1900s: People in developed countries often die in their own homes before 50 years of age, following a brief illness. Families often gather around the deathbed, a ritual in which much importance is placed on the dying person preparing for death.

1990s: Most people in industrialized countries die after age 65. The average person spends about 80 days in a hospital or nursing home during the last years of life.

1882: Tolstoy publishes A Confession, in which he documents his spiritual crisis and repudiates much of his earlier work. He undergoes a radical religious conversion which greatly influences his subsequent works.

1990s: The Celestine Prophecy, by James Red-field, predicts a spiritual renaissance and renews interest in spiritual matters for many readers.

1800s: Social conventions discourage unhappy couples from divorcing. Divorce is frowned upon and even illegal in many nations.

1990s: Statistics show that more than half of all...