The Silent Generation was the American (US) generation born between the two World Wars, who were too young to join the service when World War II started. Many had fathers who served in World War I. (1925-1945). It is thought of as being an adaptive generation.

Relatively few Silents served in World War II., and those who did were either underage or served at the very end. However, many served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

They were characterized as being rather quiet and conformist when young adults, marrying and having children early, only to set-off the modern trend of high divorce rates when they had their crises (ca. 1967-1987).^{[citation needed]} Many "discovered themselves" during their middle age years, and in old age, are typically mediators who seek to please everybody and to offend none. Midlife crisis is the notion, popular in certain cultures, that many middle-aged people go through a period of dramatic self doubt brought on by the realization that their life is half over and they havent accomplished what they once wanted to. ...

Despite these typical traits, many personalities associated with the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s were from the silent generation, including Abbie Hoffman, Philip K. Dick, Hunter Thompson, Malcom X, Charles Manson, and Brian Willson. Many members of the folk and psychedelic rock scenes, such as the members of The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, the Jefferson Airplane, and the Mamas and the Papas, despite their being largely associated with the succeeding Baby Boom generation, were actually born during the tail end of the silent generation. Of note is the total lack of U.S. presidents in the Silent Generation. Abbott Howard Abbie Hoffman (November 30, 1936 – April 12, 1989) was a self-identified communo-anarchist,[1] social and political activist in the United States, co-founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies), and later, a fugitive from the law, who lived under an alias following a conviction for dealing... Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction. ... Hunter S. Thompson Hunter Stockton Thompson (born Louisville, Kentucky July 18, 1937) is an American journalist and author. ... Malcolm X (pronounced Malkolm Eks, May 19, 1925–February 21, 1965 – also: Malcolm Little, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, and Omowale) was a spokesman for the Nation of Islam, and a founder of both the Muslim Mosque, Inc. ... Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) is a career criminal who led the Manson Family, a commune or cult that began to form around him in the U.S. city of San Francisco in 1967. ... Brian Willson giving a talk in Canada, 2003 S. Brian Willson, (b. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... This article is about the rock band. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941) is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. ... Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band from San Francisco, a pioneer of the LSD-influenced psychedelic rock movement. ... The Mamas & the Papas were a leading vocal group of the 1960s, and one of the few American groups to maintain widespread success during the British Invasion, along with The Beach Boys. ... For the video game, see Baby Boomer (video game). ...

Typically, Silents had grandparents who were members of the Missionary Generation, parents who were members of either the Lost Generation or the G.I. Generation, and children who were members of either the Babyboom or else early Generation X (children born roughly from the mid 1950s through the late 1960s or early 1970s; most Babyboomers, however, had parents who were members of the G.I. Generation). Because of the Great Depression and World War II., the Silent generation was small, and thus so is Generation X. The Missionary Generation is the designation given by Strauss and Howe in their book Generations to that generation in the United States of America born from 1860 to 1882. ... For other uses, see Lost Generation (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A baby boom is any period of greatly increased birth rate within temporal and usually geographical bounds. ... Generation X is a term used to describe generations in many countries around the world. ... For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ...

References

• Generations, William Strauss, Neil Howe
• The Fourth Turning, William Strauss, Neil Howe