# Millennium: Now or next year? Or does this belong in the Great Debates? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 1999, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455 "1999-12-19T00:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Llardball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Llardball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llardball)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/1 "1999-12-19T00:40:00Z")
All this time I have known that the turn of the millennium is next year. But when I recently told someone the millennium is next year, they strongly disagreed and so did many other people I asked. Did everyone just forget this “minor detail” that the turn of the millennium is next year? Or am I wrong and the turn of the millennium is coming in days? ---
**Author:** ![dlv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/2 "1999-12-19T00:49:00Z")
Is this a troll? There was no ‘year 0’. The first millenium (c.e.) lasted from year 1 to year 1000. The second millenium will last from year 1001 to year 2000. The third millenium will last from year 2001 to year 3000. It’ll start one year and some days from today. I hope this is clear. ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/3 "1999-12-19T01:01:00Z")
You’ve heard of New Years Eve? 2000 is Millenium Eve-------so let’s make it a year long celebration and enjoy it! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/4 "1999-12-19T01:26:00Z")
maby there was no yr 0 our calender is off by years anyway, the people want this to be the milllennium, I say what the hay… we have to start somewhere, they want it 1/1/zero then who am I to say. now if we knew exactly when Christ was born, then we could have an accurate calendar. Without assigning some significance to a time such as the birth of our lord, beginning of time, or the 1st time toast popped out of a toster, it’s all meaningless. we set a scale, its just a number used to measure. now with that said, I am in no way minimizing the y2k bug and the potential effects it can have. Like any God fearing American, I stocked up on toilet paper and have the means to defend thoses roles. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/5 "1999-12-19T02:05:00Z")
A lot of people are calling this “the odometer effect.” Rolling over a bunch of zeros means something to some folks. If you’re going to fill up my champaigne glass…why argue? OTOH it has been established that the Gregorian calender is off as far as Jesus’ birth is concerned…it happened 2000+ years ago. So _that_ millennium has come and gone. ---
**Author:** ![dlv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/6 "1999-12-19T02:11:00Z")
I’ve got to wonder whether there’s any statistically significant correlation between believing that the next millenium is less than 2 weeks away and the _g_ factor. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/7 "1999-12-19T02:48:00Z")
Im too lazy to look it up again, because this is about the fifth time this question was asked, but Cecil wrote about this 15 years ago! Millennium is year 2001. Why do so many people say year 2000? Because they are date impaired. As Cecil said, you are thinking of time in a linear matter like dots on a pice of paper in a straight line. Makes sense, but thats not how its done. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/8 "1999-12-19T03:42:00Z")
The Turn of the Millennium is at the end of this month. I can’t help the fact that some guy 1400+ years ago didn’t realize that there is a “0” between -1 and +1. “There was not ‘Year 0.’” Yep, a mistake which I’m not subscribing to, personally. This month is when the best parties will occur. Next year, the scene will be a bunch of smug-faced Star Trek nerds gathered around with their pointed ears, tricorders, and phasers, debating stuff such as “Could the Mugato have beaten the Horta?” Calendars are just a convention. Ya can’t take this stuff too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/9 "1999-12-19T03:46:00Z")
ooh, you can always count on the megaroo to come through! here’s the link previously spoken of [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_376.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_376.html) * * * “human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein ---
**Author:** ![Sentinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sentinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sentinel)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/10 "1999-12-19T04:28:00Z")
The actual end of the millennium will be at the end of the year 2000. Think about it. We go from year 1 to year 2 and so on. Each year is not over until it completes the designated 365 days. We do not complete the 2000 years until Jan 1, 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/11 "1999-12-19T06:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > This month is when the best parties will occur. Next year, the scene will be a bunch of smug-faced Star Trek nerds gathered around with their pointed ears, tricorders, and phasers, debating stuff such as “Could the Mugato have beaten the Horta?” That’s ridiculous. The **smart** party-throwers with have major parties on December 31, 1999 _and_ December 31, 2000. And on December 31, 2001–because it’s rolling over to 2002, which is a palindromic year. And on December 31, 2002 because…well, we have several years to come up with a reason… * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. “I get along well with everybody.” --I.M.F. ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/12 "1999-12-19T08:59:00Z")
of course the 3rd millenium begins 2001. but does it start at 12:00am, or 12:01? so anyway, could the mugato have beaten the horta? ugh. * * * _what is essential is invisible to the eye -the fox_ ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/13 "1999-12-19T09:15:00Z")
i was going to say that it’s obviously 12:00 a.m. but now that i thought about it, it doesn’t seem like it should be. it’s just like the millenium thing… it starts at 01, not 00 because no one ever started counting at zero. but then again it’s always been that way for dates, and as far as i know 12:00 am has always been the start of a new day. so i’m going to stick with 12:00 am. and if i’m wrong, i vouch for 12:00 + the littlest damn bit of time possible. * * * “human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein ---
**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:** [December 19, 1999, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/14 "1999-12-19T09:29:00Z")
It’s just numbers, people! It means nothing, it’s arbitrary, even January never used to be the first month, so who cares? Let’s celebrate the Chinese year system. I believe they began their numbering system a couple of thousand years or so before. And the birth of Christ was not what was intended to define year 1. * * * -PIGEONMAN- Hero For A New Millennium! [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - updates every Wed & Sat. If I can be bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/15 "1999-12-19T09:32:00Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s just numbers, people! It means nothing, it’s arbitrary, even January never used to be the first month, so who cares? something tells me you’re on the wrong board. * * * _what is essential is invisible to the eye -the fox_ ---
**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/16 "1999-12-19T14:11:00Z")
Megaroo provided the link to Cecil’s columns which are the definitive end-all-be-all answer to the debate on when the new millennium begins. Read it and weep, it’s all been said and done. If you’d like to continue to beat this dead horse, please do it in MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![dlv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/17 "1999-12-19T14:19:00Z")
If there were such a thing as ‘year 0’ (ha ha), would it be part of 1st millenium c.e. or 1st millenium b.c.e.? ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/18 "1999-12-19T15:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > ``` > The Turn of the Millennium is at the end of this month. I can't help the fact that some > guy 1400+ years ago didn't realize that there is a "0" between -1 and +1. > > ``` Maybe on the number line, but there isn’t a ‘0’ on your clock, is there? Why on earth would there be one on the calendar? There wouldn’t. When we start counting things we start with ‘1’, especially things that repeat in a cycle. We don’t start with ‘0’; there would not have been a ‘0’ between 1 BCE nd 1 CE, had the calendar we use today been in effect then. Sheesh. * * * “It’s my considered opinion you’re all a bunch of sissies!”–Paul’s Grandfather ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 1999, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/19 "1999-12-19T17:17:00Z")
I guess that manufacturers are playing on the ignorance of the people that its year 2000. But most seem to be cautious & say millenium but not say Year 2000 is the Millennium. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 1999, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455/20 "1999-12-20T00:17:00Z")
There is no year 0, however there is a year 00. I know its only license. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/millennium-now-or-next-year-or-does-this-belong-in-the-great-debates/5455.md?page=2)