1970s: The 1970 census reveals that three million women are raising families by themselves.

Today: The 2000 census reports that over ten million women, many of them by choice, raise families as single mothers.

1970s: Late in the decade, British scientists report that they have determined, for the first time, the complete genetic structure of a living organism.

Today: Scientists from the Human Genome Project finish drafts of the human genome, one of the largest scientific undertakings of all time, and determine that the human genome contains between 26,000 and 40,000 genes.

1970s: Post-Vietnam America, plagued by economic instability, widespread civic distrust of government, and an energy crisis, begins to rebound as government agencies concentrate on the domestic agenda.

Today: Post-September 11, 2001, America, plagued by economic instability, concerns over national security, and threats of bioterrorism, focuses on a domestic agenda that strives to make America safe and economically stable...