If you could visit any decade in the 20th Century

[What's his face]

which decade would you visit? What would you do when you got there?

The rules:
1. You can't change anything. No preventing 9/11 or killing Hitler. Also no cheating on the lottery or the stock market or using banks with high interest to become rich or something like that.
2. You can't tell anyone you're from the future or show them the time machine.

You're just there to explore and have fun. Also you're allowed to bring friends and/or family bak with you if you want.

I'd visit the 1980s. Here's what I'd do:
1. Go for a ride in a DeLorean
2. Watch Star Trek II in theatres opening night
3. Yell at random people and tell them their music/hair/fashion is terrible
4. Get some Reagan/Bush and Mondale/Ferraro campaign literature as souvenirs
5. Buy an old-school nintendo and some classic games
6. Watch the Berlin Wall fall live on tv.

What about you?

 

[Skywalker]

The Roaring Twenties, baby.

 

[Gepard]

In no particular order, and not confined to any particular decade:

-Watch the moon landing live.

-See Elvis and the Beatles when they first came to America (in person!)

-See Star Wars, first-run.

-Hang around and watch people react to the "Lucy has the baby" episode of I Love Lucy.

-Watch the Wright Brothers' first flight.

-Woodstock.

-Watch the first episode of Star Trek.

-Go back to the '30s and '40s and pick up a ton of press photography equipment, particularly the really rare parts that are nearly impossible to find these days.

-1939 World's Fair. The whole thing.

-Attend the opening of Disneyland and Disney World.

And probably tons more.

 

[Mallory]

I'd go back to the decade I was born in, the 1950s, buy a car and roam America.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I'd go back to the early 80s so I can buy Microsoft stock.

 

[Amaris]

I'd hit the aughts. 1900-1910.

* I'd travel to Kitty Hawk, NC and witness the Wright Brothers flying for the first time and then visit their bicycle shop in Dayton, OH.
* I'd go to Detroit, MI and see Henry Ford roll the first Ford automobile off the line.
* I would visit San Fransisco the day before the 1906 earthquake.
* I would ride a train from New York to Boston, talking to as many passengers as possible.
* I would speak to Albert Einstein about his theories, and just meet the man.
* I would buy a 1903 edition of "Call of the Wild" by Jack London to keep as a souvenir.


Lots of other stuff too!

J.

 

[Trippy]

2. Watch Star Trek II in theatres opening night
5. Buy an old-school nintendo and some classic games
6. Watch the Berlin Wall fall live on tv.

What about you?

Done. Done. And Done.

-See Star Wars, first-run.

And Done.

Yes, I'd go back to the 80s, bad hair and all...but I had a BLAST in the 80s

For historical purposes, the turn of the century would be cool

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Your age is showing.

I would like to go to the 60s. See if i can remember it.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Seventies would be nice just so I could see Pink Floyd during the Breast Milky tour.

 

[What's his face]

The idea of this thread came from a dream I had a few days ago. There were these students from the year 1899 that needed to be taught about what to expect in the coming century, so we were assigned a decade to make a lecture about it and teach it to these students. I was assigned the 1980s.

Yeah I'm weird

 

[Brent]

I would have loved to see what the 70's were like. I was born in '80, so I missed it.

 

[Mr. B]

That's a tough call but at the moment I'm thinking the 50's. The cars were awesome. I could see a lot of great movies premiere and see people like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington performing in person. I could maybe see some atomic bomb tests which would no doubt be amazing on several levels. I'm sure there are a near-infinite number of things worth seeing outside the US. The only big one that comes to mind just now is witnessing reconstruction in Japan.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I think I would go back to the 1940s. Yes, I know those were tough times with World War II, but those sorts of time really tend to bring out some incredible things in people. In my own time it's an honor to talk with people who lived through those times and gave so much for the sake of freedom...and I'm probably of the last generation to have that opportunity and see it for what it's worth.

It was a time when people still knew what it was like to dedicate themselves to something bigger than themselves. And to actually be able to bear witness to the incredible acts of character and sacrifice that took place--to see the spirit of the American and British peoples during those times...it would be an honor. And to tell you the truth...I think I'd feel more comfortable there than I often do in my own time.

 

[Captain Ice]

I'd go back to the decade I was born in, the 1950s, buy a car and roam America.

I'd also pick the 50's, but for different reasons.

I'd buy and put into storage:
1955 Chrysler 300
1957 Chrysler 300C
1955, 56, and 57 Chevys
1959 Ford Skyliner
1953 Studebaker coupe
1956 Ford Crown Victoria Skyliner
1953 Vette
1957 Thunderbird
A GM GP9 painted "Black Widow"

I'd watch Willie Mays make the catch over his shoulder in the Polo Grounds

I'd watch the '55 Dodgers win the World Series

I'd watch Sputnik go up

I'd take a ride in a gas turbine powered locomotive, ride behind a "Big Boy" locomotive, ride behind a "Cab-Forward" locomotive over the Sierras, and take a ride on the "Daylight"

 

[msbae]

I want to go back to the 1990's, so I could remember some of the things that happened in my life during that decade. I can't remember much of it now.

 

[cyph]

Though I would like to see the roaring 20's, witness the harlem renaissance and the progressing jazz and blues movements throughout the 30s-50's, being a minority, I don't fux with that...

I would like to visit the 60's.
And be on Haight street in San Francisco.

See if it's the wild drug-raging-orgy that it's been hyped up to be.

But I would like to bring back some cali kush. I heard that the best weed in the 60's would be considered mids today.

 

[Roshi]

I would go back to the seventies. Only to go to concerts, especially to see Bon Scott era AC/DC. And then Led Zepp', and then The Pink Floyd (from 1970 to 1977) just to see the Montreal concert, and then Deep Purple, and then...

 

[Emher]

60s and buy a 1968 Dodger Charger R/T, then make sure it was safe somewhere, go back to the present after seeing Apollo 11 take off, ship the Charger back here to Sweden and give it to my dad. Might do the same thing with Camaro for myself.

 

[Jadzia]

I don't think I'd want to go back to any decade if I was going to be stuck there. The fact that I would be estranged from friends and relatives in the past. The fact that I would have no legal identity, which would make it difficult to build a quiet life for myself. Also, I doubt that anyone would believe who I was and how I'd got there, should I tell them. The novelty of hearing 'old news' on the wireless would quickly wear off.

The only benefit would be use of modern knowledge to cheat one's way in the past, or the joys of trying to change history.

For a short visit, well that's something different. There's the option of visiting old memories, or eras that you're just curious about.

Maybe see what life was really like in England during WW2? Maybe visit the late 70s and early 80s? Maybe visit the places where my parents and grandparents grew up, to see what life was like for them when they were children? Or the late 80s, and visit myself when I was a child. Although I don't know how I'd have responded at that age had someone said to me "I am you from 20 years in the future. I have travelled back in time to meet you."

 

[John Picard]

2. Watch Star Trek II in theatres opening night
5. Buy an old-school nintendo and some classic games
6. Watch the Berlin Wall fall live on tv.

What about you?

Done. Done. And Done.

-See Star Wars, first-run.

And Done.

Yes, I'd go back to the 80s, bad hair and all...but I had a BLAST in the 80s

For historical purposes, the turn of the century would be cool

Been there, done that as well!

I'd like to go back to the 1920's to witness and live through the new technologies and inventions that came to light.