This article, written in 2006, has
been sitting on my website and floating around the internet for four years. A few days ago, I received a “Google Alert” citing
the work in an on-line writer’s forum [The Next Big Writer] in response to a
question regarding what punctuation to use when dialogue is interrupted. One individual responding wrote, “Just so you
know, there is no universally accepted way of punctuatiing the interruption. I
copied a section of an article on use of ellepis which was written by R. Ann
Siracusa… As in writing per se, there really is no right or wrong way to tell
the story, just what the agent/publisher wants at the time, lol.”
Except for the spelling of the
words “punctuatiing” and “ellepis”―typos, I’m sure―he is correct. Still, the
comment is timely and brought to mind the need to update this.
First, although I wrote the
article, I didn’t make up the rules and don’t claim to be an expert.I certainly make enough mistakes myself.[Thank goodness for good line editors.]My reference for the piece, as noted below, was
Anne Stilman’s book entitled Grammatically Correct: The Writer’s Essential Guide
to punctuation, spelling, style, usage and grammar. [Writer’s Digest Books, 1997].The material in that book may still be completely accurate regarding
proper punction; I don’t know.Someone
out there, somewhere, must be the “God of Grammar” and the ultimate authority.I’m not that person.
Second, I have observed, in the
last few years, a change in publishers’ standards for punctuation, style, usage
and grammar.At this point in time,
nearly all writers use computers.E-publishing
is growing.More and more agents and
publishers are accepting (even requiring) electronic submissions.Word Processing programs have symbols for
ellipses, Em and En dashes, etc. which can be and are used.All these facts result in changes in the
practical application, if not official rules.
My publisher requires the use of
the ellipsis symbol…with no space on either side, no spaces between, and if
used for emphasis, still only three “dots” instead of four.Other publishers still use the ellipsis as
described below, where you type in the periods and spaces.Sentence fragments are used by many authors,
whether or not they are proper grammar.Some publishers want only one space between sentences, some require
two.I learned the hard way that it is
easier to type the original manuscript with two spaces between sentences and reduce
to one, if that’s what your publisher wants.You can use the “find and replace” function.It’s much more tedious to insert the second
space because “find and replace” doesn’t work well for that.
THE
NEW BOTTOM LINE
Regardless
of the “rules,” publishing standards for punctuation,
style, usage and grammar do vary from one publisher to the next.To the extent possible, submit your material
consistent with what that agent or publisher wants.Otherwise, try to follow the “rules.”
Your
work will not be turned down only because
you followed the grammar and punctuation rules that used to exist, not the
publisher’s standard now.You might get
turned down if your work is sloppy and unprofessional.Pay attention to detail and be consistent.Using the issue of interrupted dialogue as an
example, don’t use an ellipsis for an interruption in one place and an Em dash
for an interruption in another spot in the same manuscript.
And
remember, certain punctuation is used for emphasis.To catch the reader’s eye.Once you’ve caught the editor or agent’s eye,
it should be correct.
THE ELLIPSIS
On of the most frequent errors I've noticed when judging Golden Heart
entries and local contests over the years, is the incorrect use of dashes and
of the ellipsis. Your first
question may be, "What is
an ellipsis?"
"Well . . ."She hesitated and palmed the back of her
neck.".
. . I think it's a
punctuation mark. Three dots . . . with a space between each of them.I guess those spaces are really important."
Go Girl!
"So, who cares?"
you ask.
She shrugged."No
one, I guess . . . except editors who are looking for reasons to turn down your
manuscript."
Unless you majored in English
Grammar in college, it is
possible you've never
heard of an ellipsis.I hadn't until I started writing.I'd
seen it used in enough books to have an intuitive grasp of how the punctuation
should be used, but I didn't
know its name or the rules of usage.So
I sprinkled them liberally in my manuscripts.The fact that I'd
used it incorrectly was pointed out to me by my agent, about ten or twelve
years ago, before he sent out novel.I
had to correct all of the mistakes in my six-hundred-page manuscript, and it
was a lot of work. . . .
Since then I've
made an attempt to master the usage of the ellipsis because I like the effects
I can achieve in my writing.
USAGE IN DIALOGUE
While an ellipsis can be used to
show that certain words within a quotation have been dropped, in fiction
writing the most common usage is within dialogue.There are several ways to use this
punctuation in dialogue to indicate the following:
1.An
Omission In A One-sided Conversation, such as a phone conversation, where
the writer is showing only what one person is saying, such as the following.
"Yes.
. . .Well, I can't
talk now. . . .Can you call me later?"
