1950s:Following the communist victory, a rapid transformation takes place, and the Industrial Revolution belatedly makes its way to China.

Today:Some consider the age of the Industrial Revolution to have passed into the Information Age - in which advances in computer and information technology have transformed the conditions of labor and production.

1950s:During this post-war period, the United States enjoys an era of booming economic prosperity.

Today:Although the United States continues to enjoy a period of economic prosperity characterized by the lowest unemployment rates in decades and many average Americans profit from stock market investments during the late nineties, the stock market takes a downturn and workplace layoffs begin in 2001.

1950s:The Soviet launching of the first man-made satellite, Sputnik I, causes the United States to question its own achievements in science and technology. The "space race" begins, and the United States...