1915: The Ford Model T, or "Tin Lizzy," revolutionizes transportation by offering affordable, mass-produced transportation to middle-class families.

1950s: The automobile is an icon of the age, as materials and products that were unavailable during the Great Depression and World War II allow car makers to build their products bigger and faster.

Today: Many drivers insist on sport utility vehicles because they want to feel safe, while others find the big, fortress-like vehicles to be a waste of fossil fuels.

1915: It is not unusual for a family like the Follets to have a black nurse like Victoria, though southern states like Tennessee are strictly segregated.

1950s: The Civil Rights movement is on the rise to destroy institutional racism.

Today: Legal penalties are in place to punish racism, but blacks and whites in America still have vastly different outlooks and viewpoints.

1915: The "ear trumpet" used by...