[WEB4LIB] Re: Millenium Greetings

[Thomas Dowling]

> I've been taught that the year 2000 is the beginning of the next
Century,
> not the Millenium.  What do we tell our patrons?  Is it the new
Millenium,
> the new Century, or both?
>

Which Century?  What Millennium?  I believe the 2000 vs 2001 Millennium
debate is mentioned in Revelation as a sign of the Apocalypse.

In English, we refer to centuries both as (for example) "The 1900s" and
"The Twentieth Century".  The 1900s are obviously the years numbered 1900
through 1999.  The Twentieth Century is just as obviously the 20th in a
numbered series of centuries; as numerous calendar dweebs have pointed out
recently, the western calendar counts from Year 1, not Year 0*, so the
First Century ran from 1 through 100, and so the Twentieth Century runs
from 1901 through 2000.  The almost-but-not-quite overlap of the two terms
causes untold confusion and people are intent on extending that confusion
to millennia as well.

Until about a month ago, I never heard the term "The Second Millennium"
and I doubt many people buy into the idea that the time period 1001
through 2000 has great significance.  Like watching the odometer turn
over, the fun comes from seeing the new numbers come up, and also from
watching computers screech to a halt.  Both of those happen at the
beginning of 1/1/2000.


(*Actually, the western calendar started with the year 525 based on the
reckoning of Dionysius Exiguus, who was trying to calculate the correct
date for Easter, and not generally adopted in Europe for another 500 years
or so.  And since Denny was off by a few years, it doesn't much matter
when you choose to celebrate.)

And, for what it's worth, Happy New Year from cold, cloudy, Columbus.

Thomas ("Two l's and two n's - also two m's and two i's") Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu