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The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Stern
Postmodernism before postmodernism existed, this book discusses itself and had characters that made fun of the time period and were not complex. -
"Urinal" by Marcel Duchamp
This urinal was presented as art by Duchamp. It was an ordinary, everyday urinal, nothing particularly special. It portrays ironic art styles in the Postmodern era. -
At Swim-two-birds by Flann O'Brien
One of the earliest examples of postmodern literature, this book had three different levels of events and observed the novel-making process. -
V-E Day
Germany formally surrenders to the Allies. By the end of WWII, London had suffered massive damage from aerial bombings and over 30,000 Londoners were dead. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
The United States dropped the 1st atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. As a result of this and the subsequent atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the theme of nuclear destruction is a prevalent postmodern theme. -
India gains independence from Great Britain
India's independence from Great Britain is reflective of the postmodern theme of liberation and multiculturalism. -
Berlin Airlift begins
Britain and the US drop supplies for Berliners and Occupation forces in Soviet-Occupied East Berlin. -
Republic of Ireland is formed
The formation of the Republic of Ireland reflects the postmodern theme of liberation. -
Pop Art by Roy Lichtenstein
Lichtenstein is an American artist who is well-known for his pop art works. Pop art is one of many styles used by artists of the Postmodern Era. The work is bright, bold, and colorful. -
Great Britain joins the US in the Korean War
The fight against communism, which was the reason for the Korean War, was a huge issue during the early Postmodern Era. -
Watson and Crick discover the structure of DNA
In the Postmodernists' search for "truth," the discovery of the double-helix shape of DNA sheds some light on the biological foundation of life. -
1st ITV Broadcast
With the 1st ITV broadcast, commerical TV begins in England as BBC loses its monopoly. TV exemplifies "the effacement of the boundary between high culture and low (mass) culture" described by Dr. Whisnant at Woffod College. -
Britain tests Hydrogen Bomb
Britain's testing of their H-bomb carries on the theme of nuclear destruction and fear of nuclear power that was begun by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
"President Elect" by James Rosenquist
Rosenquist painted billboard images. This image is an example of the collage style of the Postmodern Era. Images are layered over and underneath one another to tell a story. -
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Beginning of Post-modern music
Seen as the beginning of post-modern music. Influenced by the changes in the art world, many credit the Beatles for bringing in those changes of thinking to post-modern music for the first time. Post-modern music is characterized as being ironic, often unpredictable, and intentionally vague in its meaning, often leaving it up to the listener to interpret their own meaning. -
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
This book has a nonlinear storyline and contains many paradoxes and failures in logic. -
David Bowie launches his career in music
David Bowie is best known for his unique voice, intellectual depth, and eclecticism. -
The Who
The rock band, The Who, forms in 1964, later releasing songs such as 'My Generation' and 'Who Are You'. Their songs and lyrics appealed to the youth who wanted to set themselves apart from older generations and rebel against society in general. -
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Post-modern Music
Post-modern music is a genre that developed during the late 1960's in response to and as a promotion of the large-scale social changes at that time. Post-modern music often used irony and hyperbole to condemn and criticize the ideals and materialism of the modern era. The objective of post-modern music was to celebrate non-conformity and attack the status quo. As a result, this music was many times leading the charge for social justice. -
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
This play observes two main characters who do not really understand who they are and keep lapsing in and out of "reality." -
Abortion and Homosexuality legalized in Britain
Homosexuality and abortion are huge social and political issues of the Postmodern Era. Abortion legalization can be seen by some as a women's rights issue, another theme of postmodernism. -
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band released
In this album, the Beatles experimented with many types of musical effects as well as subject matter. The Beatles themselves as well as their song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" exemplifies the postmodern issue of drug use. -
Beatles song "Revolution 1"
Stoked emotions by suggesting revolution in a politically tumultuous period. -
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
The book starts with the author explaining why the book was written. The book is an account of events that really happened, but it includes fantastical elements. -
The Atrocity Exhibition by JG Ballard
Collection of short stories that satirizes cultural events. Ballard was a British postmodern writer. -
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
This book contains many references and has multiple plot threads that intersect each other. It also contains multiple forms of reasoning. -
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Rise of Punk Rock
Rise of punk rock. Characterized by very limited instrumentation and lyrics that often have subtle political connotations. This genre still has a strong following today. -
Bloody Sunday
The British army kills 14 Londerry, Northern Ireland during a protest. Bloody Sunday reflects the theme of liberation. -
Margaret Thatcher becomes Prime Minister
The "Iron Lady" was Great Britain's 1st female Prime Minister. Her election helped to further women's rights and women's societal standing. -
Pink Floyd releases 'The Wall'
Album that challenged everything from materialism to traditional education. -
U2 releases 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'
U2 releases song to memorialize the killing of unarmed civil rights protesters by the British military in Northern Ireland -
Radiohead is formed.
Radiohead used a mixture of jazz, rock, and electronic music to express feelings of alienation, disappointment, disillusion, and loneliness that resonated with the youth of the 1990's. -
'It's the End of the World as We Know It' released by REM
This song is a very strong example of postmodernism. Seems to be a compellation of several disjointed, random ideas with no true meaning to it. It leaves it up to the listener to decide what the song is really about. The lyrics can be taken literally or there may be a deeper meaning to them. -
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro is a prominent English postmodern writer. -
World Wide Web is invented
Tim Berners-Lee's invention revolutionized postmodern society, connecting everyone and promoting the fast, free flow of ideas. The connection of almost the whole world exemplifies the postmodern theme of multiculturalism. -
Operation Desert Storm begins in Kuwait
Operation Desert Storm (Gulf War) was a very controversial invasion and demonstrates the importance of oil in postmodern society. -
Jonathan Kramer's presentation "Postmodern Concepts of Musical Time"
Delivered at Melbourne University. Jonathan Kramer attempted to define what postmodern music really is and characterized it based off similarities between multiple examples of postmodern music. -
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
One of the greatest examples of postmodern literature, this book contains many endnotes that clarify and discuss parts of the plot, which revolves around a film that is so interesting that people viewing it lose interest in everything else. -
"The Swing" (after Fragonard) by Yinka Shonibare
Shonibare's piece is a statue work. Use of bright fabrics create dimension, color, and movement in his piece. This work is a modern interpretation of "The Swing" by Fragonard, reflecting the recreation-type style of Postmodernism. -
Britain joins invasion of Iraq
The invasion of Iraq is another controversial military action. -
Suicide bombers kill 52 on London Underground Trains
These bombings were Britain's 1st terrorist attack. Terrorism is a huge issue facing the 21st century. -
"Light Stream" by Jenny Holzer
Holzer's piece is in the form of LED. Chinese text is translated into English. This is an example of both globalization and multimedia presentation of art in the Postmodern Era. -
England tests Hydrogen Bomb
The testing of England's 1st H-bomb carries on the theme of nuclear destruction and fear started by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
