You're one of the first people who's never lived in a world without "test-tube babies."
In October 2010, Cristine Russell wrote about the practice of in vitro fertilization (IVF) becoming more common.
You were born in September of 1979. This year, The Atlantic celebrates its 160th birthday, making it 4 times as old as you.
The year you were born, James Fallows, who worked as a speech writer for President Jimmy Carter, wrote about why the latter's presidency had been so constrained.
Around the time you were born, Pioneer 11 became the first space probe to reach as far as Saturn.
In January 2016, Ross Anderson wrote about why Saturn is the best planet.
Patrick Hertzog / AFP / Getty Images
At 10 years old, you saw the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
“It was thought that all borders between men had similarly disintegrated, and we were all destined to be free and empowered individuals in a global meeting place,” wrote Robert Kaplan 20 years later.
Everett Collection
This is what Hollywood thought teenagers looked like the year you became one.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was released in 1992.
Your life can be divided into two halves: before and after Harry Potter.
In November 2010, Alyssa Rosenberg wrote about why it was so difficult for readers who grew up reading the series to say goodbye to Harry Potter.
Around your 18th birthday, China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, ending 156 years of British colonial rule.
In April 2013, Matt Schiavenza wrote about how Thatcher attempted to maintain British rule of Hong Kong.
Phil McCarten / Reuters
In 2001, Kate Hudson, who was born the same year as you, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Almost Famous.
In June 2013, Nick Schager wrote about how family ties make the film industry more inclusive.
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
When you turned 31, you saw the rise of the Arab Spring.
People across the world rediscovered the power and peril of revolutions, as Laura Kasinof found in Yemen.
By the time you turn 55, NASA says it will send humans to explore Mars.
In August 2015, Alakananda Mookerjee wrote about what new Mars colonists would be able to eat—and how they'd grow it.
History is happening all around you, every day.
The Atlantic is here to help you process it, in stories like these:
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