The Greatest Generation: Definition and Characteristics (2024)

FAQs

What is meant by the Greatest Generation? ›

“The Greatest Generation” refers to the generation in the United States that came of age during the Great Depression and later fought in World War II. They are sometimes called the G.I. Generation or the World War II Generation.

The Greatest Generation – born 1901-1924

If still with us, these folks are between the ages of 98 and 121.

Our best definition is that a generation is “an identifiable group that shares birth years, age, location, and significant life events at critical developmental stages” (Tolbize, 2008).

Patriotism, teamwork, sacrifice, “doing more with less,” and task orientation very much defines the Traditionalist Generation. Rules of order, respect for authority, and following directions are all important touchpoints for Traditionalists.

Silent Generation (Born 1928-1945)

The Silent Generation followed the Greatest Generation. Known as traditionalists, the Silent Generation were small in number due to low birthrates in the 1920s and 1930s and were generally raised as kids to be seen and not heard, hence their name (coined by Time in a 1951 essay).

The members of the silent generation were born too late to be part of the Greatest Generation, which fought in the Second World War, and too early to be part of the Baby Boomer generation. Members of the silent generation only took part in the Korean War, which is often referred to as the forgotten war.

One of the mottos of the Greatest Generation was “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Of course, it's hard to “make it do” if you don't know how to fix it, and thus handiness was also central to this generation's frugality.

Some of these activities include: genealogy, storytelling, scrapbooking, art, gardening, music, community service projects, technology, cooking, crafts, games, traveling, fishing, nature walks, movies and sports. Many of these provide opportunities for lessons learned and taught for everyone involved.

What is the most forgotten generation? ›

Gen X is sometimes called the “Forgotten Generation.” They are the smallest generation by population, with about 65 million people.

The Greatest generation, those born 1901 to 1927, are known to have been born and come of age in the “American Century” of economic growth, technological progress, and mostly military triumph. The Silent generation describes adults born from 1928 through 1945.

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has little to no memory of a world without the internet, smartphones, and social media. Technology is a substantial part of their life. Being continually connected can also result in self-esteem issues and feeling pressure to conform.

Each generation has a unique skillset that they can share with members of other generations. This will help them learn, first hand, how to communicate with each other, which is a skill that will serve them through the rest of their lives.

Generations are one way to group age cohorts. A generation typically refers to groups of people born over a 15-20 year span, such as the Millennial generation, currently the youngest adult generation.

Strauss and Howe ascribe seven basic traits to the millennial cohort: special, sheltered, confident, team-oriented, conventional, pressured, and achieving.

They're passionate about inclusivity. According to the US Census, Gen Alpha will be the most diverse generation in history, and it's shaping kids' expectations. They're looking for representation and inclusivity, and helping people is the number 1 priority for 12-15s in the States.

People born between 1985 and 1995 are the most unique generation of all time.

Which generation is the wisest? ›

Gen Z is also the smartest and best educated generation. Having an unlimited wealth of information at our disposal has not gone to waste. In America, 57 percent of Gen Z is reported to have enrolled in a two-year or four-year college, compared to 52 percent of Millenials and 43 percent of Gen X.

The makings of the Greatest Generation

Of the 16 million Americans who fought in World War II, only about 167,000 were still alive as of 2022.

It was coined almost twenty years ago by Tom Brokaw. Former anchor and managing editor of the NBC News, Mr. Brokaw published his best-selling book, The Greatest Generation, in 1998. By doing so, he forever set the phrase in our hearts and minds.

From millennials to the greatest generation

Here's a look at six generations of Americans in the 20th century: the Greatest Generation (or GI Generation), the Silent Generation, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z.

That is why the generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And so it follows that Generation Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.

The four Presidents of the United States of the Interbellum Generation were Lyndon B. Johnson (born in 1908), Ronald Reagan (born in 1911), Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford (both born in 1913). However, all four served in World War II with younger members of the Greatest Generation.

The Silent Generation, also known as the Traditionalist Generation, is the Western demographic cohort following the Greatest Generation and preceding the Baby boomers. The generation is generally defined as people born from 1928 to 1945.

Seniors can learn from the younger generation to better appreciate the banal moments of the day and be more open to sharing moments, thoughts, or ideas with friends and family, no matter how trivial it might seem.

Traditionalists: Adherence to rules, discipline, family focus, hard work, and trust in the government. Baby Boomers: Anti-war, anti-government, equal rights, involvement, and personal gratification. Generation X: Balance, diversity, lack of loyalty to an organization, and a global mindset.

What can today's generation learn from older generation? ›

No official commission or group decides what each generation is called and when it starts and ends. Instead, different names and birth year cutoffs are proposed, and through a somewhat haphazard process a consensus slowly develops in the media and popular parlance.

Though the Silent Generation is known for traditionalist behavior and a desire to work within the system rather than to change it, many not-so-silent and untraditional members of this generation shaped the world in significant ways.

Characteristics of Gen Y. People of Gen Y can be described as self-confident and ambitious. Sometimes folks think that they are not self-confident but rather arrogant. Success in Millennials careers' is not as important to them as their family and their friends are.

The Millennial Learner

They prefer interactive, experiential and collaborative learning. They are very comfortable with technology. They multitask. They are driven by instant gratification.

The millennial generation is defined as anyone born between 1981 and 1996, which means anyone between the ages of 24 and 39 in 2020. This age range, like other generational cohorts, is chosen for statistical analysis of certain trends rather than being a strict identifier.

Flexibility and Multitasking

As already mentioned, the Millennial Generation is able to accept different cultures. Hence, flexibility means that Millennials are able to work with new people, places, and situations. Although they do not expect to change, they are ready to accommodate to new things and people.

So, millennials tend to have very positive views of themselves and are very optimistic about their expectations for their lives and they're more likely to say that they're above average compared to their peers and they tend to score higher on other measures of positive self-views, like self-esteem and even narcissism.