What was the first year of the first decade?
Is there a point to this?
The first year of the “first” decade (Anno Domini) was 1 A.D. The decade lasted from 1 A.D. to 10 A.D. Nevertheless, the year 10 A.D. was the first year of the decade known as the “tens” (or whatever made-up term you want to use, since back then, they didn’t yet know to try and fix the date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth for calendar purposes, silly them :rolleyes:).
The twenty-first century of human history Anno Domini began on 1/1/2001. The fact that numerous people consider the “Twenty-first Century” to have begun on 1/1/2000 doesn’t change this fact. But it is not unheard of for people to misname things, and insist on using the misnaming. Nor is it particularly surprising that many people conflate the Twenty-first Century with “the Two-thousands”.
Intelligent people know better; people who don’t want to portray their ignorance for all and sundry to see use the correct nomenclature. Of course, that has the downside of making them look like stuffy pedantic asses. 
It being a question, the point was to obtain an answer. Sorry if that was unclear.
Give the man a cigar.
And it’s sensible for people to think so. the 00 years are when the big number roll over.
Daniel
Oh, please. :rolleyes:
Your continued series of questions about what the first year of a particular type of year collection had some underlying point to it. That’s what I was attempting to gain an explanation of.
If you wish to have a dialogue with me you need to dial the rolleyes back to zero.
I’ll rolleyes at whom I want, thank you very much. And I’m not looking forward to dialogue, I’m simply making a point. Much more effectively than I think you were with your series of questions. 
So sorry, I like winking, too. 
Agreed. There is something relevant in Kennedy’s 1961 address, and how, bold as it was, it contained a multiple hedge.
From the http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/JFK/Urgent+National+Needs+Page+4.htm"]May 25, 1961 speech, page four, check out the beginning of the fifth paragraph, section IX (Space).
It might have seemed at the time that the first moment of 1970 would be too optimistic a choice for a “deadline” stated in public.
But it could have meant by the end of 1970, using the very questionable extension of century-starting to decade starting.
If fact, as has been pointed out, the “decade” could have literally started with May 25th, that year. (Yes, it’s a small difference.)
We can go even farther with the exact date-beginning decade, though, and state that the goal, including the ambitious time-frame, would not have been a “failure” as long as a man had returned safely from the moon by February 21, 1977, since the Apollo Program could have been conceived to have started that date in 1967.
(Of course, there was much planning and testing before Apollo I, but I think people
tend to fix on actual spmissions.)
- “Jack”
What’s it matter? The 90s are the years 90-99. The 10th decade, for those being precise/accurate/whatever are the years 91-100. You’re conflating two difference concepts here, if you’re getting at what I think you’re getting at.
Your link is broken.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/JFK/Urgent+National+Needs+Page+4.htm
Fair enough, “this decade” is ambiguous enough that by the end of 1970 could have worked as well as the beginning of 1970.
How so?
Sorry, that argument fails. Kennedy’s quote is
Bolding added.
This decade, not “a decade once the actual Apollo Program starts”.
And no, I don’t agree that the Apollo 1 fire counts as the beginning of the Apollo Program.
At least double oops, although the small difference meant is because of the date in May. I did, however, feel that my most of post wasn’t well thought out soon after posting it. :o
Thank you for fixing the broken link, Irishman.
- “Jack”