When used in this
manner, the ellipsis is three dots followed by a period.The first dot follows immediately after the
word with no space.There must be a
space between each of the dots.There
are two spaces (or one, if you only put one space at the end of your sentences)
between the period and the first word of the next sentence.Since the last dot is actually a period, you
would begin the next sentence with a capital letter.
2.A
Hesitation In Speech.This can serve
a number of purposes in fiction writing.The use of ellipses can make speech appear nervous or indecisive, such
as the following.
"Let's go
now.Is that okay with you?"
"Well
. . . gosh, I don't know . . . I think they're
not expecting us before two o'clock."
It can also be
used to make the dialogue seem laid back or musing.
"It's
memory, my dear.Memory, the mother of
the Muses . . . at least that's
what thingummy said."
"Who?"
"You
know, what's his name, Greek poet
chap.The one who wrotethe Theogony . . . what was he
called?Begins with an 'H'."
▪ Stephen Fry, The Liar
In addition, it
can add a mysterious or dreamy quality to the dialogue.
"Tonight
it will be a year . . . My star, then, can be found right above the place where
I came to the Earth, a year ago . . ." he
said.
▪ Antoine De
Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince.
In the case of a
hesitation, there is a space required before the first dot, a space between
each dot, and a space after the last dot (before the first letter of the next
word).For those of you who use word processing
programs (that never took English Grammar in college) take the space out, try
using two spaces between dots to keep the program from closing them up.
3.A Trailing
Off In Speech or An Interruption.
"Where
were you?"
I
started to explain."I went
to the bar.Listen, while I was there I
overheard something you need . . ."
"What
were you doing in the bar?" he
asked.
When using an
ellipsis to shows the speaker's
sentence trailing off or to indicate an interruption, use a space after the
last word, three dots (with a space between the second and third dot), and put
the end-quote mark immediately after the last dot with no space.
Note: While an ellipsis
is an acceptable way to punctuate an interruption in dialogue, using an Em dash
is considered preferable, in part because, within the same manuscript, the
author can show clearly the difference between hesitation or the trailing off
of speech and an interruption (where someone or something keeps the speaker
from finishing the sentence).
"Where
were you?"
I
started to explain."I went
to the bar.Listen, while I was there I
overheard something and I was thinking, ah . . ."
"What
were you doing in the bar?" he
asked.
"Where
were you?"
I
started to explain. "I went
to the bar.Listen, while I was there I
overheard something you need―"
"What
were you doing in the bar?" he interrupted.
4.Several
Speakers Completing A Single Sentence.In this case, each speaker pauses to let the next one continue.While it would be correct to use dashes for
this purpose, that punctuation gives the impression of forcible interruptions
rather than voluntary pauses.Heavy
stuff, right?
Uneasy,
thinking of Cournoyer, the team's
captain, at home, his distinguished career probably over, Lapointe says, "Hey,
let's
win this one for Yvan," and
instantly the room picks up."Poor
little guy," he continues, "his
back all busted up, probably just lyin' at
home . . ." and as he pauses as if to
let his words sink in, Shutte and Houle jump in before anyone else can.
". .
. havin' a
little wine . . ."
". .
. a little Caesar salad . . ."
". .
. poor little bastard,"
Lapointe muses sadly, and we all laugh.
▪
Ken Dryden, The Game
As each person
picks up on the sentence, it begins with a quotation mark followed immediately
by the dot.There is a space between
each dot and a space after the third one, before the first word.The end of the sentence, showing a pause, is
the same as a trailing off of speech or an interruption. This same format is
used in a single sentence when the speaker pauses and the writer shows an
action by that speaker.
"Maybe
. . ."Frowning, he stroked his chin as he thought
about what she'd said. ". .
. I guess we'll find out."
USAGE IN NON-DIALOGUE WRITING
The use of ellipses in non-dialogue
writing imparts extra significance to words.An author can achieve several different effects by using this
punctuation in non-dialogue writing.
1.Underscores
A Point That Need Not Be Stated Explicitly.
"I
want the King of Euralia's
blood."He looked around the court."To
anyone who will bring me the head of the King, I will give the hand of my
daughter in marriage."
There
was a profound silence. . . .
"Which
daughter?" said a cautious voice at
last.
"The
eldest,"
said the King.
There was another profound silence. . . .
▪ A.A.Milne, Once on a Time
Okay!In giving emphasis to words or making a
point, the ellipsis appears to be four dots. However, the grammar books tell us
it is actually an ellipsis (which is three dots) and a period.HOWEVER, please note that the first dot
starts immediately after the last word with no space.As always, there is a space between each dot.This usage is not, generally, followed by
another sentence in the same paragraph because that tends to diminish the
impact, which is the reason it is used at all.
