18681941

1868–1941 refers to the period spanning the years 1868 to 1941. In historical usage it can denote either the lifespan of a person born in 1868 and who died in 1941, or a broader era covering late 19th and early 20th century developments that shaped modern history.

The period encompasses rapid modernization and upheaval. The year 1868 marks the Meiji Restoration in Japan, a turning point in the modernization of East Asia. Across the world, industrialization and scientific advances transformed economies, politics, and daily life. The early 20th century saw the rise of nation-states, imperial competition, and new social movements, including growing demand for political rights and suffrage in various countries.

Major conflicts define the era. World War I (1914–1918) reshaped borders, economies, and international institutions, followed by the interwar period characterized by political instability and the Great Depression beginning in 1929. The late 1930s witnessed the rise of totalitarian regimes and growing militarization, culminating in World War II, which began in 1939 and intensified after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Technological and cultural changes were equally significant. Innovations in electricity, telecommunications, and transportation accelerated globalization. The period includes landmark achievements such as the first powered flight in 1903, early developments in modern physics, and the emergence of mass media and cinema, all contributing to a new cultural and informational landscape.

Overall, 1868–1941 is often viewed as a bridge between 19th-century traditions and the mid-20th-century world order, marked by transformative changes in politics, economy, science, and society.