# Middle-aged and older Dopers, do you still think of the 19th century as the "last" century? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 29, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596 "2013-10-29T22:13:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/1 "2013-10-29T22:13:45Z")
I was born in the middle of the 20th century and when I was growing up, there were still people around - grandparents, other relatives and neighbors - who were born in the 1880’s and 90’s. I think I acquired a feeling that the 1800’s weren’t all that long ago. I know that we are now in the 21st century, but I nonetheless find myself saying things like, “In the last century, when Queen Victoria sat on the British throne …” or, “In the last century, when women wore bustles …” Older Dopers, do you ever do this? Or do I need a dementia check-up? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/2 "2013-10-29T22:36:37Z")
I’m 46. When I watch A Christmas Story I see a lot of stuff that is vaguely familiar. We lived in an older house with knob & tube wiring, a primitive bathroom that was obviously an afterthought, and we had really big lights on the Christmas tree. Teachers were respected and feared, and most kids had a BB gun (really cool kids had _5mm pellet_ guns), none of this airsoft crap. It dawned on me a couple years ago that, if we can figure that movie was set in approximately 1940, I was only 37 years removed from that when I was born. I am now 46 years removed from my birth. In other words, WWII is more relevant to my childhood than today is. 8 year-old me was closer, temporally & culturally, to Ralphie than to an 8 year-old today. This makes sense to me on some level, and binds me firmly in the 20th century. So much so that my instinctive perception of a 2000 model year car is that it’s pretty new, and my wife’s 2005 is practically fresh off the showroom floor. ---
**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/3 "2013-10-29T22:41:46Z")
Yeah, I’ve done that. I was born in the Summer of Love, and while I don’t recall ever knowing any living relatives who were around pre-1900, many of them had parents who were from that era. My wife’s grandparents had still-used farm equipment from back then (they had modern stuff too, but why throw out a perfectly usable post-holer or whatever?). So it’s felt pretty natural to think of “last century” as ending in 1900. But it’s been shifting quite a bit in the past few years. I put in a little effort to correct my thinking (like I have to do when writing checks in the new year), but mostly it’s been just happening. I think seeing your question was the first time I’ve really thought about it and realized I don’t do that anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/4 "2013-10-29T22:48:44Z")
I don’t actually. Born 1937. It took me a couple years. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/5 "2013-10-29T22:52:45Z")
I do it almost daily. Born in 1944. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/6 "2013-10-29T22:56:33Z")
No, but I do think the '90s were only 10 years ago! :eek: Born 1967 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/7 "2013-10-29T22:58:16Z")
I don’t in any way. Born in '63. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/8 "2013-10-29T23:00:39Z")
No. Born in '56, but I think of the ‘turn of the century’ as the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th and then have to rethink on that. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/9 "2013-10-29T23:01:59Z")
No, because I’m not an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/10 "2013-10-29T23:04:30Z")
Born in 63. I knew my Great-Grandmother & Great-Grandfather. Yes, I do, although the new age of computers has begun to color that. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/11 "2013-10-29T23:04:35Z")
> [@Risen from the Gravy](#): > > No, because I’m not an idiot. So kind of you. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/12 "2013-10-29T23:08:40Z")
> [@Risen from the Gravy](#): > > No, because I’m not an idiot. > [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > So kind of you. Yeah, congratulations on never doing anything stupid. Me, I do dumb stuff every day. Does not make me an idiot, however. Makes me human, I think. Oh, and by the way, I do think of the 1900s as “last century” most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/13 "2013-10-29T23:11:07Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Yeah, congratulations on never doing anything stupid. > > Me, I do dumb stuff every day. Does not make me an idiot, however. Makes me human, I think. > > Oh, and by the way, I do think of the 1900s as “last century” most of the time. Thank you, KayT. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/14 "2013-10-29T23:25:32Z")
> [@Risen from the Gravy](#): > > No, because I’m not an idiot. Yes on occasion, because apparently on occasion I’m an idiot. I can live with that :D. 45, almost 46 for those counting. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/15 "2013-10-29T23:52:54Z")
??? Anyone born after 1900 and still alive would not think that, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/16 "2013-10-29T23:59:47Z")
Another idiot checking in. I was born in 1961 and I still occasionally think of the 19th century as “then” and the 20th century as “now”. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/17 "2013-10-30T00:03:40Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > ??? Anyone born after 1900 and still alive would not think that, I think. Is there anyone on the board not born after 1900? I’m tending to think no, since [this wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_living_supercentenarians#Verified_living_supercentenarians)says there are only 15 people alive not born after 1900. However, there have been a lot of undead Dopers around lately, so maybe there are. ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/18 "2013-10-30T00:07:00Z")
Nope. 72 and living in the 21st century. !9th? American Dark Ages. 🙂 Aloha ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/19 "2013-10-30T00:09:39Z")
Sometimes. I think of “the turn of the century” as being 1900, and it kind of radiates from that into other, technically erroneous, thoughts about which century was which. Mind you, I still get confused with “17th Century is the 1600s” kind of situations. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596/20 "2013-10-30T00:13:11Z")
Yes, I sometimes do it too. It does not really feel like we are far enough into the current century for it to count. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-aged-and-older-dopers-do-you-still-think-of-the-19th-century-as-the-last-century/672596.md?page=2)