Does the long march of history translate into happiness? The question is harder than it sounds, because happiness is subjective and shaped by expectation.
Material life improved in many ways: fewer die of famine, many live longer, and comfort expanded. Yet minds adapt. What was once luxury becomes normal, and normal becomes insufficient. Desire keeps moving the finish line.
Meaning complicates the picture. Religions and ideologies offered salvation or virtue, sometimes producing contentment, sometimes producing fear and guilt. Modern consumer culture offers happiness through buying, and then keeps dissatisfaction alive to fuel more buying.
A disturbing possibility follows: progress changes the world faster than it changes the machinery of satisfaction. A society can become richer and still feel restless. A fairy tale ending is not guaranteed.