2001, 2016 2020, and 2023

Before and After Years for the World

As a Gen Xer, I’ve been around for the better part of 5 decades. I was born before the web, but have lived more of my life with the web. I’ve lived through nine different US Presidents, Star Wars came out on my watch, and the cold war ended. Although the post-WWII era has been relatively peaceful and mostly prosperous for the world, there has still been plenty of gradual change.

I’m not here to talk about gradual change, though.

I’m talking about years that, when you look back on them, you can say that there’s a world that existed before that year, and a world that existed after said year, but so much has changed in between the two that a new era of sorts has begun.

In the annals of modern history, certain years stand out as pivotal turning points, marking a clear demarcation of 'before' and 'after' in our collective consciousness. The years 2001, 2016, 2020, and 2023 are undeniably such years. They've not only shaped the narratives of their respective times but have also set the c…