The world of 1905 moved at a slower pace. Horse-drawn carriages, gas lamps, and telegrams still define everyday life. The Wright brothers had just taken flight, and the automobile remained a luxury novelty. Daily routines still felt tethered to the 19th century.
Just thirty years later, by 1935, that world was unrecognizable. The Great Depression was in full swing, but technology had already transformed society. Cars were mass-produced, reshaping cities and mobility. Radio had become the dominant form of mass media, pulling news and entertainment directly into living rooms. Airplanes were no longer experiments they carried passengers across continents. All of this unfolded against the backdrop of a world reeling from World War I, with politics and perspectives permanently altered.
The cycle repeated. From 1935 to 1965, humanity endured a second global war, rebuilt shattered economies, and launched into the Space Age. The shift from radio to television defined an entire generation, forever changing culture and communication.
Then came the next leap. From 1965 to 1995, the world saw the rise of personal computing, the birth of the internet, and the end of the Cold War. Music, film, and fashion evolved at a pace that made the 1960s feel like a distant memory. To someone from 1965, the world of 1995 would have seemed impossibly futuristic.
Now, in 2025, we look back at 1995 and feel the same astonishment. A world without smartphones, social media, broadband, or GPS feels almost alien. The digital transformation has been so complete that it’s difficult to imagine daily life without it. What was once cutting-edge is now a relic.
The 30-year rule reminds us that “normal” is always temporary. Each generation lives through revolutions in technology, culture, and worldview that feel both sudden and inevitable in hindsight. The only constant is change—change faster than we expect.
The real question is: what will 2055 look like?
