1950: Televisions, refrigerators, and other consumer gadgets begin to appear on the market. For many people, these items and others like them are considered luxuries.

Today: The luxury items of the 1950s are considered essentials, and consumers now rush to buy sophisticated personal computers, cell phones, and satellite TV dishes.

1950: In the wake of World War II and the dawn of the nuclear age, the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union dominates global politics.

Today: Immediate threats to world peace come not from nuclear confrontation between superpowers but from terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.

1950: A woman's social and financial status is often determined by whom she marries, since women do not usually work outside the home. A woman's job is to raise her children.

Today: More women than ever before hold...