The U.S. trails far behind every wealthy nation and many developing ones that have family-friendly work policies including paid parental leave, paid sick days and breast-feeding support.
Coal gas rivaled smoky oil lamps and flickering candles, and early in the new century, well-to-do Londoners grew accustomed to gaslit houses and even streets.
In most rich countries the baby-boomers born after the second world war were more numerous, better educated and better paid than any generation before them.
Although we live in the land of plenty - and for the most part overeat - there are some critical vitamins that Americans tend to be short on, especially women.
So you see a great divergence where the wealthier states are growing faster and the poorer states are growing slower - so the gap between the rich and the poor is widening.