Greatest Generation
In Britain, this generation became adults, like most of the western world, during a period of economic difficulty as a result of the Great Depression. When the war in Europe started, millions of British citizens joined the war effort at home and abroad. 2.9 million members of this generation served in the war, and 384,000 were killed or wounded. At home, The Blitz killed thousands of people and destroyed entire British cities. The men and women of this generation continue to be honored in the U.K., particularly on V-E Day. In 2020, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson compared this generation to current generations, and indicated his desire for current generations to show the “same spirit of national endeavour”, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Queen Elizabeth II, a member of this generation who lived through World War II, said many of the same things.