The American Nation A History of the United States, Combined Volume (14th Edition)

Greying of the Boomers 845

Medical advances during the late twentieth cen-
tury led to an increase in the life span: An American
born in 1900 could expect to live to be fifty, while
one born in 2000 was projected to live to seventy-
seven. But this good news further complicated the
transition from Boomers to Millennials.
Compounding the difficulty were attitudinal differ-
ences between the generations, such as those cited

elsewhere in this chapter. The 2008 Pew poll also found

that 75 percent of Millennials had profiles on a social

networking site, compared to 30 percent of Boomers;

that 38 percent of Millennials had a tattoo, compared to

15 percent of Boomers; and that 23 percent of

Millennials had body piercings other than an ear lobe,

compared to fewer than 1 percent of Boomers. How

Millennials will treat aging Boomers is anyone’s guess.

In 1980, sixty-year-old John A. Garraty, co-author of this book, completed his first twenty-four-mile marathon in New

York City. He completed his last marathon when he was seventy-two.