I have asked a few users this question, but I also wanted to get the rest of the community their answers too. I wanted to know what are everyone's thoughts on specific events such as the JFK assassination, the Challenger explosion, 9/11, and the Great Recession are?

I've come to realize that 3 of these events doesn't honestly describe the generation attributed to them. The reason is one has to think about how it happened, why it happened and what led up to that particular event. For instance, people have stated that Millennials remember 9/11 to this day and that it impacted them to where it changed their perception of the world. However, do they genuinely understand how 9/11 happened, why it occurred in the first place, and what pieces of the puzzle may have led 9/11 even to happen? Not necessarily.

I honestly think that 9/11 affected Gen Xers more than we acknowledge. I mean for one, they were the ones who mainly perished in the attacks compared to the other generations at the time. Two, these were also the same cohort who worked in the Twin Towers as well the Pentagon. Three, they remembered and understood why, how, and what events led up to 9/11. Millennials (yes, even the older ones) don't recall 90s politics too much due to the fact they were practically too young to know what was going on. The only political events they remember are the 1992 and '96 elections as well as both inaugurations of Bill Clinton. Some of the events that took place in the 90s that could have caused 9/11 to occur were the Desert Storm operations, Oklahoma City Bombing, and wars in parts of the ME. That is everything Gen Xers recall that again may have led up to 9/11 that Millennials generally don't remember.

I would list the rest, but unfortunately, I'm typing on my phone, and it's making my thumbs numb. I'll add the rest in on a PC. However, this is one example where I believe certain events didn't necessarily impact the generation that was supposed to formerly. Instead, it was another cohort much older that felt the deep cuts of the particular circumstances.

If one wants me to provide sources where I came to that conclusion, I will do it.

Here’s what I gathered from looking at old threads on this site and important events from other websites using Google.

Boomers: JFK assassination, Beatlemania, MLK assassination, Woodstock, Watergate Scandal, Elvis is gone, Death of John Lennon, AIDS scare, War on Drugs, Black Monday, The Savings and Loans Crisis, Absestos scare, Mel Blanc and Lucille Ball both pass, Death of Sammy Davis Jr, Bill Clinton getting elected for the first time, OJ Simpson case, Beaniemania, Y2K scare, 9/11, Barack Obama is elected, Steve Jobs is gone

Xers: Bicentennial, WWF is under the Titan Sports Co., War on Drugs, The launch of MTV, NES comes to North America, Challenger exploding, Absestos scare, Batmania, Condoms in school, Gangs in school, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Exxon Valadez, Jim Henson passes, The Barr Mangled Banner, Gulf War, World Wide Web, Magic Johnson has AIDS, LA Riots, Grunge movement, Bill Clinton becomes President, Michael Jordan retires, Death of Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson and Mike Tyson are on trial,Death of Princess Diana, Beaniemania, Y2K scare, “The Dot Com Bubble”, Napster, The election of George W Bush, Apple iPod, 9/11, Apple iPhone

Xennials: NES comes to North America, Baby Jessica falling down the well, Jim Henson is gone, Turtlemania, Bartmania, New Kids fans suffer from heat exhaustion, Paul Reubens goes to jail, MTV’s The Real World airs for the first time, Doctor Dre’s “The Chronic” is released, Michael Jordan retires, “Reality Bites” is in theaters, Sony PlayStation, Tupac and BIG pass away, Beaniemania, Columbine shooting, Y2K scare, Napster, Apple iPod, 9/11, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Apple iPhone, Memes

Yers: Nicktoons premiere, Barneymania, “Toy Story”, Dolly the sheep, JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone” is new to US stores, Digital toys, Y2K scare, Napster, Pokemania, Apple iPod, 9/11, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Apple iPhone

Zers: Apple iPhone, Angry Birds is a popular new mobile phone game, UFC 100, Fidget Spinner mania, XXX Tentacion is murdered

Alphas: Fidget Spinner mania

I can’t think of any others right now. I’ll add as I go.

