Greatest Generation
cohort succeeding the Lost Generation, born from 1901 to 1927
The Greatest Generation, also known as the G.I. Generation and the World War II Generation, is the demographic cohort following the Lost Generation and preceding the Silent Generation. This generation is generally defined as people born from 1901 to 1927. They were shaped by the Great Depression and were the primary generation composing the enlisted forces in World War II.
Terminology
An early usage of the term The Greatest Generation was in 1953 by U.S. Army General James Van Fleet, who had recently retired after his service in World War II and leading the Eighth Army in the Korean War. He spoke to Congress, saying, "The men of the Eighth Army are a magnificent lot, and I have always said the greatest generation of Americans we have ever produced." The term was popularized by the title of a 1998 book by American journalist Tom Brokaw. In the book, Brokaw profiles American members of this generation who came of age during the Great Depression and went on to fight in World War II, as well as those who contributed to the war effort on the home front. Brokaw wrote that these men and women fought not for fame or recognition, but because it was the "right thing to do".
This cohort is also referred to as the "World War II Generation" and the "G.I. Generation". The "G.I. Generation" term was first used in 1971 by Alberto M. Camarillo, in the academic journal Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies. The term became more popular after authors William Strauss and Neil Howe used it in their 1991 book Generations: The History of America's Future.
Date and age range definitions
Pew Research Center defines this cohort as being born from 1901 to 1927.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Greatest Generation” is cohort succeeding the Lost Generation, born from 1901 to 1927. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Greatest, Generation and cohort, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “cohort succeeding the Lost Generation, born from 1901 to 1927” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q27995878. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1901, 1927, 1953 and 1998.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Greatest Generation”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Greatest Generation primary sources, Greatest Generation archive and Greatest research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Greatest Generation”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Greatest Generation” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.