I’m not 90, but getting up there. 1966 was better. And no, this isn’t a generic statement. I would say that 1916 (which I don’t remember, of course) would be worse.
In 1966, I was a small child growing up in California, in the San Francisco bay area. That was right in the middle of hippy country, and my mother was fascinated by hippies (but never actually was one). Even as a child, I saw the hippies as fakes, pretending that people are something other than what they really are.
Was life better then? I dunno. The hippy culture certainly was not better.
So, WAS life better 50 years ago? Even given the constant advances in technology and efforts to make our lives healthier and easier, I think it was a better time back in 1966. Less complicated, more optimism about the future and good economic times.
I celebrate my Half-Century high school reunion this fall in Tempe, AZ. Our class motto said it all: "We Have Fun. We Have Kicks. We're the Class of '66!" My former classmates and I will celebrate that period of time in our lives with nostalgia and fond reminisces and memories at our 50th reunion in October. Why? Because it was a better time for us, looking back on the totality of our whole lives.
But we can't go back. Today is what it is. We control what happens next.
All of the extra lifespan years we’ve gained since 1916 end up being stolen from us by the government in some form, i.e. we’re not the beneficiaries of the wealth or potential leisure/enjoyment time garnered from it by and large.