Generation X
June 10, 2010 by Jerry Reth · Leave a Comment
Generation X – Generation X, also known as Gen X, is the generation that was born after the end of the baby booming generation. Most people believe that Generation X started in the early 1960′s, and runs to either the beginning of the 1980s, or through the end of them. There has been a number of disagreements over this, but most people seem to agree that Generation X does stop somewhere in the 1980s.
The term was first coined by photographer Robert Capa in the early 1950s. Of course, he was referring to the generation of individuals that were after the one that he was born in himself, and was looking for a term to describe the future generations of the world. The title was given to people who did not grow up in the country during war time. Of course, there is no way that Capa could have accurately predicted the Vietnam war.
“We named this unknown generation, The Generation X, and even in our first enthusiasm we realized that we had something far bigger than our talents and pockets could cope with,” Capa once said of Generation X.
Generation X is also referred to as the “13th Generation.” It was first referenced in the 1991 book entitled “Generations” which was written by William Strauss and Neil Howe. The generation is often credited with having the lowest birth rate of any generation in the country.
Individuals int he united states grew up during the Vietnam war years. They are most often linked to the presidencies of both Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush who are accurate representations of the political atmosphere in the country during that period of time.
