Tuesday, July 19, 2005
When Did the Millennium Start?
To answer this question, think about when the first millennium started. Was it the year 0 or the year 1? As it turns out we don't count year 0. It never existed. From the year 1B.C. we went straightaway into 1A.D. So the first millennium began in 1A.D. The second millennium started in the year 1001. The third millennium, the one we are in now, began on January 1, 2001 not January 1, 2000. December 31, 2000 ended the second millennium.
It is the same with centuries. The twentieth century did not end on December 31, 1999. It ended on December 31, 2000. The twenty-first century began in 2001. It might sound better but Prince had no business partying like it was 1999. There was no point.
If you wish you can refer to the year 2000 as the dawn of the new millennium. This is a perhaps romantic way of referring to the actual millennium without actually having to commit to when it actually started.
While we're on the subject, don't spell this word wrong. There are two ls and two ns.
(See http://www.maa.mhn.de/Scholar/calendar.html#gcal for an interesting explanation of the history of how our years are currently reckoned.)
It is the same with centuries. The twentieth century did not end on December 31, 1999. It ended on December 31, 2000. The twenty-first century began in 2001. It might sound better but Prince had no business partying like it was 1999. There was no point.
If you wish you can refer to the year 2000 as the dawn of the new millennium. This is a perhaps romantic way of referring to the actual millennium without actually having to commit to when it actually started.
While we're on the subject, don't spell this word wrong. There are two ls and two ns.
(See http://www.maa.mhn.de/Scholar/calendar.html#gcal for an interesting explanation of the history of how our years are currently reckoned.)
# posted by Ninja @ 12:17 AM 