Late Boomer here.  IMO there was no one-day event in the USA (in my lifetime) that changed things nearly as much as 9/11.  It didn't just affect one generation - all were impacted at the time.  It was so shocking and horrible, it basically brought the whole nation to a standstill, and simultaneously brought us all together (for a time).  The travel industry impact was felt for years, and we've never been able to return to the "easy" days of air travel.

The Great Recession was right up there in regards to its impact - but it wasn't exactly a "one day" event.  The big difference is, IMO the Great Recession was preventable, were it not for abject greed run amuck coupled with some bad laws.

The Challenger explosion, while terribly sad and it garnered everyone's attention then, by and large didn't change anyone's life (except for those directly involved).  But it made us all grieve.

One event not mentioned that I think had a high impact was the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.  Once this happened, suddenly it ushered in the "kids are not safe at school" era in a big way.  Before Columbine, mass school shootings weren't on anybody's radar.

There have been a lot of U.S. natural disasters over my lifetime that affected big swaths of the country.  For the sake of brevity I won't try to name them all.

Here’s what I gathered from looking at old threads on this site and important events from other websites using Google.

Boomers: JFK assassination, Beatlemania, MLK assassination, Woodstock, Watergate Scandal, Elvis is gone, Death of John Lennon, AIDS scare, War on Drugs, Black Monday, The Savings and Loans Crisis, Asbestos scare, Mel Blanc and Lucille Ball both passes, Death of Sammy Davis Jr, Bill Clinton getting elected for the first time, OJ Simpson case, Beaniemania, Y2K scare, 9/11, Barack Obama is elected, Steve Jobs is gone

Xers: Bicentennial, WWF is under the Titan Sports Co., War on Drugs, The launch of MTV, NES comes to North America, Challenger exploding, Asbestos scare, Batmania, Condoms in school, Gangs in school, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Exxon Valadez, Jim Henson passes, The Barr Mangled Banner, Gulf War, World Wide Web, Magic Johnson has AIDS, LA Riots, Grunge movement, Bill Clinton becomes President, Michael Jordan retires, Death of Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson, and Mike Tyson are on trial, Death of Princess Diana, Beaniemania, Y2K scare, “The Dot Com Bubble”, Napster, The election of George W Bush, Apple iPod, 9/11, Apple iPhone

Xennials: NES comes to North America, Baby Jessica falling down the well, Jim Henson is gone, Turtlemania, Bartmania, New Kids fans suffer from heat exhaustion, Paul Reubens goes to jail, MTV’s The Real World airs for the first time, Doctor Dre’s “The Chronic” is released, Michael Jordan retires, “Reality Bites” is in theaters, Sony PlayStation, Tupac and BIG pass away, Beaniemania, Columbine shooting, Y2K scare, Napster, Apple iPod, 9/11, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Apple iPhone, Memes

Yers: Nicktoons premiere, Barneymania, “Toy Story,” Dolly the sheep, JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone” is new to US stores, Digital toys, Y2K scare, Napster, Pokemania, Apple iPod, 9/11, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Apple iPhone

Zers: Apple iPhone, Angry Birds, is a popular new mobile phone game, UFC 100, Fidget Spinner mania, XXX Tentacion murdered by a rival.

Alphas: Fidget Spinner mania

I can’t think of any others right now. I’ll add as I go.
I don't think the JFK assassination affected the Boomers as previously thought. If you think about it, the median member of that generation was still a kid and would have very little understanding of the event itself as well as the politics of that time. Even if we mentioned, the oldest ones remember the murder. They still wouldn't able to comprehend how, why, and what events could have preceded to cause JFK's assassination. I'm also not sure if they were deeply affected by MLK or even RFK's murder. It is possible though considering the average Boomer by then was an adolescent. These were most likely the first few events of their formative political years. However, I stand by my statement. I believe The JFK assassination struck the Silents more than the Boomers due to an understanding of how, why, and what events may have ushered in the episode. Everything else for Boomer events, I agree.

