What Is the Greatest Generation?

"The Greatest Generation" is a term used to describe those Americans who grew up during the Great Depression and fought i🐼n World War II, or whose labor helped win it.

It is thought to have been coined by former NBC Nightly News anchor and author Tom Brokaw in his book of the same name.

The Greatest Generation is also known as the "G.I. Generation" or the "WWII Generation."

Understanding the Greatest Generation

There are no precise dates that define when members of the Greatest Gene꧃ration were born, though the early 1900s to the mid-1920s is often ꦿseen.

The common characteristic of Greatest Generation members is that they lived through the hardships of the Great Depression and later either fought in World War II or worked in the industries that contributed to✤ winning the war.

Newsman Tom Brokaw is often credited with popularizing the term through his book "The Greatest Generation," which profiled people who came of age during⭕ World War I✨I.

It was inspired by Brokaw's attendance at the 40th-anniversary commemoration of the D-Day invasion of mainland Europe.

Brokaw's profiles focused on the soldiers who fought the war, as well as the workers whose labor provided the essential material and services in support of them.

How Many Remain?

The youngest members of the Greatest Generation, if using 1924 as the last year they were born, hit 100 years of age in 2024. Around 101,000 centenarians were living in the United States in 2024.

As for WWII veterans, there were only about 66,000 left in the U.S. as of early 2025.

In 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that around 130 Greatest Generation veterans were thought to be lost every day.

According to research by the Washington Post, the final member of the Greatest Generation should die around the year 2046 if they can reach age 120 given advances in health care and improvements in life expectancy.

Characteristics of the Greatest Generation

While every individual is unique, demographers and sociologists have identified some common characteristics that often vary from generation to generation.

Among the Greatest Generation, individuals tend to have the following character꧅istics:

• They are patriotic.
• They are driven and motivated.
• They show a strong work ethic.
• They live modestly.
• They are frugal consumers and prudent savers.
• They are committed and loyal.

Many of these are thought to stem from living through World War I (if﷽ born early enough) and the Great Depression as children, and then fighting in oꦬr living through World War II after that.

The Greatest Generation and Other Demographics

Generally speaking, the Greatest Generation are the parents of the "澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:baby boomers" and are the c𒉰hildren of the "Lost Generation" ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ(those who grew up or came of age during World War I).

They preceded what is known as the "Silent Generation," a cohort born between the mid-1920s and the early-to-mid 1940s. Broadly speaking, the grandchildren of the Greatest Generation are members of 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Generation X, and their great-grandchildren tend to be 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:millennials and Gen Zers.

Members of the Greatest Generation now fall into the "retirees" demographic and are collecting 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Social Security benefits.

The differences between generations have꧑ been studied extensively. Socio-economic models have been created to help plan for future government expenditures and programs to address changes🍌 in existing demographics.

The Bottom Line

The Greatest Generation refers to those Americans born from 1900 through 1925, m🍒any🧸 of whom fought during World War II.

Depending on their age, some members of♏ this generation grew up during WWI, lived through the Great Depression and are or were the parents of the baby boomer generation.

They are characterized as being very patriotic, committed to work, family, and frugal lifestyles, and being motivꦯated to work hard to succeed.

The term itself came from a book by newsman Tom Brokaw, entitled "The Greatest Generation," which was first published in 1998.