BOC: Various replies

[Michael R Godwin]

On Thu, 27 Jan 2000, John A. Swartz wrote:
> Um, doesn't the same logic that argues that
> the next Millennium begins in 2001 also apply to the argument that the
> next Century begins in 2001 as well?  Then again, whereas "millennium"
> is an arbitrary span of 1000 years, "century" would also be an abitrary
> span of 100 years.  Carry this to the next logical step -- have we or
> have we not entered a new DECADE this year?
>
> Ow, now my head really hurts...

OK, the first year of the Xtian era has to be year 1. Therefore:
The first decade was years 1 to 10
The first century was years 1 to 100
The 20th century is years 1901 to 2000
The first millennium was years 1 to 1000
The second millennium is years 1001 to 2000
The third millennium will be years 2001 to 3000

But you can count decades beginning in any year that you like, and it is
convenient to consider 1980-1989 as "the eighties", or 1990-1999 as "the
nineties". We've certainly left the nineties behind, but we are still in
the 20th century of the second millennium.

- Mike Godwin