A decade retrospective on the Teens.

Looking back on the Teens, or the Tens, gives perspective on an incredible decade. It began deep in the throes of the financial disaster in 2008 – 2009, and ended with leaps in technology, health, financial markets. The World Bank reported that worldwide poverty fell from 18.2% to 8.6% in the ten years from 2008 to 2018, and global life expectancy has increased by three years over the same time. Here’s a small sample of memorable stories that told a greater story of progress for this decade.

2010

In politics, two major bills became law: The Affordable Health Act, broadly affecting health care, and Dodd Frank, a reaction to the financial mortgage meltdown, placing broad new regulations on financial services. In business, Apple introduced the ipad. My wife and I had planned a 25th anniversary trip to Europe that spring, but were foiled by the volcano in Iceland, halting transatlantic flights. We pivoted from that to “best last minute travel deals on the internet”, opting for Cancun, Mexico, where we met stranded people from Europe, and a fascinating underwater heavy equipment operator. He was called away early for an emergency gig: the Deepwater Horizon BP well blast. That fall, my sons and I walked the 100-Mile Wilderness on the Appalachian Trail, in Maine.

2011

The Arab Spring began in Tunisia, rocking the Arab world. In an interview, Bassar al Assad said the protests would bring in a ‘new era’ recognizing the people’s dissatisfaction with the way things were. An earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, Japan overwhelmed the Daiichi nuclear power plant. Later that year, Germany announced it would close all its nuclear power plants. U.S. Special Forces kill Osama bin Laden in his compound in Pakistan, and Standard & Poors lowers the credit rating for United States debt, rocking a fundamental financial assumption that U.S. debt is “risk free”. We acquire 306 Washington Street, moving our company, Gordon Insurance to that location in 2012. Steve Jobs died, as did Kim Jong Il. The U.S. officially lowers its flag in Iraq, closing its mission. My wife and I visit our daughter who is studying in New Zealand. T

he Bruins win the Stanley Cup.

2012

In business, large tech IPOs including Uber, Lyft and Facebook came out of the gate, and each stumbled. Hurricane Sandy crashed into NY and NJ, changing hurricane models for the insurance industry and coastal preparation in general. President Obama gains a second term, and Xi Jinping becomes China’s new head of the Party, beginning his ascendancy in China and East Asia. The horrific assault on children in Sandy Hook CT change the national discussion about guns. The Gordons have a Turkish student in our home, beginning a wonderful connection with him and his family, while our nephew takes his second deployment, this time to Afghanistan.

2013

Pope Francis becomes the new pope, the first Jesuit, first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere, portending changes within the Catholic Church. The Tsarnaev brothers rock Boston with two bombs at the marathon finish and are hunted down over the next several days. Edward Snowden decides the U.S. surveillance system needs to be upended and releases a vast NSA database to Wikileaks. (He still resides in Russia). Bashar al Assad uses chemical weapons against other Syrians. Energy markets change fundamentally as the U.S. surpasses Russia as the world’s largest energy producer, driven by fracking technology. The Dow closes above 15,000 for the first time. Heroin deaths rise from 6,000 to 8,000 (year over year); but growth is concentrated in suburban white communities bringing about major social and political attention to the problem. My older son takes a walk in the woods from Georgia to Maine; I join him for 2 weeks, a week in the south and one in the north, and again on K’tah’dn. Sox win the World Series.

2014

Malaysia Air flight 370 disappears somewhere over the Indian Ocean with 227 passengers. Petro Poroshenko defeats Viktor Yanukovitch in the Ukrainian presidential election and two months later Russia annexes Crimea. A violent night erupts in Ferguson Missouri when a policy officer shoots Michael Brown, ushering in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. In business, Medtronic and Covidien complete the largest corporate inversion ever; lawmakers propose legislation to halt the practice of moving headquarters to lower tax nations. ISIS established is caliphate under Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, with control over 8 million people, oil refineries, and vast agricultural and industrial regions in Syria and Iraq. Sony Pictures is deeply embarrassed as North Korean hackers release confidential emails to the public. The United States begins closer ties with Cuba after decades of embargo. The Pats win the Super Bowl.

2015

In business, Apple replaces AT&T on the Down Jones 20 Industrials, while shooting star Theranos begins its spectacular fall. The Federal Reserve raises rates for the first time in seven years, from a quarter point to a half point, signaling the end of Quantitative Easing. In Obergefgell vs. Hodges, the Supreme Court makes marriage between gay and lesbian couples the law of the land. We visit our former ‘student’ in Istanbul and Ephesus, Turkey. The Paris Climate Accord is established with climate goals for rich and poor nations alike.

2016

On the world stage, voters in Britain decide to leave the European Union, and Prime Minister David Cameron steps down. In business, InBev acquired Miller AB, gaining 46% of the world’s beer profits. Microsoft acquires LinkedIn business social platform, and Wells Fargo pays a massive $185 million fine for ‘widespread illegal practice’ opening new accounts for people without their consent.

Gordon Insurance purchases Atlantic Advisors, both respected Norwell insurance agencies, re-branding as Gordon Atlantic. Donald Trump is elected President. Pats win the Super Bowl.

2017

In January, the Dow passes 20,000. President Trump withdraws from the Paris Climate Acord and the Trans Pacific Partnership. Hurricane Harvey stalls around Houston Texas with massive rainfall flooding thousands of homes. Hurricane Maria rips through Puerto Rico. More than 500 concert goers are shot in Las Vegas, 59 die. Equifax, the keeper of most Americans’ financial records, is hacked. President Trump fires James Comey from the FBI; eight days later Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints Robert Mueller to look into allegations of collusion between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign. Harvey Weinstein leaves his studio amidst allegations of sexual predation. In December Congress passes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

2018

The Dow Jones Industrial Average passes 25,000 in January. The Communist Party in China removes a limit to presidential terms, effectively making Xi Jinping president for life. President Trump imposes broad tariffs on aluminum and steel. Trump and Kim Jong Un begin a dialogue over nuclear weapons. California is devastated by the Paradise wildfires, which leave 44 dead. Our younger son completes the Appalachian Trail …a bit faster than his brother, and I joined him for a week mostly in the Shenandoah. Our daughter is married here, but now lives in New Zealand. The United States becomes a net exporter of oil, continuing to affect economic and social forces in the U.S., Russia, and the Middle East.

Sox win the World Series.

2019

China lands a vehicle on the far side of the Moon, and the United States charges Chinese company Huawei executives, including the daughter of the founder, with stealing trade secrets. In business, Disney buys Fox’s entertainment assets including Star Wars, making the company larger than Netflix. Mueller Report is released, revealing little. Two Boeing 737 Max jets crash, prompting major fallout for Being and airlines around the world. Nancy Pelosi begins Impeachment hearings and President Trump is impeached on a party vote. It has not advanced to the Senate. Pats win the Super Bowl.

What will we see in 2020?