Well, my dad was born in 1912 on a farm in rural Michigan. No electricity until 1936. Dad talked about going to town once a month, they had a 'root cellar' and lived completely off the land as farmers.

Dad was born into a life of work, no phone/radio/engines, they used horse power to farm until the 30's.

He died in 1996 in a world of:
Computers in homes,
Phones is cars,
Cheap air travel,
Space travel,
Genetic engineering and nuclear energy.

Think of how life changed in my dad's lifetime from 1912 to 1996 - the world he died in was almost not reconcilable with the one he was born in.
He saw WWII (served at sea), he lived thru the entire cold war, watched men walk on the moon, and was fascinated that his 14 year old son (ME!) was able to talk to friend on the other side of the world with a $120 radio in his bedroom and a home built antenna in the trees outside.

He was my biggest fan.
(You didn't think i could make this tribute to dad turn into a post all about me, did you? )