Late 1700s: World economies are predominately agrarian.

1847: England is in the midst of an Industrial Revolution whose effects will be felt worldwide. Workers flock to cities from the countryside.

Today: World economies are increasingly linked in a "global community." Intercultural communication and cultural diversity in the so-called service economy are a direct result of advances m transportation and communications.

Late 1700s: Life expectancy is short, owing to harsh living and working conditions. Death in childbirth is common.

1847: Medical advances and improved public health and sanitation decrease maternal and infant mortality.

Today: Though high-technology medicine offers solutions to many medical problems, heart disease and cancer remain major killers, there is no cure for AIDS, and many countries grapple with increasing costs of health care for aging populations.

Late 1700s: Inheritance in England passes from the father to the first-born male. A procedure called "strict settlement...