# On what date had half your life gone by? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 13, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692 "2012-04-13T19:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/1 "2012-04-13T19:35:31Z")
The revived semi-zombie [30 years ago now versus 30 years ago 30 years ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=593040), started 01-14-2011, 10:51 AM by **Colophon** , and responded to a few times in the past day or two, got me to wondering about what day would be the halfway point in my life. Using [this conversion website](http://www.onlineconversion.com/julian_date.htm) I entered my birthday, found its Julian Day number, subtracted that from today’s JD (2456031) and took half of that number and added it back to my birthday’s JD and converted that number back to a calendar date to learn that on **Feb 7, 1977** I had lived half my life relative to today’s date. I sense that that first half took considerably longer than this second half has. How about you? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/2 "2012-04-13T19:37:58Z")
That is waaaaaaay too much math for this late in the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/3 "2012-04-13T19:46:50Z")
After reading that, I’m more than a little certain that half my life has gone by as of 2 minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/4 "2012-04-13T19:52:56Z")
June 8, 1987. Wow. I remember quite well where I was living, working and what I was doing around this time. It sure doesn’t seem like half a lifetime ago. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/5 "2012-04-13T19:53:06Z")
Isn’t it just easier to take half your age, and do a little adjusting? In September 1988 I was half the age I am now. OTOH, I had a innate strong, almost spiritual, sense when I woke up in the middle of the night last year that I was on the day that was the half point of my entire life. So apparently I live to 92. Can’t complain. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/6 "2012-04-13T20:02:24Z")
OK, I’ll play. Mine was June 30, 1985. Seems like yesterday! (I have to admit, when I read the thread title, I thought, “Dude, I’m not dead yet. How could I know this?”) ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/7 "2012-04-13T20:02:52Z")
December 8, 1989 That was exactly one year before the day I met my wife ( **Rhiannon8404** ). ---
**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:** [April 13, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/8 "2012-04-13T20:11:41Z")
4/22/84 Nothing in particular happening that I can recall. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/9 "2012-04-13T20:46:04Z")
January 8, 1990 was the halfway point of my life to date. My son was almost a year old, I was really pregnant and I hated my husband. It took another 18 months for me to turn things around but after that the 2nd half of my life has been decidedly more successful and happy. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/10 "2012-04-13T21:00:27Z")
January 22, 1987. I was still in my old apartment, likely freezing because the heat was broken. Dating Holly and miserable about it. Most likely planning my next cool D&D adventure. Working at a bank just a block away from home. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/11 "2012-04-13T21:05:59Z")
June 8, 1996. Meh, woulda been right around the time school ended during my sophomore year of high school. Why does the Julian date end in .5 if the time is 0:0:0, but .0 if the date is 12:00:00? IOW, why does the date reset at Noon? ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/12 "2012-04-13T21:58:38Z")
July 15, 1996. I was 15, and probably already in my lame Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys phase. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/13 "2012-04-13T22:00:02Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > June 8, 1996. Meh, woulda been right around the time school ended during my sophomore year of high school. > > Why does the Julian date end in .5 if the time is 0:0:0, but .0 if the date is 12:00:00? IOW, why does the date reset at Noon? For astronomical observation/timing purposes. JD is mostly used to have precise measurements of things that can be observed in darkness hours. Having to adjust for time before and after midnight can be avoided by having the JD change at noon. Opposite reason for daylight activities resetting the day at midnight. More details at: [Julian day - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_day) ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/14 "2012-04-13T22:09:50Z")
July 15, 1996. I was 15, and probably already in my lame Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys phase. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/15 "2012-04-13T22:31:37Z")
February 24, 1999. I was in 7th grade. Not a bad year as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/16 "2012-04-13T22:38:22Z")
Jan. 28, 1982. Already married with a 1 year old kid. And had a job. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/17 "2012-04-13T23:05:52Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > The revived semi-zombie [30 years ago now versus 30 years ago 30 years ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=593040), started 01-14-2011, 10:51 AM by **Colophon** , and responded to a few times in the past day or two, got me to wondering about what day would be the halfway point in my life. > > Using [this conversion website](http://www.onlineconversion.com/julian_date.htm) I entered my birthday, found its Julian Day number, subtracted that from today’s JD (2456031) and took half of that number and added it back to my birthday’s JD and converted that number back to a calendar date to learn that on **Feb 7, 1977** I had lived half my life relative to today’s date. > > I sense that that first half took considerably longer than this second half has. > > How about you? This is too complicated. Today I am 24 years, 6 months, 6 days old. So half a lifetime ago I was 12 years, 3 months, 3 days. Counting from my date of birth, that would be January 10, 2000. I was in 7th grade. Probably worrying about the Abercrombie & Fitch pants my parents wouldn’t buy and wishing I was as old as I am now. I don’t miss it at all. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/18 "2012-04-13T23:27:42Z")
Roughly, Oct. 19, 1974 (plus or minus a day). ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/19 "2012-04-13T23:33:40Z")
Saturday, December 13, 1986 I was living in West Hollywood, collecting comic books, not having sex, and about 180 pounds lighter. {sigh} ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692/20 "2012-04-13T23:36:19Z")
I was born in 1972, so by my calculations, June 3rd, 2037. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-date-had-half-your-life-gone-by/618692.md?page=2)