Note: I have often
wondered, but have never found a definitive answer, if the sentence is one that
would normally require a question mark or an exclamation point, would those be
used instead of the final period, such as:
Oh,
my god. . . !
What
was the point. . . ?
2.Imparts A
Haunting, Surreal, Or Dreamy Aspect.
I
have escaped to this island with a few books and the child―Melissa's
child.I do not know why I use the word 'escape'.The villagers say jokingly that only a sick
man would choose such a remote place to rebuild.Well, then, I have come here to heal myself,
if you like to put it that way. . . .
▪ Lawrence
Durrell, The Alexandria Quartet
3.Creates A
Sense Of Suspense.
Good
Gracious, was he seeing things?But who―how―he saw the upraised arm too late.
. . .
Stars
exploded in a kind of Guy Fawkes'
display within in head. . . .
▪ Agatha Christie, At Bertram's Hotel
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you are going to use the
ellipsis, learn to use it correctly.Otherwise, get your point across in a different way.
Reference: Anne Stilman, Grammatically
Correct: The Writer’s Essential Guide to punctuation, spelling, style, usage
and grammar. [Writer’s Digest Books,
1997].
f:ellipses / writing general / scandisk green / 04/26/06
A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOOK AT DEALING WITH CHARACTERS
Nearly all craft classes for writers will teach, in one way or another, that people (and therefore the characters in our books) are the products of genetics, environment, and experience.These three factors are key to identifying character goals, motivations, and conflicts.While human beings are influenced by these factors all throughout their lives, the years between the ages of five and fifteen are significant in establishing individual values, beliefs and expectations.Naturally, people continue to change, but these years set the stage.This approach to character development looks at what external took place during those formative years.The intent is to help writers develop more vivid and realistic characters.
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1910 AND 1920 WOULD BE FROM 88 TO 98 YEARS OLD IN 2008. This age group would have been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1910 - 1920 The Mexican Revolution 1910 - 1919Top popular songs: Alexander's Ragtime Band (1911), My Melancholy Baby (1912), On Moonlight Bay (19120 , St. Louis Blues (1914), Over There (1917), Rock‑a‑Bye Your Baby (1918), Swanee (1919) 1914 - 1918World War I 1915Release of one of first movies - The Birth of a Nation 1917 - 1921 The Russian Revolution 1918 Armistice in Europe
1920 ‑ 1929Top popular songs: Whispering" (1920), Ain't We Got Fun?" (1921),April Showers" (1921), Someone to Watch Over Me (1926),
My Blue Heaven (1927), Ol' Man River (1927), I Can't Give You Anything But Love(1928), Star Dust (1929), Ain't Misbehavin' (1929)
Events
1920 - Bubonic Plague in India; First Commercial Radio Broadcast Aired; League of Nations Established; Prohibition Begins in the U.S.; Women Granted the Right to Vote in U.S. 1921 - Treaty of Versailles 1922 - Soviet states form USSR; Tomb of King Tut Discovered; The Reader's Digest Published; Mussolini'sMarch on Rome 1923 - Hearing Aid invented; Charleston Dance Becomes Popular; Teapot Dome Scandal; Time Magazine Founded 1924 - First Olympic Winter Games; J. Edgar Hoover appointed FBI Director; V.I. Lenin Dies; Hitler writes Mien Kampf; Liquid rocket fuel invented 1925 - Flapper Dresses in Style 1926 - A Talkiemovie invented; A.A. Milne PublishesWinnie‑the‑Pooh; Houdini Dies after being punched; A woman swims the English Channel; Robert H. Goddard invents liquid‑fueled rockets 1927 - PEZ candy and bubblegum introduced; The quartz crystal watch, Technicolor, a complete electronic TV system, and the iron lung invented; Babe Ruth Makes Home‑Run Record;
The First Talking Movie, The Jazz Singer; Lindbergh Flies Solo across the Atlantic; Erik Rotheim patents an aerosol can 1928 - Penicillin discovered; 1st Mickey Mouse Cartoon; 1st Oxford English Dictionary Published; Sliced Bread invented; 1st differential analyzing computer invented; Jacob Schick patented the electric shaver 1929 - The car radio and the yo-you invented; Byrd and Bennett Fly Over South Pole; First Academy Awards; New York Stock Market Crashes/ The great depression; St. Valentine's Day Massacre; Gandhi's Salt March; Pluto Discovered
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1920AND 1930 WOULD BE FROM 78 TO 88 YEARS OLD IN 2008. This age group would have been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1930 - 1939Talkie firms first produced. Top films of decade include: Hell's Angels (1930), Frankenstein (1931), King Kong (1933), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937),
Gone With The Wind (1939), The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Woman in Red (1935),San Francisco (1936), Lost Horizon (1937), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939).
