Buzz
Today, it's almost impossible to browse the web without coming across the term, 'OK, Boomer.' This lighthearted yet somewhat strained response is often used by Millennials to dismiss attempts to convince them of anything or change their minds.
Millennials are often weary of trying to reason with Baby Boomers, who have been criticized and blamed for many of the world's current problems. While it’s true that some of the financial burdens and rising costs can be linked to the Boomer generation, there are also many positive contributions from Boomers that Millennials can appreciate.
10. They Helped Win The Cold War
Before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the world was deeply entrenched in the Cold War, a standoff between the Soviet Union and the West, which included the United States and NATO allies from Europe. The conflict lasted for 44 years and spanned across the Silent Generation to Generation X, but it was the Baby Boomers who played a pivotal role in ending it, all without firing a single shot.
During much of the conflict, the Boomers clashed indirectly, battling across the ocean via proxy wars and escalating the development of powerful nuclear weapons. Eventually, the Cold War ended due to economic instability and the democratization of the Soviet Union's political and social systems. The fall of the USSR was driven by multiple factors, including economic strain and societal unrest, sparked by a generation that had protested the Vietnam War in the West, alongside Soviet Boomers who grew increasingly disillusioned with Communist ideals.
9. The Beatles, Steven Spielberg, & Erin Brockovich
Although the Beatles emerged slightly before the Boomers were born, their rise to fame coincided with the generation coming into adulthood. Their impact on music and culture is undeniable, shaping the course of Rock and Pop music for generations. Beyond music, another form of entertainment—the movie industry—was significantly transformed by Steven Spielberg, a pioneer who essentially invented the summer blockbuster. His influence in film is unparalleled.
Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers in cinema history, and his extensive body of work speaks for itself. Meanwhile, Erin Brockovich represents more than just a movie; she symbolizes a Boomer who took a stand for the underdog. Her landmark lawsuit, which was immortalized in the film of the same name, raised awareness about the environmental harm caused by corporations, shaping public discourse on environmental justice and climate change.
8. They Played a Key Role in Establishing a Global Telecommunications Network
As Baby Boomers came of age, they witnessed the intense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Space Race. Many of those who saw Neil Armstrong step onto the Moon later became scientists and engineers, contributing to NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The Boomers working at NASA in the 1970s were instrumental in creating something essential to our daily lives today: a global telecommunications network. The significance of this network cannot be emphasized enough, as it has connected the world in ways previously unimaginable.
Global communications have revolutionized the way people connect worldwide, allowing anyone with a phone or computer to engage with events happening anywhere. NASA and the U.S. Government were key players in launching satellites into Earth's orbit, which linked humanity in a manner never seen before. While subsequent generations have built on this foundation, the Boomers were the pioneers who laid the groundwork through the 1970s, '80s, and beyond.
7. They Made Men’s Willies Work Again
Though it might seem trivial to those who haven’t faced erectile dysfunction, it was once a significant issue. Millions of men and their partners owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Gill Samuels, a Boomer from Bury, Lancashire, United Kingdom. Dr. Samuels joined Pfizer as a research scientist in 1978 and became one of the lead developers of a groundbreaking little blue pill called Viagra.
Viagra made its debut in 1998, and despite the many jokes and memes about its effects, its societal impact is undeniable. Dr. Samuels has shared stories of receiving letters from men who were contemplating suicide, only to find renewed hope and happiness after using her invention. She even mentioned how the men in the clinical trials were eager to continue using the drug after the trials ended. While there are now other solutions available for men facing bedroom challenges, it all started with that small blue pill Dr. Samuels helped bring into the world.
6. They Shattered A Significant Glass Ceiling
Before and after WWII, women were largely confined to roles traditionally considered feminine, a situation that persisted for many years. However, it was the Boomer generation that began to challenge and dismantle this norm. As families relocated from cities to the suburbs to raise their Boomer children, the traditional structure of the nuclear family began to evolve. Divorce rates climbed as women realized they no longer had to stay in unfulfilling marriages. This shift brought more women into the workforce, where they quickly noticed the existence of a glass ceiling that hindered their advancement in the corporate world.
