---
title: "Generation"
chunk: 4/7
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:17:45.779516+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

The Lost Generation, also known as the "Generation of 1914" in Europe, is a term originating from Gertrude Stein to describe those who fought in World War I. The Lost Generation is defined as the cohort born from 1883 to 1900 who came of age during World War I and the Roaring Twenties.
The Greatest Generation, also known in American usage as the "G.I. Generation", includes the veterans who fought in World War II. They were born from 1901 to 1927; older G.I.s (or the Interbellum Generation) came of age during the Roaring Twenties, while younger G.I.s came of age during the Great Depression and World War II. Journalist Tom Brokaw wrote about American members of this cohort in his book The Greatest Generation, which popularized the term.
The Silent Generation, also known as the "Lucky Few", is the cohort who came of age in the post–World War II era. They were born from 1928 to 1945. In the U.S., this group includes most of those who may have fought in the Korean War and many of those who may have fought during the Vietnam War.
Baby boomers (often shortened to Boomers) are the people born following World War II from 1946 to 1964. Increased birth rates were observed during the post–World War II baby boom, making them a relatively large demographic cohort. In the U.S., many older boomers may have fought in the Vietnam War or participated in the counterculture of the 1960s, while younger boomers (or Generation Jones) came of age in the "malaise" years of the 1970s.
Generation X (or Gen X for short) is the cohort following the baby boomers. The generation is generally defined as people born between 1965 and 1980. In the U.S., Xers were sometimes called the "baby bust" generation because of a drop in birth rates following the baby boom. They were also referred to as the MTV Generation, due to the channel's popularity among this cohort.
Millennials, also known as Generation Y (or Gen Y for short), are the generation following Generation X, who grew up around the turn of the 3rd millennium. The generation is typically defined as people born from 1981 to 1996. In 2019, millennials outnumbered baby boomers in the United States, amounting to an estimated 71.6 million boomers and 72.1 million millennials.
Generation Z (or Gen Z for short and colloquially as "Zoomers") are the people succeeding the Millennials. This cohort is generally defined as those born from 1997 to 2012. Generation Z is named after the last letter of the standard Latin alphabet, following Generation X and Generation Y (also known as the millennials).
Generation Alpha (or Gen Alpha for short) is the generation succeeding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media loosely identify the early 2010s as the starting birth years and the 2020s as the ending birth years, with there not being a true consensus on the exact birth range yet. Generation Alpha is the first to be born entirely in the 21st century. Generation Alpha is named after the first letter of the Greek alphabet.