After World War II, the birth rate in the US and UK (and to a lesser extent, Canada) spiked. From 1946 to 1955 was the first wave of what would be called the baby boomer generation, with second wave boomers arriving through 1964. Brought into the world by a generation hardened by the privations of the Great Depression and World War II, and into a country that was the uncompromising leader of the world in economic growth and production, the baby boomer generation had an unprecedented opportunity to shape and change the world.

And they have. From ending the Vietnam War to driving the largest peace time economic expansion in US history, the 'boomers have had a profound impact on the world. As of now, they're approximately 28% of the population of the United States, and, as of October 15th, 2007, have started to draw Social Security. Only the baby boomer generation could have brought down the Nixon White House. It was the baby boomer generation that marched for civil rights in the south, and their votes gave Lyndon Johnson the mandate to start the Great Society programs.

There are subtler changes wrought as well. An accelerating growth curve in technology meant that baby boomers had more options available to them than any prior generation, from transistor radios to cheap cars. Baby boomers weren't content to "go back to the home" – more women of the baby boomer generation balanced careers, family and a social life than their parents did. As a result of this, more than 80% of the wealth of the United States is held by the baby boomer generation, even though it numbers roughly 28% of the people. Due to stock funded retirement plans, baby boomers hold almost 70% of all stocks in the US and over 60% throughout the world.

Baby boomers were the first generation to really be subjected to modern media and market analysis; they're the most studied set of consumers in the world, and baby boomer trends shaped the culture of the US and the world, from Elvis Presley and the Beatles to Disco to TV programs like The Wonder Years and Thirtysomething.

The baby boomers are hitting their golden years now; retirement is coming closer and closer, and this demographic spike is going to continue to lead the world in what it means to retire and in what it means to remain productive throughout their lives. This web site is a café for boomers to talk about boomer issues, to reminisce about the things they've done, talk about the things they're doing, and to swap tips about how to keep their lives going in the future.

Why not head on over to the Baby Boomer Blog and Forum and get into the discussion (or start one yourself) or if you would rather just listen, we've got plenty of articles to keep you coming back – and, hey, if there's a topic you'd like to read more about, send us and email, and we'll see what we can do for you

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