1930 - 1939New foods introduced: Birds >Eye Frosted Foods, Wonder Bread, Hostess Twinkies, Bisquick, Ritz Crackers, Kit Kat Bar, Life Savers, Kix Cereal, Lawry's seasoned salt, Lay's Potato chips.
1930 - 1939Top popular songs: I Got Rhythm (1930), Mood Indigo (1931), Brother Can You Spare A Dime?" (1932), Stormy Weather (1933), Begin the Beguine (1935), I've Got You Under My Skin (1935),
Summertime (1935), They Can't Take That Away From Me (1937), God Bless America (1938), Over the Rainbow (1939)
Events
1930 - Scotch tape patented by 3M engineer; Frozen food process patented/ Clarence Birdseye; The analog computer invented; Jet engine invented/Frank Whittle,Hans von Ohain
1931 - Al Capone Imprisoned for Income Tax Evasion; Auguste Piccard Reaches Stratosphere; Empire State Building Completed; U.S. Officially Gets National Anthem; Harold Edgerton invented stop‑action photography; Germans co-invent the electron microscope 1932 - Radio City Music Hall opens featuring Rockettes; Polaroid photography invented/ Edwin H. Land; Air conditioning Invented; First woman flies solo across Atlantic/ A. Earhardt; Lindbergh's Baby Kidnapped; Scientists Split the Atom; Zippo Lighters Introduced; Loch Ness Monster First Spotted; Prohibition Ends in the U.S.; Wiley Post Flies Around the World in 8 1/2 Days 1933 - Adolf Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany; FDR Launches New Deal; The zoom lens, light meter, parking meter invented; Karl Jansky invents the radio telescope; FM radio and stereo records invented; R.M.Hollingsheadbuilds a prototype drive‑in movie theater in his driveway 1934 - Chas.Darrow claims creation ofMonopoly game; Bonnie and Clyde Killed by Police; The cheeseburger introduced; The Dust Bowl; First tape recorder for broadcasting and first magnetic recording 1935 - Wallace Carothers and DuPont Labs invents nylon; Alcoholics Anonymous Founded; The first canned beer made; Robert Watson‑Watt patented radar 1936 - Electric guitar debuts; Spanish Civil War; Hoover Dam Completed; King Edward VIII Abdicates; Nazi Olympics in Berlin; Samuel Colt patents the Colt revolver 1937 - Chester F. Carlson invents the photocopier; Amelia EarhartVanishes; Golden Gate Bridge Opened; The Hindenberg Disaster; First jet engine built; Picasso paints Guernica 1938 - The ballpoint pen, Strobe light, and Teflon invented; The first working turboprop engine developed; Panic over War of the Worlds broadcast 1939 - First Commercial Flight Over the Atlantic; Igor Sikorsky invents the first successful helicopter; The electron microscope invented; Germans occupy Czechoslovakia; World War II begins; Leon Trotsky Assassinated; Nylon hose on the Market; Stone Age Cave Paintings Found in France; Pope Pius XI dies after being Pope for 17 years
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1930 AND 1940 WOULD BE FROM 68 TO 78 YEARS OLD IN 2008. This age group would have been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1940 - 1949Top films of decade include: Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Bambi (1942), This is the Army (1943), The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), Duel in the Sun (1946), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Song of the South (1946), Mom and Dad (1947), Samson and Delilah (1949)
1940 - 1949Newfoods introduced: M&M's, Cherrios, Post Rasin Bran, Dannon yogurt, Chiquitabanannas, Redi-Whip, Fritos Corn Chips, Almond Joy candy bar, V8 VegetableJuice, Kraft American cheese slices.
