Pacific Islands Monthly
The news magazine of the South Pacific · since 1930
Pacific Islands Monthly, 1 October 1997Vol. 67 No. 10

The Century Turns-But when?

p. 10 · Read in the full issue

Page 1010

Is the year 2000 the last year of the twentieth century or the first year of the 21st century? It all depends upon when the counting started. If the first year was year zero, then one was the second year, two was the first year ... and year nine, being the 10th year, was the last year of the first decade. This made January 1, 10, the first day of the second decade.

Then 99 would have been the one-hun dredth year and the last year of the first century: 199 the last year of the second century, 200 the first year of the third cen tury; 1999 will be the last year of the 20th century and 2000 will be the first year of the 21st century. However, if the first year was year one, then one was the first year, two was the second year, etc., and 10 was the last year of the first decade; 200 was the last year of the second century, January

1, 201, the first day of the third century; 2000 will be the last year of the 20th cen tury and 2001 will be the first year of the 21st century. But then; If the first year was minus four, -three was the second year, zero was the fifth year... five was the tenth year and the last year of the first decade, six being the first year of the second decade. Thus, if the counting started with four being the first year, this would lead to 1995 being the last year of 20th century and 1996 being first year of the 21st centu ry. On the other hand; If the first year was plus three, then four was the second year, five the third year and 12 the last year of the first decade. If the counting actually started with plus three being the first year, the last year of the 20th century will be 2002 and January 1, 2003, will be the first day of the 21 st century.

So you see how it depends which year was the first year, that is, with what year number the counting started, which deter mines what year is the last year of the 20th century. Since, in fact, we don’t know with which year-number the counting started, we don’t know which year is the first year of the 21st century. Besides, it is not important anyway - who cares? If the year one was, indeed, the first year, then 1900 was the last year of the 19th century and 1901 was the first year of the 20th century.

Further, the 20th century is encompassed by the dates January 1, 1901, and December 31, 2000. In the same way as January 1, 1901, was the first day of the 20th century, January 1, 2001, will be the first day of the 21 st century. (Of course, as said, only if year one was the first year).

Every second another century starts.

January 1, 1955, was the first day of a cen tury; the last day of that century will be December 31, 2054. A century began on the day of June 18, 1987; the last day of that century will be June 17, 2087. So, what else is new?

Short Form If year zero was the first year, then December 31, 1999, will be the last day of the 20th century and January 1, 2000, will be the first day of the 21st cen tury. ■

Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor Pacific Islands Monthly PO Box 1167 Suva Fiji

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