It's the same for Gen X regarding the Challenger exploding. They remember where they were when the event occurred; however, did they genuinely grasp of how, why, and what circumstances hinted of to cause that explosion? Not necessarily. Plus, the people on board who died in that aircraft were most likely Boomers. So it would have hit them deeply compared to the Xers who were primarily children and teenagers during that period. All the other circumstances for Gen X are on point.


I'm a late Boomer here.  IMO there was no one-day event in the USA (in my lifetime) that changed things nearly as much as 9/11.  It didn't just affect one generation - all felt the impact at the time.  It was so shocking and horrible, it brought the whole nation to a standstill, and simultaneously brought us all together (for a time).  It impacted the travel industry for years, and we've never been able to return to the "easy" days of air travel.

The Great Recession was right up there in regards to its impact - but it wasn't exactly a "one-day" event.  The big difference is, IMO the Great Recession was preventable, were it not for abject greed run amuck coupled with some bad laws.

The Challenger explosion, while sad and it garnered everyone's attention then, by and large, didn't change anyone's life (except for those directly involved).  But it made us all grieve.

One event not mentioned that I think had a high impact was the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.  Once this happened, suddenly it ushered in the "kids are not safe at school" era in a big way.  Before Columbine, mass school shootings weren't on anybody's radar.

There have been a lot of U.S. natural disasters over my lifetime that affected big swaths of the country.  For the sake of brevity, I won't try to name them all.
As I mentioned before. Yes, 9/11 impacted everyone around the nation as well as the world. I agree because of that traveling hasn't been the same since some people believe it could happen again. Nonetheless, we can't deny that it transformed Gen Xers more compared to other generational cohorts. If you think about it, these were the same people who were part of the Desert Storm operations which again could have been one of the events that influenced 9/11.

I agree with the Columbine shooting. I have read a ton of articles that mentioned this episode catalyzed what was yet to come. Then, eventually, other famous school shootings such as the Santana High, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook and Parkland took place much later. Plus, I believe it caused other shootings to happen at other places besides school being the Aurora Movie Theater, Charleston Church, Pulse Club, the Vegas Concert, and in Thousand Oaks.

I don't think the JFK assassination affected the Boomers as previously thought. If you think about it, the median member of that generation was still a kid and would have very little understanding of the event itself as well as the politics of that time. Even if we mentioned, the oldest ones remember the murder. They still wouldn't able to comprehend how, why, and what events could have preceded to cause JFK's assassination. I'm also not sure if they were deeply affected by MLK or even RFK's murder. It is possible though considering the average Boomer by then was an adolescent. These were most likely the first few events of their formative political years. However, I stand by my statement. I believe The JFK assassination struck the Silents more than the Boomers due to an understanding of how, why, and what events may have ushered in the episode. Everything else for Boomer events, I agree.


This argument strikes me as a bit short sighted and literal minded. It seems to concentrate only on who was cognizant enough to be effected by the event on the day that it happened and what lead up to it. The mechanics of it It completely ignores what JFK's assassination set off. It gave birth to "the 60s". In this forum we have argued up and down and around and around and time and again exactly when "the 60s" began, but the death of John Kennedy (and the arrival of the Beatles to a still mourning America  three short months later) unequivocally and unquestionably ushered in the era known as "the 60s". And thus affected my Boomer generation in innumerable and immeasurable ways.

This argument strikes me as a bit short-sighted and literal-minded. It seems to concentrate only on who was conscious enough to be affected by the event on the day that it happened and what lead up to it. The mechanics of it It completely ignores what JFK's assassination set off. It gave birth to "the 60s". In this forum, we had argued up and down exactly when "the 60s" began. The death of John Kennedy (and the arrival of the Beatles to a still mourning America (three short months later) unequivocally and unquestionably ushered in the era known as "the 60s". It thus affected my Boomer generation in innumerable and immeasurable ways.
What was the mechanics that the JFK assassination brought? I just wanted to clear up the myths surrounding certain events that affected each generation, which is why I mentioned the episode. 

