Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the demographic cohort preceded by the Silent Generation and followed by Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964. These years span the mid-20th-century baby boom that followed the end of World War II. The dates, the demographic context, and the cultural identifiers may vary by country. Most boomers are the parents of Generation X, Millennials and older Generation Z.