The other night I got to talking with some friends about the things we take for granted and how things change over time. Wars have been fought, for example, over simple luxuries such as spices to flavor food and absolute necessities such as clean water, both of which are overlooked, underappreciated parts of life for most Americans. Diseases that killed or crippled millions of people several decades ago, such as smallpox and polio, barely exist in America today thanks to vaccines. Centuries ago, sending a message to a relative overseas might require a handwritten letter and take weeks to arrive. Now, I can use my mobile phone to talk to or text someone on the other side of world in nearly real time. Instead of being in awe that such an interaction is even possible, I might be frustrated that my connection isn’t better!

My friends from the other night and I are curious. We’ve seen or read about changes in medicine, politics, communication, music, language, religion, technology, architecture, diet, family, and any number of other areas. What do you consider to be some of the most significant changes over the last 100 years, and why? What are some of the inventions or other changes that we take for granted?