What was the mechanics that the JFK assassination brought? I just wanted to clear up the myths surrounding certain events that affected each generation, which is why I mentioned the episode.


No, I was saying your argument only concentrates on the mechanics. "I was old enough on that day to be affected by it and understand why it happened". Therefore "most Boomers weren't effected because they were too young on that day, so it's the Silents who were really effected". At least that's what I think you were saying. The day JFK was killed wasn't the end of it. It was THE main factor that basically created the atmosphere for the rest of the cultural 60s to happen. That's how it affected Boomers in the largest possible way that anything could.

No, I was saying your argument only concentrates on the mechanics. "I was old enough on that day to be affected by it and understand why it happened." Therefore "most Boomers weren't affected because they were too young on that day, so it's the Silents who were affected." At least that's what I think you were saying. The day JFK was killed wasn't the end of it. It was THE main factor that created the atmosphere for the rest of the cultural 60s to happen. That's how it affected Boomers in the largest possible way that anything could.
Oh, I see. That was my bad. Well, yes, that's what I was saying. Don't get me wrong. Of course, Boomers remember where they were when "the person in question" assassinated JFK, but they wouldn't understand how, why, and what may have led up to JFK getting murdered. It would be the same thing for Millennials with 9/11.

I do agree with the rest of your statement. The Hippie movements, civil rights protesters, the Vietnam conflict, Woodstock, and the Moon landing were all Boomer cultural events.

BTW, I have an off-topic question. Do you hate it when people assume that your generation ruined the world to where it seems we are in for an apocalypse? I have come across a ton of Boomer hate on several forums where it is unjustified and unfair, and the same folks don't realize that no Boomer is the same.

BTW, I have an off-topic question. Do you hate it when people assume that your generation ruined the world to where it seems we are in for an apocalypse? I have come across a ton of Boomer hate on several forums where it is unjustified and unfair, and the same folks don't realize that no Boomer is the same.


Not really surprised. It is only natural for each succeeding generation to hold the previous in disdain. No less a Boomer icon than John Lennon said, circa 1966, "our children will hate us too, you know". Young people  were aghast, they said  "oh no, not us, we're hipper than our parents, we're cool, we're enlightened, we smoke dope, we will bring world peace, etc, etc".  But it happened anyway. I am a little surprised at the vehemence of the current hatred though. It seems to have skipped a generation to get to this point. It started in the 80s (when Boomers will still in full control) and the children of early Boomers were coming into adulthood. Boomers weren't "hated" as much as they were starting to be portrayed as buffoons. Silly and ineffectual. Think "Alex P. Keaton" and his parents on "Family Ties". It took a while for it to get to this current level.

By the way, don't worry, there is no apocalypse coming. We thought that back then too. Except we thought the previous generation had caused it with pollution, war, greed, etc.

Hey Nerdy, have you seen this video?
This is from a Canadian YouTuber born 1981 sharing his overview of 9/11;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duZjjhIs21M

Hey Nerdy, have you seen this video? It is from a Canadian YouTuber born 1981 sharing his overview of 9/11;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duZjjhIs21M
No. I haven't. I'll check it out.

Not surprised. It is only natural for each succeeding generation to hold the previous in disdain. No less a Boomer icon than John Lennon said, circa 1966, "our children will hate us too, you know." Young people were shocked, they said: "oh no, not us, we're hipper than our parents, we're cool, we're enlightened, we smoke dope, we will bring world peace, etc., etc.".  But it happened anyway. I am a little surprised at the intensity of the current hatred, though. It seems to have skipped a generation to get to this point. It started in the 80s (when Boomers will still in full control), and the children of early Boomers were coming into adulthood. Boomers weren't "hated" as much back then when the media started to portray them as buffoons. Silly and ineffectual. Think "Alex P. Keaton" and his parents on "Family Ties." It took a while for it to get to this current level.

