Memories of Times Past

Preface

This book is a nostalgic journey back to a time of Model-T Fords, stay-at-home-moms, vinyl long-playing records, atom-bomb shelters, strict rules of etiquette, radio days and manual typewriters. Here are the personal memories of the enormous changes that occurred in the 20th Century; a trip down memory lane for the older generation and, perhaps, some surprising insights into the way life was, for those who are younger.

This past century had enormous impact on the evolution of mankind, especially in the technological advances that have improved and simplified our lives, while at the same time making them more stressful and complex, requiring great coping abilities. People who lived in the twentieth century witnessed more change in their daily lives than anyone who ever lived throughout history.

The greatest technological changes were in the communication revolution, from the first wireless telegraph message in 1901, to fax machines, modems, Palm Pilots, e-mail and the Internet. At the beginning of the century, electricity was a luxury, transportation was still largely by railroad or horse and buggy and, if you were fortunate enough to have a telephone, it did you little good, since few of your neighbors had one. The first airplane flight was launched in 1903 and, in less than sixty years, mankind was traveling in outer space and walking on the moon! Radios didn’t begin to proliferate until the 1920s but, by the last half of the century, we had televisions hooked up to the World Wide Web beaming satellite photos of events around the world the moment they were happening. For people born in the early 1900s, the changes have been mind-boggling!

In his inaugural speech accepting his re-election as president in 1996, William Jefferson Clinton said:

“What a century it has been! America became the world’s mightiest industrial power; saved the world from tyranny in two world wars and a long cold war and, time and again, reached across the globe to millions who longed for the blessings of liberty...”

Indeed...what an amazing century it was! I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane and, for those born in the latter half of the twentieth century, learn how different life was for your parents and grandparents.

Marta Hiatt, Long Beach, California