1940 - 1949 Top popular songs: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (1940), When You Wish Upon a Star (1940), Chattanooga Choo‑Choo (1941), White Christmas (1942),
Ac‑cent‑tchuate the Positive (1945), There's No Business Like Show Business (1946), Riders in the Sky (1949)
1941 - 1945 Holocaust
Events
1940 - P.Goldmark invents modern color TV system
1941 - The first computer controlled by software; Aerosol spray cans and neutronic reactor invented; Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor; Jeep Invented; Manhattan Project Begins; Mount Rushmore Completed
1942 - First nuclear Reactor built; Anne Frank Goes Into Hiding; First electronic digital computer built by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry; Japanese‑Americans held in camps; T‑shirt Introduced;
Max Meuller designs a turboprop engine
1943 - Italy Joins the Allies; Synthetic rubber, the slinky, silly putty invented; The hallucinogenic properties of LSD discovered; Aqualung invented/E.Gagnan & Jacques Cousteau
1944 - The kidney dialysis machine invented/Willem Kolff; Ballpoint Pens Go On Sale; D‑Day; First German V1 and V2 Rockets Fired; Hitler Escapes Assassination Attempt
1945 - FDR Dies; United Nations is formed; The atomic bomb invented and dropped; First Computer Built; Germans Surrender; United Nations Founded; Bikinis Introduced; Juan Perón Becomes President of Argentina; Nuremberg Trials 1946 - The microwave oven invented by Percy Spencer 1947 - Dennis Gabor developed the theory of holography; Mobile phones first invented; Earl Silas Tupper patented the Tupperware seal; Chuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier; Dead Sea Scrolls Discovered; Polaroid Cameras Invented; First Holography; The Marshall Plan 1948 - Columbia Records introduces the "long playing" vinyl record; Berlin Airlift; The Frisbee and Velcro invented; Arab-Israli conflicts; "Big Bang" Theory Formulated; "Dewey Defeats Truman" in Paper; Gandhi Assassinated; State of Israel Founded 1949 - Mao Tse Tung declares Communist People's Republic of China/ China Becomes Communist; The first cake mix introduced; First Non‑Stop Flight Around the World; George Orwell Publishes Nineteen Eight‑Four; NATO Established
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1940 AND 1950 WOULD BE FROM 58 TO 68 YEARS OLD IN 2008.
This age group would have been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1950-1953KoreanWar
1950 - 1959Top films of decade include:Cinderella (1950),This is Cinerama (1952), Peter Pan (1953), The Robe (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), The Ten Commandments (1956), Around the World in 80 Days (1956),South Pacific (1958), Ben‑Hur (1959), Sleeping Beauty (1959)
1950 - 1959 New Foods introduced - (Sorry! I haven't researched this yet.)
1950 - 1959Top popular songs: Goodnight Irene (1950), You Belong to Me" (1952), Your Cheatin' Heart (1952), Earth Angel (1954), Don't Be Cruel (1956), On the Street Where You Live (1956), This Land is Your Land (1956), Mack the Knife (1955/1959), Small World (1959)
Events
1950 - The first credit card (Diners) introduced; First Organ Transplant; First "Peanuts" Cartoon Strip; Korean War Begins
1950 - President Truman Orders Construction of first Hydrogen Bomb 1951 - Color TV Introduced; Truman Signs Peace Treaty With Japan, Officially Ending WWII 1952 - Car Seat BeltsIntroduced; Jacques Cousteau Discovers Ancient Greek Ship; Polio Vaccine Created; Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen at Age 25 1953 - DNA Discovered; Hillary and Norgay Climb Mt. Everest; Joseph Stalin Dies 1954 - First Atomic Submarine launched; Report Says Cigarettes Cause Cancer; Roger Bannister Breaks the Four‑Minute Mile; Segregation in U.S. schools made illegal 1955 - First Fiber optics invented; Disneyland Opens; James Dean Dies in Car Accident; McDonald's Corporation founded; Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus; Warsaw Pact Signed 1956 - Elvis makes his appearance on Ed Sullivan Show; Grace Kelly Marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco; Suez Crisis; T.V. Remote Control invented; Velcro Introduced; Hungarian Revolution 1957 - Dr. Seuss Publishes The Cat in the Hat; Russians launch Sputnick; 1957 - Sm.dog Laikabecomes first living creature in space 1958 - Pope Pius XII dies/Pope for 19 years, 7 months; Charles De Gaulle becomes President of France; The modem, the laser, and the Hula Hoop invented; The integrated circuit invented; Lego Toy Bricks First Introduced; NASA Founded 1959 - Castro Becomes Dictator of Cuba; Kitchen Debate Between Nixon and Khrushchev; The Sound of Music Opens on Broadway; U.S. quiz shows found to be fixed; The internal pacemaker invented by Wilson Greatbatch; The first Barbie Doll; The microchip invented
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1950
AND 1960 WOULD BE FROM 48 TO 58 YEARS OLD IN 2008.
