18891966

1889–1966 is a historical span that runs from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century, a period marked by rapid transformation across politics, economy, and society. It covers the tail end of traditional empires, the ascent of industrialized nations, and the emergence of new scientific, cultural, and political movements that reshaped daily life and global power structures.

During this era, industrial expansion, electrification, and technological innovations such as aviation and early computing accelerated changes in work, communication, and transportation. The world endured two global conflicts, World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945), followed by the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the postwar years, international institutions were created to foster cooperation, notably the United Nations, while the Cold War framework emerged as a dominant factor in global politics. Concurrently, decolonization movements across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean began to redefine political boundaries and national identities.

Social and cultural shifts accompanied economic and political upheaval. Movements for voting rights, labor reforms, and civil rights sought greater inclusion and protections for marginalized groups, while modernist trends influenced art, literature, and scientific inquiry. The period laid the groundwork for contemporary geopolitics, technology, and social norms, with a transition from imperial frameworks to more diverse and interconnected global structures that continued to evolve into the mid-1960s.