By the way, don't worry, there is no apocalypse coming. We thought that back then too. Except we thought the previous generation had caused it with pollution, war, greed, etc.
Yeah, I saw harsh comments varying from "I hope they die soon. All they have done was ruin the world with their greedy hands!" to "Damn, boomers! Can they retire already!? they have already worked long enough to live comfortably now." It's heartless considering most of these people some Millennials talk about are either their parents or grandparents. I bet some of them would get defensive if someone were to speak ill of their parents with the same comments up above or other variations of them. Plus, it's strange how some see Boomers as out of touch and tech illiterate folks. For one, the BBs themselves created some of the gadgets we all use today and were even members of famous tech companies at one time.


Hey Nerdy, have you seen this video?
This clip is from a Canadian YouTuber born 1981 sharing his overview of 9/11;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duZjjhIs21M
So, I did watch the video, and it seems to me this guy explained how many people overestimate the impact of 9/11. He said people complain about the time it takes to get on a plane, and his response was of the inconveniency they have. Then, the user stated the earthquake that happened in Japan at the beginning of 2001 had a much higher death toll than the 9/11 attacks combined and how the Americans then didn't care about the event. Last, he noticed how some people overlook the Pentagon when talking about the terrorist attack. It's weird though how some people forget that since the Twin towers were not the only structures to be hit by the planes.

In summary, the message I got was that Americans generally only care about the brutal events that happen here in the region while being ignorant about the devastating world occurrences around them.

Yeah, I saw harsh comments varying from "I hope they die soon. All they have done was ruin the world with their greedy hands!" to "Damn, boomers! Can they retire already!? they have already worked long enough to live comfortably now." It's heartless considering most of these people some Millennials talk about are either their parents or grandparents. I bet some of them would get defensive if someone were to speak ill of their parents with the same comments up above or other variations of them. Plus, it's strange how some see Boomers as out of touch and tech illiterate folks. For one, the BBs themselves created some of the gadgets we all use today and were even members of famous tech companies at one time.


It's funny, we Boomers thought the EXACT same thing about the previous generation. That they had ruined the world with pollution, corruption, war, greed, sexism, racism. "Will the circle be unbroken" as a song we liked to sing goes. I guess the people saying those harsh things about Boomers are just too far removed from it at this point to know that it was us that marched for civil rights with Dr. King, it was us that implored "give peace a chance" as the war (created and maintained by the previous generation) raged in Vietnam, it was us that fought back at Stonewall for the rights of LGBTQ people, we fought for the right of 18 year olds to vote (and got it in 1971) and on and on. These things reverberate to this day and affect the lives of the young in positive ways because we paved the road.

Oh...and we gave the world the best music it has ever known before or since. But that one is just MY opinion... :) :) 8)

It's funny. We Boomers thought the same thing about the previous generation. That they had ruined the world with pollution, corruption, war, greed, sexism, racism. "Will the circle be unbroken" as a song we liked to sing goes. I guess the people saying those harsh things about Boomers are just too far removed from it at this point to know that it was us that marched for civil rights with Dr. King, it was us that implored "give peace a chance" as the war (created and maintained by the previous generation) raged in Vietnam, it was us that fought back at Stonewall for the rights of LGBTQ people, and on and on. These things reverberate to this day and affect the lives of the young in positive ways because we paved the road.

Oh...and we gave the world the best music it has ever known before or since. But that one is just MY opinion... :) :) 8)
It's a natural cycle, unfortunately.

Yeah, there's some Millennials out there with their head in the sand. They don't understand that Boomers have done so much for them (and future cohorts) in one way or another. Maybe they will figure it out soon, or someone will give them a dose of reality. Besides, it's not like Boomers are always meeting up with each other every day to conduct an evil plan to prevent millennials from succeeding in the world.

