top 4 people to define their generation 50's,60's,70's,80's,90's?

Question

Who made the biggest impact on their generation? musicians, politicians, movie stars, atheletes, ??? best answer to organized answers that are complete=)

Answer 1

Some of these are subjective as to which decade they belong:

50s - Elvis Presley, James Dean, Martin Luther King Jr., Frank Lloyd Wright

60s - The Beatles, John F. Kennedy, Neil Armstrong, Walter Cronkite

70s - Hank Aaron, George Lucas, Bee Gees, Aaron Spelling

80s - Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Gates, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson

90s - Saddam Hussein, JK Rowling, Michael Jordan, Pope John Paul II

Answer 2

I can only answer for my generation. Luckily that falls in two decades:

80's: Ronald Regan.
Who wouldn't love the man who came into the office in the 80's with a bold approach to economy. Reaganomics forever!
Madonna
I mean, there weren't many other girls doing the things vocally, and in their personal life(streaking), and she was the 80's feminist!
Pope John Paul II
shot twice and recovered both times, and not one harsh word to anyone.(a true saint) Not catholic, but went to see him once in New Orleans, 1986 or 1987.

For the 90's, I cannot name a single person who made the biggest impact on our nation. There are too many to name. Let's see, there was the Internet, Waco, TX, The OJ debacle(We still haven't forgotten that, and it's been over 10 years). The Gulf War, President Clinton(GO BILL). Reality Television, HIV awareness, Video games, and Hip hop music took off like a lightning bolt in the sky. We were introduced to the Simpson's. We were loud, and our fashions were even louder!

Go 90's

Answer 3

The 50's spawned a generation looking for rebellion. Music and movies ruled. The dominant characters that created the image of the 50's that we still remember today are: James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Marlon Brando. This group presented true images of the rebelious spirit of the time.

The 1960's were all about change, but in a very BIG way - Revolutions in thought processes and a breaking down of barriers. John Kennedy broke the mold of the presidency as the youngest and first Catholic president in the country. His thought challenging ideas included getting to the moon and eliminating racial descrimination. Martin Luther King also challenged racial issues, but did so in a non-violent way which was characteristic of the "anti-war" sentiment of the 60's. The Beatles changed music forever when they integrated pop and rock music, and later created a psychedelic sound that was the soundtrack for most of the world in the 60's. Finally, Timothy Leary (Turn on. Tune in. Drop out.) introduced LSD to a generation and challenged them to drop out of society and change the world.

On to the glamour of the 1970's. This generation saw 2 main messages. The first was defined by Farrah Fawcett and the Bee Gees. Her face and their music was in every bedroom and dorm room in the late 70's. Like it or not, the late 70's were all about the image and Farrah and the BeeGees showed us how to do it right. The second message of the 70's was growing up. The 60's generation had created a playful and irresponsible attitude in the early 70's. Drugs were rampant and abused and people weren't paying attention to their responsibilities. David Crosby was the poster child for the burned out hippie who spent the 70's in rehab. Finally, Jimmy Carter - the peanut farmer from GA that was elected president. The children of the 70's, disillusioned with "politics as usual" elected the most anti-political representative they could find. Like him or not, his election is a representation of the attitudes of the 70's.

The 80's - Greed and Vanity. Ronald Reagan defined the mood for the 80's with his credo of trickle-down economics. Greed was good for the country. Michael J. Fox playing Alex Keaton on the TV show Family Ties spoke for the generation of young people who were fed up with the hippies and were adamant about expressing the value of self-interest. Madonna and Michael Jackson were the two stars that showed us how to be vain and self absorbed. These were the 4 that defined the 80's.

Finally, the 90's were a period of innovation. Technical leaders like Bill Gates and Tim Berners-Lee created a new way for the average person to get information and use technology. Microsoft presented computers in a consistent and accessible way, and the Internet gave unlimitted access to information that was never available before. Michael Jordan changed not only his sport, he changed the role of the sports star in society. His image was dominant in every media market and he is still one of the most recognizable people in the world. This last person is two people - Kurt Cobain and Tupac - who changed the musical worlds and defined the futility and anger that is prevailant in the generation of the 90's.

