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Generational Wealth & Legacy Calculator

Calculate generational gaps and visualize family history against global events. A tool for genealogy, estate planning, and historical context.

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Person A (Ancestor)

Person B (Descendant)

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About

We often measure family history in names and dates, but we rarely contextualize the eras those ancestors lived through. Understanding that a great-grandfather entered the workforce during the Great Depression or that a parent started school before the moon landing changes our perspective on their financial habits, values, and legacy.

This calculator determines the "Generational Gap" between two birth years, using the standard sociological metric of 25-30 years per generation. More importantly, it overlays the active years of the ancestor's life with major global disruptions, technological breakthroughs, and economic shifts.

This context is crucial for legacy planning and biography. It transforms abstract dates into a narrative, showing exactly where a family's timeline intersects with the world's timeline.

generations genealogy history timeline family tree demographics

Formulas

The generational gap is calculated by dividing the time difference by the standard generation constant μ (typically 25 or 30 years).

{
Gapyears = |Year1 − Year2|Generations = Gapyears30

Shared lifetime is the intersection of two life intervals:

Overlap = max(0, min(Death1, Death2) − max(Birth1, Birth2))

Reference Data

Generation NameBirth Range (Approx)Defining Event (Youth)Historical Context
Lost Generation1883 - 1900World War IIndustrialization, 1918 Flu, Roaring 20s
Greatest Generation1901 - 1927Great DepressionWWII, Radio, New Deal
Silent Generation1928 - 1945Post-War BoomKorean War, Cold War Start, TV
Baby Boomers1946 - 1964Moon LandingCivil Rights, Cold War, Rock & Roll
Generation X1965 - 1980Fall of Berlin WallPC Revolution, MTV, End of Cold War
Millennials (Gen Y)1981 - 19969/11 & InternetSocial Media, 2008 Crisis, Globalization
Generation Z1997 - 2012SmartphonesClimate Change, COVID-19, AI
Generation Alpha2013 - 2024AI & RoboticsRemote Work, Space Race 2.0

Frequently Asked Questions

Sociologically, a generation is typically defined as 20 to 30 years. This tool uses 30 years as the default for historical calculations, as this historically represents the average age gap between parents and offspring in established family lines, though modern demographics vary.
Events that occur when a person is between 15 and 45 years old tend to have the most significant impact on their career, wealth accumulation, and worldview. While childhood events matter, "prime" years correlate with active economic participation.
Yes. If you enter a future date (e.g., 2050), the tool will calculate the generational distance from today, helping to visualize how many generations removed your potential descendants would be.
These terms are widely accepted Western demographic labels (primarily US/Europe). While dates vary slightly by source (e.g., Pew Research vs. US Census), the ranges used here represent the general consensus.