1920s: The Flapper, who presents a new, freer female image, becomes the model for young American women.

Today: Women model themselves after a wide-range of role models, from popular cultural icons to political, historical or international figures.

1920s: As a result of the decade's spirit of experimentation, sexual mores loosen and young men and women begin to engage in premarital sex.

Today: The epidemics of AIDS and unwanted pregnancies prompt schools to augment sex education in the classroom, where one of the options stressed is abstinence.

1920s: After the devastation of World War I, Americans turn to a pursuit of happiness through the acquisition of wealth. Their extravagant and unchecked spending habits contribute to the economic crisis America experiences at the end of the decade.

Today: After a decade of unprecedented and unrealistic spikes in the stock market, the Dow has dropped considerably. As...