Educational Media Reviews Online

The Time Capsule series documents the important political, international, cultural, and social events of the twentieth-century through the exclusive use of archival news footage. The United States is the primary focus of the series; however, world events are woven into the discussion. The series begins in the 1930’s and ends in the 1990’s with each of the seven videos covering a single decade.

The series includes all of the major events of the twentieth century that one would expect. Time Capsule: The 1930’s begins with the Great Depression and progresses through the decade with the mobsters and bootleggers in Chicago, the Lindberg baby’s kidnapping, Hitler’s rise to power, and the 1939 World’s Fair. Time Capsule: The 1940’s describes such major events as the American war effort during the Second World War, images of the Holocaust, women entering the workplace, the Allied forces victory in the war, and the official creation of the state of Israel. Time Capsule: The 1950’s discusses Truman’s authorization of the hydrogen bomb development, the Korean War, James Watson and Francis Crick’s introduction of the double helix, and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Time Capsule: The 1960’s introduce the viewer to the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Robert Kennedy. The escalation of the Vietnam War and the discontent on the home front are shown along with the progression of the Women’s and Civil Rights Movements. Time Capsule: The 1970’s continues to show the discontent with the war in Vietnam and the protests on the home front, President Nixon’s visit to China, the oil embargo, and the seizure of the American embassy in Iran and the standoff that followed. Time Capsule: The 1980’s addressed the major events of the decade which included the Cold War, the Challenger explosion, and the demonstrations worldwide for democracy including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the student protests in Tiananmen Square. Time Capsule: The 1990’s show the Gulf War with Iraq, terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad, and President Clinton’s impeachment.

Along with the political and international events the series highlights the social and cultural events that shaped the twentieth-century. Speakeasies and the jitterbug, hula hops, Woodstock, disco, and the unveiling of New Coke and the quick return to Coca-Cola classic are included along with the other social and cultural events that impacted the century.

The archival footage and the original narration are all excellent quality and the programs overall narration is well done and objective in the handling of controversial events. Accompanying each video is a teacher’s resource guide that includes a program summary, learning objectives, and review and discussion questions for use by instructors. This is an excellent series for a quick introduction to the major events of the twentieth century or for those nostalgic for the past. This series does not receive a higher recommendation because of the limited attention given each event, resulting in limited use in most collections. Recommended.