It's long, but you asked a very big question.

Answer 4

1950's - Joseph McCarthy, Yuri Gagarin,
1960's - Elvis Presly, John F Kennedy, Neil Armstrong, Martin Luther King Jr.
1970's - Richard Nixon, Henry Aaron,
1980's - Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Sally Ride, Walter Peyton
1990's - Kurt Kobain, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Michael Jordan

Answer 5

50s- Joseph McCarthy, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Willie Mays

60s- John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, The Beatles, Malcolm X

70s- Muhammad Ali, Richard Nixon, Margaret Thatcher, Wilt Chamberlain

80s- Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson

90s- Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Kurt Cobain, Michael Jordan

Answer 6

50s Truman,"Mr the buck stops here", winner of an election the newspaper said he had lost, atomic age opens, UFOs and Ray Harryhausen movies

60sJFK ' ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country, and the space race, 'free love' and Love Story.

70s Jimmy Carter, "Mr you have to live with less than your parents did", the economy is dead, the days of depression, the world was shades of grey. All movies end with evil winning.

80s Ronald Reagan, positiveness, 'Mr Gorbachev tear down this wall' , enterprises, time of plenty, end of the Berlin wall, belief in this country and each other, StarWars and fun.

90s Clinton, shame of being an American, oblivious to truth and integrity, impeachment and hearings, adultery becomes an "okay thing", stirrings of war begin but its all pushed under a rug in the name of social issues. Movies get arrogant and self righteously boring.

Answer 7

50s-
1. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnax (TV pioneers)
2. Joe DiMaggio (baseball great)
3.. Marilyn Monroe (actress)
4. Elvis Presley (musician)

60s
1. John F. Kennedy (assassinated president)
2. Neil Armstrong (astronaut)
3. The Beatles (musicians)
4. Martin Luther King (slain civil rights leader)

70s
1. Nixon (president)
2. Archie Bunker (TV show character)
3. The BeeGees (musicians)
4. John Travolta (actor)
80s
1. Reagan (president)
2. Michael Jackson (musician)
3. Challenger crew (astonauts)
4. Bill Cosby (comedian)
90's
1. Nirvana ( musicians)
2. Pearl Jam (muscians)
3. Nelson Mandela (political leader)
4. Bill Gates (computer entrepeneur)

Answer 8

I can only speak for the 80's and 90's as well
80's john lennon, new kids on the block, micheal J fox, and reagon
90's amy fisher, boy bands, spice girls and timothy mcvay- the OK bombing

i guess in the 70's was charles manson and john travolta and nixon and elvis dying
i think the 60's are mostly the beetles and elvis that definte that decade.
this was a fun ? !!

Answer 9

This sounds like a question a teacher would ask, or a student looking to get someone else to do their homework. Other than certain civil rights leaders, and local Ministers, I don't recall any other individual that had an impact on me (other than close family members), now as for my generation, most of them were so stoned, they didn't realize anything and if it couldn't be smoked, injected or snorted, it had no impact. God Bless.

Answer 10

50s
Bill Haley (& the Comets)
Elvis Presley
Marilyn Monroe
William Holden

60s
Bob Dylan
John F. Kennedy
Francoise Hardy
Neil Armstrong

70s
Gram Parsons
Nixon
Martin Scorsese
Woody Allen

80s
Madonna
Ronald Reagan
Bruce Willis
Gerard Depardieu

90s
Mariah Carey
Sarah McLachlan
Keanu Reeves
Britney Spears

Answer 11

50s- James Dean, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley
60s- Beatles, British Rock Bands
70s- Al Pacino, Hippies, Farrah Fawcett
80s- Madonna, Michael Jackson
90s- Cindy Cawford, Leonardo Dicaprio