Websites to support the study of the Twentieth Century Decades
(Scroll down for individual decades)
People’s Century, 1900-1999
A companion to the PBS television series of the same name. Includes additional stories, a timeline, a thematic overview, a teacher’s guide, etc. Suitable for the decades unit.
Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century
Provides information on general trends, living conditions, war, art, population, etc. of specific places. Links to related sites. Suitable for the decades unit.
Yahoo! 20th Century
Provides links organized by decade and by theme. Suitable for the decades unit.
Bad Fads Museum
Focuses on fads, fashion, events, collectibles, and activities of the 20th Century. Suitable for the decades unit.
A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries
Provides information on discoveries and inventions of the 20th Century. Organized by year. Suitable for the decades unit.
Classic TV Database
Provides titles and information on television shows. Organized by the decade. Suitable for the decades unit.
Music by the Decade (LookSmart)
Provides links to music of the 20th Century, organized by the decade, from the 1950’s. Suitable for the decades unit.
The Cold War Museum
Features a variety of online exhibits and photographs from the Cold War period in history. Includes a timeline organized by decade from the 1940s through to the 1990’s. Suitable for the study of 20th Century decades. The Resources section has links to a broad range of related sites.
History Channel (American) (Canadian)
Allows the user to choose a decade, from 1800 to 1999, and see and hear video clips. Includes teacher resources, links to people, places and related websites. Useful for decades studies. Click on the timeline option.
20th Century Chronology, 1900-2006
An outstanding site for the twentieth century decades unit. Allows the user to type in a specific year or select a decade. Covers world events, economy, sports, entertainment, and the year in science. Includes villains of the millennium, kids names of the century, disasters, etc.
Picturing the Century: One Hundred Years of Photography from the National Archives
Photographs are arranged in chronological galleries and briefly annotated. Suitable for the decades study in Social Studies. Includes seven portfolios of well known American photographers (Walter Lubken, Lewis Hine, George W. Ackerman, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Charles Fenno Jacobs, and Danny Lyon). Links to other photography exhibits online and to teaching activities for the portfolios.
Statistics Canada
A huge site with statistical information for every aspect of Canadian life, including historical census data.
Costume Page - Costume History
Features a history of costume through the ages, from Ancient times through Rome, Medieval, Renaissance, Elizabethan, Shakespeare, 17th & 18th Centuries, 19th Century Regency & Victorian, to the 20th Century fashion and costume. Appropriate for the 20th Century decades studies.
Greatest Films
Provides interpretive commentary and historical background for many great films. Includes Academy Awards history and a film history by decade. An extensive site on American cinema. Appropriate for 20th Century decades studies.
The Jazz Age - Flapper Culture and Style
Provides information and hyperlinks to fashions, authors, music and literature of the 1920s in America. Appropriate for 20th Century decades studies.
A New America: The 1940s and the Arts
From January through June 2005, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts celebrated "the rich spectrum of music, dance, theater, film, and fashion produced by the many remarkable American artists who struggled, created, and triumphed during this turbulent and exhilarating era." This companion website features the "Learn More About the 40s" section with information about art, culture, and political events from the 1940s.
An American Christmas: Decade by Decade
This online exhibit traces the history of the celebration of Christmas in the U.S. from 1840 through 2000. Includes an essay and an image of a decorated tree to represent each decade. From the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum.
The 1950's
Fifties Web
An excellent resource for life in the 1950’s. Includes links to music, books, televsion, movies, etc. Useful for studies on 20th Century decades.
Rewind the Fifties
Provides information on life in the fifties. Features information on cars, bikes, music, celebrities, etc. Links to related sites. Suitable for the decades unit.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Use the interactive timeline to learn more about music from the 1950s. After selecting a link, click on "Read More." There are also directions for using the timeline on the right side of the page.
This site has a wealth of information on many topics, from popular culture to social and political events.
Television History
This site has images of TV sets in the 1950s. Check out the links to electronic color televisions and remote controls. Click on "Quick Facts by Year" to find out what items cost. Also deals with advertising, books, magazines, etc.
Fact Monster: 1950s
This encyclopedia site has links to many of the major events that occurred in the 1950s. At the bottom, click on "Next Year" to advance through the decade.
Governments in the 1950's
This is a map of the governments, politics, and people who ruled the world in the 1950s.
Timeline of 20th Century Events
This timeline traces different scientific achievements during the 1950s. Click "To Part 5" at the bottom to read more.
A Century in Review - The 1950's
Take a look back at the major happenings of the 1950s with this student-made site.
1950s Patterns and Images
This page has some images illustrating the fashion and sewing patterns popular in the 1950s.
Art and Entertainment, 1945-1968
Explore the links on the right to read primary documents and see photographs from postwar America.
Korean War Commemoration: History Chronology
Click on a year to learn about events of the Korean War.
Greatest Films of the 1950s
This site introduces the major and minor film studios during this decade and provides a synopsis for some of the best films. NOTE: The site includes several ads.
Missions: Explorer 1-5
This NASA page has information about Explorer 1, the first satellite launched by United States in 1958. It also introduced Explorers 2-5 in the late 1950s.
The 1960's
1960’s Flashback
Features a wide variety of information on the decade based on the following categories: Economy / Prices, Music, Movies, TV, Sports, News, Books and Potpourri. Can be accessed on a year by year basis. Includes some classifieds and a message board.
Sixties Net
Extensive listing of links to life in the 1960s. Includes information on music, writers, television, historical events, culture, Vietnam War, biographies, etc. Appropriate for the 20th Century decades studies.
The 1970's
Super Seventies Rock Site
Provides music information from the seventies. Includes links to a celebrity photo gallery, to a 70’s almanac, related sites, etc. Suitable for the decades unit.
In the 70’s
Provides information on the music, television, fads & fashions, movies, and world events of the 1970’s. Suitable for a study of the decades of the 20th Century. Links to related sites.
The 70’s Preservation Society
Provides information on the music, television, and movies of the 1970’s. Suitable for a study of 20th Century decades. Links to related sites.
Stuck in the 70’s
Deals with a wide variety of topics concerning life in the 1970’s. Topic include: TV, toys, music, movies, magazines, teen idols, clothes, cartoons, history, etc. Suitable for a study of the 20th Century by decades.
1970’s Flashback
Features a wide variety of information on the decade based on the following categories: Economy / Prices, Music, Movies, TV, Sports, News, Books and Potpourri. Can be accessed on a year by year basis. Includes some classifieds and a message board.
The 1980's
1980’s Flashback
Features a wide variety of information on the decade based on the following categories: Economy / Prices, Music, Movies, TV, Sports, News, Books and Potpourri. Can be accessed on a year by year basis. Includes some classifieds and a message board.
In the 80’s
Provides extensive information on music, movies, television, world events, and fads & fashions of the 1980’s. The information is nicely sorted and made available through the site index down the left side of the page. Suitable for a study of the decades of the 20th Century.
The 1980s Server
Provides links to entertainment (including movies, music and television), sporting events, games, awards, history, culture, technology, etc. of the 1980s. Includes a feature called “This week in the 80s”. Appropriate for the 20th Century decades studies.
The 1990's
In the 90’s
Provides information on the music, movies, television, world events and fads and fashions of the 1990’s. Suitable for a study of the decades of the 20th Century. Links to related sites.
1990’s Flashback
Features a wide variety of information on the decade based on the following categories: Economy / Prices, Music, Movies, TV, Sports, News, Books and Potpourri. Can be accessed on a year by year basis. Includes some classifieds and a message board.
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This page is created and maintained by Ms. B. Knoepfel (Teacher-Librarian), McMath Secondary School. Updated June 2007.