This age group would have
been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1965 - 1973 Vietnam
War (another source says 1961-1975)
1960 - 1969Top
films of decade include: 101 Dalmatians (1961),Mary Poppins (1964), Goldfinger (1964), Doctor Zhivago (1965), The Sound
of Music (1965), Thunderball (1965), The Jungle Book (1967), You Only Live
Twice (1967)
1960 - 1969New
Foods introduced -Pop‑Tarts, Buffalo Wings
(Anchor Bar, Buffalo NY), Coca cola in cans,
1960 - 1969Top
popular songs: Camelot (1960), Moon River (1961), I Want to Hold Your Hand
(1964), The Shadow of Your Smile (1965), Yesterday (1965), Mrs. Robinson
(1967), Hey Jude (1968), My Way (1969)
Events
1960 -
The halogen lamp invented; First Laser developed; Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
Released; Brazil's Capital Moves to Brand New City; First televised
Presidential Debates; Lasers Invented
1961 -
Adolf Eichmann on Trial for Role in Holocaust; Bay of Pigs Invasion; JFK
becomes President; Saudi-Arabia & Arab states take over defense of Kuwait
from British in face of Iraqi threat;Berlin
wall built to stop East Germans from fleeing;Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space;Valium and nondairy creamer invented; Peace
Corps Founded
1962 -
Andy Warhol Exhibits His Campbell's Soup Can;Cuban Missile crisis;The audio
cassette invented; Spacewar, the first computer video game invented; Dow Corp
invents silicone breast implants; Marilyn Monroe Found Dead; Rachel Carson
Publishes Silent Spring
1963 -
The first videodisc invented;JFK
Assassinated;Martin Luther King Jr.
"I Have a Dream" Speech; Pope John XXIII dies/ Pope for 4 years, 7
months;Beatles Become Popular in U.S.
1964 -
Brezhnev takes over from Khrushchev; PLO formed; Civil Rights Act adopted;Acrylic paint & permanent‑press fabric
invented;BASIC (an early computer
language) invented;Muhammad Ali wins
World Heavyweight title;Hasbro Launches
GI Joe Action Figure; Nelson Mandela Sentenced to Life in Prison; Warren Report
on JFK's Assassination issued
1965 -
Japan's Bullet Train Opens;Astroturf, Soft
contact lenses, NutraSweet, compact disc & Kevlar invented; Los Angeles
Riots;Malcolm X Assassinated;New York City Great Blackout; U.S. Sends Troops to Vietnam;Black Panther Party Established
1966 -
Electronic Fuel injection for cars invented; Star Trek T.V. Series Airs
1967 -
First Heart Transplant; The first handheld calculator invented; Six Day war between Israel and neighboring
Arabs; First Super Bowl;Six‑Day War in the Middle East
1968 -
Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated;Student
riots in Paris;The computer mouse
invented;First computer with integrated
circuits built;Robert F. Kennedy
Assassinated
1969 -
ARPANET, the Precursor of the Internet, created; The artificial heart, ATM,
& barcode scanner invented;Richard
Nixon becomes President;US astronauts
land on moon/ Neil Armstrong;Charles
Manson and "Family" Arrested;Rock‑and‑Roll
Concert at Woodstock;Sesame Street
First Airs;Yasser Arafat Becomes Leader
of the PLO;Aswan High Dam Completed;Beatles Break Up;Computer Floppy Disks Introduced;Palestinian Group Hijacks Five Planes;Kent State Shootings
PEOPLE
BORN BETWEEN 1960 AND 1970 WOULD BE FROM 38 TO 48 YEARS OLD IN 2008.
This
age group would have been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1979-1989Afghanistan-Soviet Occupation
1970 - 1979Top
films of decade include: The Exorcist (1973), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977),
Saturday Night Fever (1977), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Close Encounters of
the Third Kind (1977/80), Grease (1978), Superman (1978), Jaws 2 (1978),
Moonraker (1979)
substitute, Snapple, Quaker Oates granola, Famous Amos
Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream,Reese's Pieces.
1970 - 1979Top
popular songs: Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), American Pie (1971), The Way
We Were (1973), You Are the Sunshine of My Life (1973), Just the Way You Are
(1978), Night Fever (1978)
Events
1970 -
The daisy‑wheel printer and floppy disk invented
The liquid‑crystal display (LCD)
invented;The microprocessor, VCR, and
compact disc invented
1972 -
The word processor invented; Pong (first video game) invented/ Nolan Bushnell; Mark
Spitz Wins Seven Gold
Medals; Pocket Calculators
Introduced;Terrorists Attack at the
Olympic Games in Munich; Watergate Scandal
1973 -
Gene splicing invented; The ethernet (local computer network) invented by
Robert Metcalfe and Xerox;
Bic
introduces the disposable lighter; The Egg McMuffin introduced; Abortion
Legalized in U.S.; Paul Getty
Kidnapped; Sears Tower Built; U.S.