Oh, and I came across this article a few months ago. I'll link it down below.

https://www.salon.com/2019/05/12/why-millennials-will-miss-boomers-when-theyre-gone/

So I have a controversial viewpoint about the Millennial generation on why it started at 1980/81, and it doesn't involve the technology factor.

1. Music - I have noticed that Millennials when discussing the 90s generally seem to mention Grunge, Gangsta Rap, and even Teen pop for some reason. They tend to forget that those 3 are sub-genres of their parent genre. They never talk about the others being R&B, Ballads, New-Jack Swing, G-Funk, Nu-Metal, Pop-Punk, Eurodance and even Latin Pop. Millennials love claiming they remember 90s music like it was yesterday, yet they commonly speak of Grunge, Gangsta Rap, and Teen pop as if they ruled the decade. That is false. How could they sit there and make those statements while being ignorant at the same time? It makes no sense. Besides, I think Millennials would have been broadly too young to appreciate Nirvana, Tupac, or even Notorious BIG's music back then. They wouldn't have understood how, why, and what led to Kurt, Tupac, or Biggie's deaths in the first place. Gen Xers at least remembers every genre from that period despite that they may have not personally grown up with it. They would have also appreciated Nirvana, Tupac, or even Notorious BIG's music much more since they were in the scene at the time. Last, when their deaths occurred, it gave Gen Xers a massive wound.

2. Politics - As I mentioned before, Millennials (that includes the older ones) frankly doesn't recall 90s politics very well. Of course, they witnessed the 1992 and '96 elections and both inaugurations of Bill Clinton. Some may even remember the Clinton-Lewinsky Affair and the Columbine High School massacre. However, Millennials truthfully don't recollect critical events such as the Rodney King beating, Desert Storm operations, and the collapse of the USSR. Nor do they remember the LA Riots, the First TWC bombing, the Branch Davidian Standoff or even the OKC bombing. Yes, I know that some of the older Millennials recall some of these occurrences. However, did they understand how, why, and what led to these incidents? Not quite. Therefore, they don't have the same political observations as the younger Xers do.

3. Acceptance of LGBT - Millennials don't generally remember a period where the public treated the LGBT like scum. A person announcing he or she was LGBT (especially guys) equaled an assault or in some cases, death. They also don't recall when owners, CEOs, or managers could fire workers for their sexuality. Some businesses believed that having an LGBT employee could jeopardize their image and cost them revenue. Then, as Millennials began entering the military, they served in a time where they could not be asked or harassed by their top officials on their orientation. That was because of the DADT policy in place. The thought of LGBT relationships and marriages or even having an LGBT buddy doesn't overall influence them with disgust compared to older generations. It was widespread for them to somewhat talk about their sexuality with family, friends, and other acquaintances as they reached adolescence and adulthood without backlash. Plus, the number of TV shows having LGBT themed episodes and some films dedicated to the organization has helped Millennials. They have had more acceptance towards them and realize they are humans too.

I'll provide more reasons, later on about my controversial stance, but these should be good for now.

The Parkland shooting was probably one of the biggest events that had an impact on Generation Z so far. People born in the early 2000s were still in high school when it happened. The event was what gave Generation Z a bigger voice in politics, especially with the March For Our Lives Protest. I believe after that event happened more people were finally getting to know Generation Z.

The Parkland shooting was probably one of the biggest events that had an impact on Generation Z so far. People born in the early 2000s were still in high school when it happened. The event was what gave Generation Z a bigger voice in politics, especially with the March For Our Lives Protest. I believe after that event happened, more people were finally getting to know Generation Z.
I agree. I would also say the Sandy Hook shooting was just as eventful as Parkland. For one, it was an elementary school massacre, and the members who mainly perished were Gen Z. It pretty much gave the generation their first exposure to mass shootings.