Their youth speaks to the incredible growth of capitalism, and the growth of the economy, in recent decades in China.

FORBES: How China's Self-Made Women Billionaires Earned Their Fortunes

The car was at the heart of the growth of industrial capitalism, and proved a huge boon for personal freedom.

ECONOMIST: A Survey of the 20th Century

This watershed period called "the long 16th century" by historian Immanuel Wallerstein was characterized by rapid population growth, the rise of capitalism, religious controversy and global exploration.

WSJ: Less Familiar Faces | Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe | Princeton University Art Museum | By Barrymore Laurence Scherer