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  From: Bruce Moffatt <bmoffatt@picknowl.com.au>
  To  : Michael Lunnay <ra@box.net.au>
  Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 21:09:39 +1030

Re: Merry Millenium ;))

Michael Lunnay wrote:
> 
> It all comes down to the fact that there was no year 0, there was 1 BC
> followed by 1 AD. Therefor 1 plus 2000 means that the 3rd millenim starts
> 0:00:01 January 1st 2001.

Rubbish. There was no 1 BC, nor a 1 AD. Do you really think they counted
down to the birth of someone who they had no inkling was about to be
born? The system came about largely around what we now call 300 AD,
under pope Gregory who thought it would be a good pious thing to count
dates relative to the supposed birth of Christ. He mucked it up,
apparently, by several years, and we have been living with it as a
*-notion-* since around then. But don't kid yourself there were days
counted as x years BC. Think about it. Or maybe don't, I could sell you
a very antique 10BC coin if you like.

Bruce