18801968

1880–1968 is a historical span that covers the late 19th through the mid-20th century, a period in which industrial, political, and social upheavals reshaped large parts of the world. Historians use this timeframe to examine transformations from industrial expansion to the emergence of modern nation-states and global institutions.

Economic and technological change dominated everyday life. The Second Industrial Revolution introduced electrification, chemistries, steel production, and mechanized manufacturing. Railways, telegraph and telephone networks, automobiles, and aviation connected distant regions. Urbanization accelerated, and mass education, public health, and consumer culture expanded. Scientific advances in physics, medicine, and genetics altered how people understood the natural world and themselves.

Political and military developments defined much of the century. Imperial empires weakened after World War I, leading to new states and border redrawings. The interwar period saw economic turmoil, social unrest, and the rise of totalitarian movements in some regions. World War II (1939–1945) culminated in a new global order and the establishment of the United Nations in 1945. The postwar era started the Cold War, decolonization, and rapid political change across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Social and cultural movements also left a mark. Women's suffrage expanded in many countries; civil rights and anti-colonial movements gained momentum in the 1950s–1960s. The 1950s and 1960s brought spaceflight milestones, mass media, and countercultural currents that challenged traditional norms. The period ends with 1968, a year of notable upheaval, protests, and political events worldwide.

This framing highlights how the span 1880–1968 encapsulates profound transitions from industrial society to a fragmented, postimperial world order.