homepage Forums SimHQ Community Community Hall Greatest Time in History to Have Lived

If you could pick any 80 year time span to live your life, when would that have been? You can also pick where you live.


For me it would have to be from 1910-1990, in the US. I can't think of a time that saw more incredible advances in technology, from the dawn of aviation to interplanetary space travel. From simple light bulbs to electronic devices in practically every facet of life. Horse and buggies to automobiles.

Good pick F4U!


Ok so my pick may seem a bit odd but here I go.

Roman Republic/Roman Empire (specifically Rome)

60 BC - 20 AD

Dash, you also get the Spanish Flu epidemic and polio and a host of other problems, so I'll pass.

For my money, right damned now.

I was born in 1965, so I got the benefits of vaccinations, landing on the Moon, a time of relative peace and stability, and the advent of the Internet.

I have to say right now too. I was born in 1965. When ever I am watching movies or documentaries about the past I always think about how much easier we have it. Imagine having a tooth ache, a broken bone, hunger, etc..

If the time chosen is about pure adventure, being around for the birth of flight would have been great. Maybe sailing on the Bounty and staying behind on Tahiti would have been cool. Maybe being a Mason or an Artisan during the building of some of the great Cathedrals. Maybe Italy during the renaissance.

You'd also have to specify which social class...
As a mere commoner, I'd have to agree with LB4LB. I was born the same year and I really can't think of any other epoch when peons like me where able to live their whole life without a near 100% risk of having to go to war, being victim of a war, getting near to starvation or dying of some god-awful disease.
Admittedly - we've come close..
I think our generation really hit the jackpot.

If I could choose to be in a well off demographic then the 1880-1914 period wasn't bad either. Technological progress was par, but then oh so prudish!

Or - after a bit of thinking - maybe the neolithic magdalenian epoch. According to bone analysis etc those guys (at least in some locales) were so good at hunting and in tune with the environment that they were never in danger of starvation and disease was not an issue. That period also coincides with dog domestication.
I'm very outdoorsy, so hey. On the other hand, I'm a computer geek, but then that may have translated to tinkering with arrow heads at that time.

Lately, an interesting period of time I'd center an 80 year span upon, would run 1750 to 1830 in the American Colonies/USA. Perhaps interesting and well suited choices of trade for me in this period would have been a draftsman or cabinet/furniture maker. Perhaps a bookkeeper.

But as mentioned above, it's so easy to forget how easy our life is. My uncalloused fingers dancing on the keyboard in such safety and luxury. In my chosen era, a many of the population of large coastal cities in the US would often clear out in the summer time, as Yellow Fever took it's toll of death each year. Garbage and waste management was sometimes poor even in decently developed areas. And this doesn't even touch the wars during the span.

Still, and interesting span of time, to me to imagine.

Pretty happy with where I am. Too early and I'd miss the cool cars. Too late I'd miss out on the pc revolution. Born in '71, I got to be young at a good time to be a kid, enjoyed the music of the 80's, young people still got out and did more than they do now, medicine has come a very long way in just a few decades.
I'd very much like to have seen the 30's-60's, but I think that's a glamorized vision when there was so much wide scale war going on. WWII, Korea, Vietnam...we're relatively lucky so far in that area for my generation, although we've certainly had our share of a new generation of tragedies and violence as well.

edit: location, that's what I'm interested in. Send me to CO please.

2018 - 2062

I wish I was born in the '50s or '60s instead of the late '70s, as by the time I became an adult the party was pretty much over as far as North American society is concerned. California would be my choice location.

Aside from that, the post ACW Old West would be interesting, although I'm under no illusions that it would be anything like the idealized versions you see in Western movies.

Born in 1958 and quite happy with how that worked out. Lots of cool 'toys' at a time in my life when I have both the money and the leisure time to enjoy them.

Born in '67, wife born in '67, went through most of the 80's together (met Jan. '84), wouldn't want it any other way.

EDIT: Although we played together at her home in '71 and '75.

Born in 1956. Grew up during racial strife and a war. Thought you would have to die before history repeated itself.

Interesting question though. Wouldn't change. Growing up with the Information Age and Technology Revolution has been cool.
Would be very interesting to peek 100yrs ahead though.

Born 61, kinda like my life at this time period until I check out. Been Scary, and life changing for sure. But when I think about living in another time then your own.
Its kind of a tough one for me decide which way to go. But I think the future might not be as bad the news makes it.

Born in 1953. Pretty good time as I see it. However I think I would have preferred 1918. While I recognize some of the drawbacks, I would have liked being in that time of developing aviation. I know it may sound crazy to many, but I wish I had flown during WW II. Then the great age of American post-war growth. I would have appreciated the birth of the space age better to include the lunar landing. I was just a few years off of really being able to appreciate that.

Early 1700s as a pirate lord. Arrrr! I woulda conquered the seven seas, bribed many kings, and ruled from a skull bone throne.

Living in Rome during the Pax Romana probably would have been wild.

The problem with ancient Rome, besides the lack of modern conveniences, was that you only had about a 50% chance of living beyond childhood. Not a lot of time to enjoy anything.

Would have been cool to have a beer with "the guys" at Poncho Barnes bar, right? Was really hoping we would see the same in the present day Mojave with Burt Rutan and the rest as they re-enact those days but with rockets.
Still may happen.

Finally, someone who "gets it".

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