Minnesota's Greatest Generation

Minnesota's Greatest Generation

Every generation faces the world as it was given to them, and strives to leave it safer for the next. For those who came of age in mid-20th century America, the challenges were particularly daunting.

After a childhood overshadowed by the Great Depression, world war rushed these young men and women into adulthood. This generation's endurance and ingenuity brought not only wartime victory but unprecedented prosperity in the post-war years. In recognition of their courage and in gratitude for their efforts, many have called them the “Greatest Generation.”

“Stories of Minnesota’s Greatest Generation” is a collection of personal stories that follow members of this remarkable generation through these pivotal decades.

Explore Eras

The Depression

The Depression grabbed hold of Minnesota—and the rest of the country—during the 1930s.

The War

On December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor drew the United States into World War II.

The Boom

The post-war Boom of the late 1940s and 1950s signaled the start of a long-awaited "bright future."