1960: About 36 percent of women have jobs outside the home.

Today: 60 percent of women are in the work force.

1962: The Cuban missile crisis puts the United States on the verge of an all-out nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Schools conduct bomb safety drills.

Today: The Cold War is over and the Soviet Union no longer exists. A great deal more is known about the effects of nuclear war.

1962: The Telstar communications satellite relays the first trans-Atlantic television pictures.

Today: Many people own personal satellite dishes that allow them access to hundreds of channels.

1964: The United States space probe Ranger 7 takes the first clear, close-range photographs of the moon.

Today: The moon has been walked on, and Mars has been photographed. Space travel is increasingly common.

1964: Less than 13 percent of families are headed by a single parent. There is a strong stigma associated with living...