Pulls Out of Vietnam;U.S. Vice
President Resigns
1974 -
The post‑it note invented by Arthur Fry;Giorgio Fischer invents liposuction;Patty Hearst Kidnapped;Terracotta
Army Discovered in China; U.S. President
Nixon Resigns
1975 -
Betamax and VHS invented; Margaret Thatcher made Prime Minister/England; The
laser printer invented;
The push‑through tab on a drink can
invented;Arthur Ashe First Black Man to
Win Wimbledon;Civil War in
Lebanon; Microsoft Founded
1976 -
Burger King launches "Have it Your Way"; Perrier Water introduced in
U.S.;Denny's introduces Grand Slam
Breakfast; The ink‑jet printer invented; Nadia
Comaneci Given Seven Perfect Tens; North and South Vietnam Form
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;Tangshan Earthquake Kills Over 240,000
1977 -
Recyclable soda bottles & plastic grocery bags introduced; Apple personal
computer invented;Magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) invented; Elvis dies;
1978 - Hip hop (blend of
rock, jazz, and soul) born in South Bronx; Pope John Paul I dies/ Pope for only
33 days;
The artificial heart Jarvik‑7 invented/R.Jarvik;
First test‑tube baby born;Pope Paul VI
dies/ Pope for 15 years;\
John Paul II becomes Pope;Jonestown Massacre
1979 - Ayatollah Khomeini
Returns as Leader of Iran / Iran Takes American Hostages in Tehran;Mother Theresa
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize;Nuclear Accident at Three Mile Island;Failed U.S. Attempt to Save Hostages in
Tehran; John Lennon Assassinated;Mount St. Helens Erupts;Cellular phones, Walkman, & roller blades invented
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1970
AND 1980 WOULD BE FROM 28 TO 38 YEARS OLD IN 2008.
This age group would have
been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1980 - 1989Top
films of decade include: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Raiders of the Lost
Ark (1981),
The
Extraterrestrial (1982), Return of the Jedi (1983), Back to the Future (1985),
Top Gun (1986),Who Framed Roger Rabbit
(1988), Rain Man (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade
(1989), Batman (1989)
1980 - 1989New
Foods introduced: [1980] Jell‑O pudding pops, [1981] Newman's Own Oil and
Vinegar
1980 - 1989Top
popular songs:We Are The World (1985), That's What Friends Are For (1986)
Events
1980 - The hepatitis‑B
vaccine invented;1980-1988 - Iran Iraq
war
1981 - Ronald Regan becomes
President; MS‑DOS and first IBM‑PC invented;The scanning tunneling microscope
Invented;Millions watch royal wedding on T.V.;New plague identified as AIDS;Personal Computers (PC)
introduced by IBM; First woman appointed to
the U.S. Supreme Court
1982 - Falkland Islands War (Falkland
Islands Invaded by Argentina);Human
growth hormone genetically engineered
1983 - The Apple Lisa
&soft bifocal contact lens invented; The first Cabbage Patch Kids sold; Jaron
Lanier coins
Term "virtual reality"; Grenada-American Invasion;Reagan Announces Defense Plan Called Star
Wars;
Sally Ride is the First American
Woman in Space; Soviets Shoot Down a Korean Airliner;U.S. Embassy in Beirut
Bombed; Cell phones sold commercially
1984 - The CD‑ROM and Apple Macintosh invented;huge Poison Gas Leak in Bhopal, India;Indira Gandhi, India's Prime Minister, killed
by two Bodyguards; First movie rating scale
1985 - Windows program invented by Microsoft; Famine in Ethiopia;Hole in the Ozone Layer Discovered; Wreck of
the Titanic Found
1986 - Synthetic skin
invented by G. Gregory Gallico, III;Space
Shuttle Challenger explosion;Fuji
introduced
the disposable camera; Challenger Space
Shuttle Explodes; Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; Iran‑Contra Scandal Unfolds;U.S. Bombs Libya;U.S.S.R. Launches Mir Space Station
1987 - The first 3‑D video game invented;Disposable contact lenses invented;Chernobyl nuclear Disaster in USSR; DNA First
Used to Convict Criminals;New York
Stock Exchange Suffers Huge Drop on "Black Monday"
1988 - Digital cellular phones
invented; The RU‑486 (abortion pill) invented;Doppler radar invented by C.A. Doppler;
Prozac7
invented at the Eli Lilly Company; Pan Am Flight 103 Is Bombed Over Lockerbie;U.S. Shoots Down Iranian Airliner
1989 - High‑definition
television invented; Fall of Berlin Wall;Panama-American invasion;Assassination
attempt on
U.S. President Reagan; Berlin Wall Falls;Exxon Valdez Spills Millions of Gallons of
Oil on Alaska Coastline;
Students Massacred in China's
Tiananmen Square;Hubble Telescope
Launched Into Space
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1980
AND 1990 WOULD BE FROM 18 TO 28 YEARS OLD IN 2008.
