The title of the greatest generation was already assigned to the “G.I. Generation” also known as the “World War II Generation.” It is hard to argue as they were just built different back then! Times were tough and people were tougher.

I want to know what the greatest decade is.  This is open to discussion as the criteria I used is totally based off of inventions.  Things that were created, that made life easier.  One might say that with technology, everything has become easier.  I would argue with this, because technology creates as many problems as it solves.

A look back at the Decades

1940- 1950

  • 1940 The Jeep- a rugged outdoor vehicle that took you places most vehicles couldn't go
  • 1940 Color TV- huge improvement over the original black and whit TV's
  • 1942 Super Glue- how many of you have accidentally glued your fingers together
  • 1945 The Atomic Bomb- keeps the world honest, but hard to call it a good invention
  • 1945 The Microwave- how would we cook without
  • 1947 The Transistor- an important tool in the world of electricity
A microwave oven.
A microwave oven.
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1950- 1960

  • 1951 Video Tape Recorder- now we can capture and share all of those great vacations
  • 1952 Mr. Potato Head- we all had one as a kid
  • 1952 Hydrogen Bomb- see Atomic Bomb above for my thoughts
  • 1952 Diet Soda- the first was a sugar free ginger ale
  • 1953 Heart Lung Machine- saved many lives over the decades
  • 1955 Polio Vaccine- huge creation- very well could make the 50's the greatest decade
  • 1955 Velcro- created by accident, yet very useful
  • 1955 Wireless TV Remote Controls- wait a minute- I was the “wireless TV remote control” growing up!
  • 1956 Correction Fluid- anyone who makes a mistake has used this product
  • 1959 Barbie- Ken Doll came in the next decade
testing of atomic bomb over ocean with mushroom clouds - red destroy
RomoloTavani
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1960- 1970

  • 1960 Laser- built by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Labs
  • 1961 Ken Doll- Barbie needed a companion
  • 1962- LED Lighting- I wonder how all of those signs were lit up prior to LED
  • 1965 Kevlar- still used today for Law Enforcement and Military protection
  • 1969 Laser Printer- Definitely an improvement in the printing quality for documents
Laser beam on eye
Comstock
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1970- 1980

  • 1971 Email- the Full Name is Electronic Mail- what would we do without it
  • 1973 Mobile Phones- The first mobile phone weighed 4.4 lbs, today the average phone weighs .44 lbs
  • 1973 UPC Codes- The full name is Universal Product Code
  • 1974 Post it Notes- How many millions of these have you used
  • 1974 Rubiks Cube- Created by Ernő Rubik to help teach 3-dimensional design to students
  • 1975 Digital Cameras- created by folks at Eastman Kodak in New York
  • 1977 MRI Machine- Magnetic Resonance Imaging- a part of Technology that has improved life
  • 1979 Sony Walkman- take your favorite Central MT Radio tunes wherever you go
Ebay Bag Phone
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1980- 1990

  • 1982 Permanent Artificial Heart- The Jarvik- 7 was the first one that worked and implanted into a human
  • 1984 DNA Fingerprinting- A process used by law enforcement for almost 40 years
  • 1984 Nicotine Patch- designed to help smokers slowly and safely quit smoking
  • 1987 Prozac- first introduced by Eli Lilly, designed to help with depression
  • 1989 HDTV- High Definition Television- the first HDTV’s cost around $7,000 in 1989-90
fingerprint isolated on white
Andrey_Kuzmin
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1990- 2000

  • 1992 Text Messaging- Created in 1984, but first used in 1992.  People do not have to talk to anymore now that that Text messaging is available
  • 1994 Sony Play Station- how many of you played one of these in your younger days
  • 1995- DVD- full name is Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc- higher quality of home movie experience than the old VHS
  • 1996 Nintendo 64- Nintendo is famous for constantly improving their technology
  • 1996 Tickle Me Elmo- a fun toy to give to a child for Christmas or a Birthday Gift
  • 1997 Netflix- one of the world's largest streaming services
  • 1998 Google- Technology that has helped and harmed the world, people don’t have to find info on their own, just type it into Google (Like I am doing for this article)
  • 1999 USB Flash drive- an easy way to store and transfer information
  • 1999 Bluetooth- Technology that has made life easier
Play game with a joystick
siriwitp
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2000- 2010

  • 2000 Camera Phone- thank goodness these weren’t around when I was growing up
  • 2004 Facebook- Don’t need to say much about this
  • 2005 YouTube- Now we can share with the world when we do something good or bad…..
  • 2006 Wii- A fun family friendly interactive game, unless you didn’t strap the control to your wrist and broke the TV on a hard swing
  • 2007 iPhone- the year that phones became smarter than their users (okay, I mean smarter than me!)
  • 2009 Uber- great for folks needing to get somewhere, not great for taxi cab services
149361725
Nastco
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2010- 2020

  • 2010 Instagram- another way to share our everyday lives with others
  • 2010 iPad- the ability to carry a computer around in a small impact design
  • 2010 Air fryer- The ability cook “healthier” fried foods from the comfort of home
  • 2015 Apple Watch- a small computer on your wrist that even tells time
  • 2016 Tik Tok- A Chinese Company that may soon be banned in the US
CASEZY
CASEZY
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2020- current

  • 2020 Steadier Power Chairs- a Power Wheelchair with sensors to make it a steadier ride
  • 2020 Air Vodka- dubbed as the cleanest, highest quality and most sustainable spirit with a carbon negative impact
Various bottles at a bar arragged in rows
A_N
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The winner is debatable as each decade has produced great advancements in society and ease of life.  But each decade has also created things that are a detriment.  You decide which decade is the best.  For me. I think it has to be

If you have a story idea or something you want to learn more about, give Randy a call at 406-788-3003 or send me an email at randall.bogden@townsquaremedia.com

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