From: Damien Broderick (damien@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Mon Jan 04 1999 - 06:35:37 MST
At 09:08 PM 1/3/99 -0500, Lee wrote:
>Russell W. Craig wrote:
>>
>> 1. Every time I here someone mention that the new millennium begins
>> January 1, 2000.
>> (2001 People!!)
>
>I will show my lack of knowledge on this topic and ask why does it begin
>on Jan 1, 2001? My guess would be because there is no year "0"
Just so. The first century (and millennium) started on Jan 1, AD1 (because
the ninny who did the calculations for the Pope around the middle of the
sixth century forgot about year zero. Incidentally, it's generally
accepted, I think, that Christ was born in 5 BC). Add a century to 1, get
AD101. Add a thousand, get AD1001. Add two thousand, get Jan 1, AD2001.
*It can't possibly be anything else*, even if heavyweights like Stephen Jay
Gould get all populist and damp-eyed and go for the ignorant 2000.
The following gambit doesn't offer a very good rate of return (but then you
don't risk your investment), although you might get beaten up. Go into a
bar, find all the bunnies who insist noisily that the next millennium
starts Jan 1, 2000. Offer them a dollar for each year that has passed
since the start of the first Christian millennium until the date they say
it ends, in exchange for $2000. Collect $1 from each of them and run away.
Damien Broderick
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