This age group would have
been influenced in the formative years by the following:
1990 - 1999Top
films of decade include: Jurassic Park (1993), The Lion King (1994), Forrest
Gump (1994), Independence Day (1996), Titanic (1997), The Lost World: Jurassic
Park (1997), Men in Black (1997), Armageddon (1998), Star Wars: The Phantom
Menace (1999), The Sixth Sense (1999)
1990 - 1999New
Foods introduced: (sorry, haven’t researched this yet)
1990 - 1999Top
popular songs:Beauty and the Beast
(1991), I Will Always Love You (1974/1992), Candle in the Wind (1973/1997), My
Heart Will Go On (1997)
1991 -Persian Gulf War
Events
1990 - The World Wide
Web/Internet protocol (HTTP) & WWW language (HTML) created
1991 - The digital answering
machine invented; Bronze Age Man Found
Frozen in Glacier; Collapse of the
Soviet Union; Operation Desert Storm; South
Africa Repeals Apartheid Laws
1992 - Official End of the
Cold War; Riots in LA after the Rodney King verdict
1993 - Bill Clinton becomes
President; The pentium processor invented; Cult Compound in Waco, Texas Raided;
Use of the Internet Grows Exponentially; World Trade Center Bombed
1994 - Channel Tunnel Opens
between Britain and France;HIV protease
inhibitor invented;O.J. Simpson
Arrested for double murder;Rwandan
Genocide Begins;Lorena Bobbit Takes
Brutal Revenge;Nelson Mandela Elected
President of South Africa
1995 - Gas Attack in Tokyo
Subway;The Java computer language and
DVD invented;Oklahoma City Bombing; Yitzhak
Rabin Assassinated
1996 - Mad Cow Disease Hits
Britain;Web TV invented;Two Royal Divorces;Unabomber Arrested
1997 - Hale‑Bopp Comet
Visible;The gas powered fuel cell
invented;Hong Kong Returned to China;Pathfinder Sends Back Images of Mars; Princess Diana Dies in Car Crash; Tallest Buildings in World Built in Kuala
Lumpur; Tiger Woods Wins Masters
1998 - India and Pakistan
Test Nuclear Weapons;Viagra7 invented;U.S.
President Clinton Impeached
1999 - The Euro the New
European Currency;Scientists measure
the fastest wind speed ever recorded on earth, 509 km/h(318 mph);JFK Jr. Dies in Plane Accident;Killing Spree at Columbine High School;NATO Attacks Serbia;Panama Canal Returns to Panama
PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 2000
AND 2008 WOULD BE FROM 8 TO 18 YEARS OLD IN 2008.
This age group would have
been influenced in the formative years by the following:
2001 - World Trade Center
destroyed by terrorists;US-led coalition
invades Afghanistan/ War on Terrorism begins; First tourist in space;George Bush becomes President
2002 - Mars Odyssey arrive in
orb it around Mars
2003 - Beginning of Operation
Iraqi Freedom (Iraq War);50,000 people
killed in Europe killed by prolonged heat wave;
Space Shuttle Columbia
disaster;First privately funded space
flight;Dolly the sheep is cloned;Earthquake killed 26,000 people in Iran
2004 - Cassini probe arrives
at Saturn;Hurricanes kill 3,200 in Caribbean;Indian Ocean Earthquake kills 310,000 people
2005 - Pope John Paul II dies;First successful partial face transplant;Hurricane Katrina; Earthquake in Kashmir kills over 87,000 people;Space Probe lands on Titan, largest of Saturn=s moons.
2006 - N. Korea conducts
first nuclear tests;Sadam Hussein
executed in Baghdad;0yr voyage to Pluto
launched and planet Adeclassified@ to Dwarf
Planet; Vaccine developed for cervical cancer
