Wil Wright/MAXIS have a series of games that might help you with this, from the individual level all the way up to entire civilizations.

One reason why 50 is such a magic number is most of the western world went through a major cultural shift beginning in the mid-50s through the early 70s. Another shift is occurring right now thanks to the internet.

Meh. I have shoes almost as old as you and I barely have my life together much less an ability to build a society/country/etc.

yeah Ardiril but the western world had a lot more going for it in those 20 years, like 100s of years of economic/political power entrenchment. I mean these guys were massacring us for asking for self representation just a few decades ago and now they're mad we aren't making airplanes or whatever the hell? These things take time

At the age of 56, I go back 50 years to going to First Grade. To me, the 50th Anniversaries of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Yogi Bear, Astro Boy and The Flintstones have been the most memorable Golden Anniversaries of late. Wasn't even aware of the Peace Corps or the Beach Boys getting started in '61.

But when the 50th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination comes in '13, I'll have some very special memories... my family was in the middle of moving into a house in the San Fernando Valley, and I was sent off to my first day at a new school (with a little guidance from the son of one of my father's co-workers, who attended the same school). Then just before noon, the PA system announced that everyone was going to be sent home early because the President had been shot. Now, I was tunnel-visioning through the process of acclimating myself to this new school-place, but my classmate still got a big, inappropriate laugh when I asked him "Did somebody shoot the Student Body President?"