: This decade feels kind of stagnant compared to other recent decades as this decade was already kind of set up by the end of the 2000s. In terms of society, we have become a lot more divided as this decade has progressed such as SJWs and the Far Right. During the early years of this decade, we saw the Smart Phone Revolution, electric and self-driving cars have been becoming more popular through this decade too. (We will have to wait a few years to really get a full perspective on this decade).

9) The 1950s: In this decade there are some roots to the 1960s, such as the Civil Rights movement starting and youth culture really started to kick off, such as Beatniks and Rock 'n' Roll, there was also the rise of teen idols such as Elvis Presley. This was also the first decade when television was really standard being a new form of media.

10) The 1930s: This decade was very stagnant, obviously due to the Great Depression though, there were a few changes. We did see a big jump in cameras and films during the 1930s, such as the first coloured film and the start of the Animation Golden Age.

This is just my take and I probably have some things wrong.

I feel like people are underestimating how changeful the 1950s were, especially in terms of technology and science/medical advancement. It's part of the silicon boom along with the 1960s, things really started to get high tech that decade compared to decades prior.

It was the decade where the modern suburb really took off. The nuclear family became of utmost importance, divorce rates and crime rates plummeted, unions started striking and demanding better wages and the modern middle class was formed. Massive advancement in medicine meant people started having mamy kids who wouldn't pass away before their 5th birthday, so family sizes ballooned. The highway network in the US really expanded and having 1/2 cars became really commonplace etc. I can go on for practically forever. A lot of these changes seem really passée and taken for granted today, but I imagine back then it must have felt like a MASSIVE quality of life improvement over the preceding decades (1890s-1940s).

I feel like people are underestimating how changeful the 1950s were, especially in terms of technology and science/medical advancement. It's part of the silicon boom along with the 1960s, things really started to get high tech that decade compared to decades prior.

It was the decade where the modern suburb really took off. The nuclear family became of utmost importance, divorce rates and crime rates plummeted, unions started striking and demanding better wages and the modern middle class was formed. Massive advancement in medicine meant people started having mamy kids who wouldn't pass away before their 5th birthday, so family sizes ballooned. The highway network in the US really expanded and having 1/2 cars became really commonplace etc. I can go on for practically forever. A lot of these changes seem really passée and taken for granted today, but I imagine back then it must have felt like a MASSIVE quality of life improvement over the preceding decades (1890s-1940s).


Good points.
BTW, how would you rank the decades in terms of how changeful they were?

I updated my blog to give a more definitive list.
I also switched the '50s and '80s in this blog entry;

https://captainsupperchamber.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-last-10-decades-1920s-2010s-ranked.html

I'd say
1. The 60's (the start of pop culture as we know it today and new attitudes)
2. The 90's (The start of the truly modern era)
3. The 50's (precursor to 60's. changing but not quite on the 60's level of change.)

I'd say
1. The 60's (the start of pop culture as we know it today and new attitudes)
2. The 90's (The start of the truly modern era)
3. The 50's (precursor to 60's. changing but not quite on the 60's level of change.)


Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't you rank the '40s in the top 3?
I mean, World War II did really change the world...

Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't you rank the '40s in the top 3?
I mean, World War II did really change the world...


That's true it did in many regards yes. I'd probably put it at number 4 though. Maybe it's because I'm thinking too shallow? (along the lines of music, fashion etc.) I just think that other decades were more changeful in terms of those but yeah.