Trailblazing women like Sally Ride, the first American woman to journey into space, Dr. Leona Fulani, the first woman to appear on presidential ballots in all 50 states, and Carly Fiorina, the first woman to serve as CEO of a Fortune 20 company, are just a few of the Boomer women who broke through the glass ceiling. Hillary Clinton made history as the first woman to become a serious contender for the U.S. Presidency.
5. Civil Rights & The ADA
The Civil Rights movement in America began when many Boomers were still toddlers, but as these children grew, they witnessed injustice firsthand and chose to act. Baby Boomers were at the forefront of protests against the Vietnam War, advocating for equality, and marching alongside activists who shaped the previous generation’s battles. These experiences motivated the Boomers to push for sweeping reforms in civil rights and disability rights.
In 1990, the United States enacted The Americans with Disabilities Act. While some argue the Act was an unnecessary burden on businesses, it provided crucial access for all Americans, regardless of their circumstances. This was unprecedented, enabling individuals who were previously unable to work to do so, while also ensuring that the deaf and hearing impaired could communicate through a nationwide system of interstate services for phone calls.
4. They Ended The Draft
If there’s one thing Millennials owe the Boomers, it’s the abolishment of the military draft in 1973. Before the establishment of the All-Volunteer Force, all American men were required to serve in the Armed Forces. However, after the devastating loss of 58,220 American soldiers in Vietnam, public opinion on compulsory military service plummeted. In June 1973, the Department of Defense allowed the Military Selective Service Act to expire, ending the draft and making military service voluntary from that point on.
The United States had relied on conscription for every major conflict up until the Vietnam War. However, largely due to the protests led by Boomers, who were weary of watching their peers sent off to war, conscription was abolished. Since then, the U.S. Military has become one of the most elite, best-equipped, and formidable forces in the world, with every service member volunteering for duty.
3. They Created Video Games
The first video game was created in 1958 by physicist William Higinbotham, who programmed it into an oscilloscope. While this marked a key moment in the history of video game development, it wasn’t until the early 1960s that a few MIT pioneers programmed Spacewar! on the PDP-1 in their spare time. This breakthrough sparked a rapid increase in interest in both creating and playing games. By the 1970s, video games became a rapidly growing commercial industry, with titles like Pong, created by Boomer Allan Alcorn, helping it take off.
Throughout the late 1970s and well into the 1980s, Baby Boomers were primarily responsible for coding the video games that emerged both in the U.S. and internationally. These were the people who had a passion for playing games and figured out how to make them. While much of the industry shifted overseas to Japan, video games have remained one of the world’s largest entertainment sectors. If there’s one thing Millennials can certainly thank Boomers for, it’s the video game industry.
2. They Invented The Internet
The Internet is something modern society can hardly function without, and it’s the very tool you’re using to read this article! The origins of the Internet trace back to ARPANET, which wasn’t directly created by Boomers, but served as the foundation for packet-switching networks that eventually evolved into the Internet. While many contributed to its development, one individual in particular can be credited as the father of the Internet.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, born in 1959, is recognized as the creator of the World Wide Web in 1989. Thanks to him, we have the essential components of the web today, such as URLs, HTTP, and HTML. As a Boomer, Berners-Lee continues to influence the direction of the World Wide Web as the director of the World Wide Web Consortium, an organization responsible for overseeing the ongoing evolution of the Web we now know as the Internet.
1. They Gave The World The Personal Computer
When computers were first created, they were enormous machines that took up entire rooms and cost far more than anyone could afford. These mainframe systems were controlled by the organizations or government agencies that built them. However, the invention of the personal computer changed everything. With PCs entering homes, computing became accessible to the masses. If you're reading this article on a computer or smartphone, you can thank Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, two Boomers born in 1950 and 1955, respectively.
Of course, Wozniak and Jobs weren’t the only innovators in the field, and they owe a debt of gratitude to those who developed the first microprocessors, many of whom were also Boomers. The creation of personal computers revolutionized the world, much like Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized literacy. It stands as one of history’s most significant inventions, and it was brought to life by Boomers.
