twentiethcentury

The twentieth century is a period in modern history commonly dated from 1900 to 1999. Some sources use 1901–2000 or other nearby boundaries. It was marked by rapid political, technological, and social change that reshaped many regions of the world.

Political and military events dominated much of the century. World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945) produced far-reaching geopolitical changes and redrew national borders. Nationalist and anti-colonial movements accelerated decolonization in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The Cold War (c. 1947–1991) defined international relations and influenced regional conflicts until its end. The United Nations and other institutions emerged to promote security and cooperation.

Economic life shifted with industrialization, urbanization, and the expansion of global trade. Technological innovations transformed daily life: aviation, automobiles, electricity, radio, television, computing, and the internet's precursors. Scientific advances in medicine, physics, and chemistry, such as vaccines and antibiotics, raised life expectancy. Energy use moved from coal to oil, with nuclear power later entering the energy mix.

Culture and society changed with rising literacy, education, and mass media. Social movements advanced labor rights, gender equality, and civil rights. Modernist and postwar arts redefined literature, cinema, painting, and music, while consumer culture and mass entertainment reshaped everyday life.

Historians assess the century as a period of remarkable progress alongside widespread violence, whose legacies continue to shape the twenty-first century.