When does the Decade begin?

[electricrelish]

Is anyone else somewhat annoyed to hear countless people say that it's the end of a decade? A decade is a period of ten years, so one could say it starts whenever you decide to start counting. As far as the calendar goes, a new decade begins with the number one, just like the new month and new year begin on January 1st. This current decade began in the year 2001 and will finish at the end of 2010. The new decade will begin on 2011. I remember this being a point of contention nine years ago when everyone thought that the year 2000 was the beginning of the new millennium when it really started in 2001.

 

If you look a decade up on wikipedia, which is not a reliable source for fact, the writer redefines what a decade is by giving it a cultural definition, claiming that a cultural decade starts with the number zero and ends with the number nine. Apparently, an ordinal decade, which starts at one and ends with ten, is uncommon and something that only mathematicians use.

 

When networks like ESPN are having end of the decade specials and countless people keep getting it wrong, it appears that wikipedia is now correct. There are so many people that have incorrectly labeled a decade beginning with the number zero that it appears to no longer matter. It ain't right, but if you understand what the word "ain't" is, then does it really matter?

Edited January 5, 2010 by electricrelish

[CowboysDiehard]

It begins when I say it does. Now get back to work!

[i_am_the_swammi]

I always have trouble with this, but found understnading this way:

 

2010 years ago, theoretically, there was Janaury 1, 0000. Most envision that date as the start of our "modern" recordkeeping...or AD.

10 full years later, there was January 1, 0010

10 full years later, there was January 1, 0020

...and so on.

 

Also, for ease of referring to eras of time as either the 20's, 30's or 40's, its much easier to define 10 years not from the one's place (as you suggest), but the 10's place in the numeral.

 

mathemeticians are geeks anyway

[Kid Cid]

I always have trouble with this, but found understnading this way:

 

2010 years ago, theoretically, there was Janaury 1, 0000. Most envision that date as the start of our "modern" recordkeeping...or AD.

10 full years later, there was January 1, 0010

10 full years later, there was January 1, 0020

...and so on.

 

Also, for ease of referring to eras of time as either the 20's, 30's or 40's, its much easier to define 10 years not from the one's place (as you suggest), but the 10's place in the numeral.

 

mathemeticians are geeks anyway

My understanding is that there was no year 0000.

[dmarc117]

year 1 was actually the second year. year 0 is the 1st year.

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

I also heard there was no year zero. 1 AD was the first year after 1 BC.

[westvirginia]

I also heard there was no year zero. 1 AD was the first year after 1 BC.

 

Right, which is why the new decade starts on 2011. But also like relish says, it's one of those pet peeves that doesn't really matter.

[i_am_the_swammi]

My understanding is that there was no year 0000.

 

 

I guess there is so much confusion, because a variety of thoughts on this subject are used:

 

Year Zero

[Pope Flick]

I don't think it's black and white when you refer to a decade.

 

Now, we have had 3 milleniums in AD, the first, second and third which began on Jan 1, 2001. Same with centuries, since the 1st century is from Jan 1 1 AD to Dec 31 100 AD.

 

When you talk of the decade of the 80's or 90's I'd say it's reasonable to sau you're speaking of 1980-89, NOT 1981 - 1990, etc.

 

So ESPN is right in their pop culture format. People crewed up the century thing big time, but those are given actual #'s as in the 14th century. We're not counting the 1,980th decade.

[BeeR]

I kinda find the whole topic a little annoying frankly but yes, this IS a new decade. I don't give a flip about year One. 1970 isn't part of the 60s, 1979 not part of the 80s etc etc. So it's a new decade. The first decade A.D. was just a unique exception.

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

After 12-21-2012 it won't matter.

[Duchess Jack]

The Dawn of time.

Year 1. December 31st. That is the completion of one year.

Year 9. December 31st 11:59:59:.... That is the completion of one decade.

Year 10 January 1st 12:00:00am . That is the first second into the next decade.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Duchess Jack

[westvirginia]

The Dawn of time.

Year 1. December 31st. That is the completion of one year.

Year 9. December 31st 11:59:59:.... That is the completion of one decade.

Year 10 January 1st 12:00:00am . That is the first second into the next decade.

 

My 2-month old could prove this wrong as written, just by using his fingers....

[Big John]

I don't think it's black and white when you refer to a decade.

 

Now, we have had 3 milleniums in AD, the first, second and third which began on Jan 1, 2001. Same with centuries, since the 1st century is from Jan 1 1 AD to Dec 31 100 AD.

 

When you talk of the decade of the 80's or 90's I'd say it's reasonable to sau you're speaking of 1980-89, NOT 1981 - 1990, etc.

 

So ESPN is right in their pop culture format. People crewed up the century thing big time, but those are given actual #'s as in the 14th century. We're not counting the 1,980th decade.

Agree.

 

Decades, centuries and milleniums are of any 10, 100, or 100 year periods respectively and don't have a prescribed start date unless you are talking sequential order from year one.

 

So 1910 was a century ago. But for order of centuries, this is the 21st century that began in 2001.

 

So for decades, this would be the last year of the 201st decade, but since that is rarely denoted, you can say 2010 is in the decade of the 2010s, or more commony stated, the 10s.

[Duchess Jack]

My 2-month old could prove this wrong as written, just by using his fingers....

eh....ooops. I was trying to make a point, but tripped over my wake and bake

[The Holy Roller]

I kinda find the whole topic a little annoying frankly but yes, this IS a new decade. I don't give a flip about year One. 1970 isn't part of the 60s, 1979 not part of the 80s etc etc. So it's a new decade. The first decade A.D. was just a unique exception.

 

Trying...hard...not...to...agree...with...BeeR. But I do.

[MustOfBeenDrunk]

Ok so is 12:00 PM in the middle of the day or in the middle of the night ?

[isleseeya]

its 2010 and i am turning 40 this year

 

That is basically all that matters to me

[Big John]

Ok so is 12:00 PM in the middle of the day or in the middle of the night ?

PM is not technacally correct to use at 12:00, but 12:00 PM is noon - middle of the day.

[MustOfBeenDrunk]

PM is not technacally correct to use at 12:00, but 12:00 PM is noon - middle of the day.

 

 

I read a big article on this sometime back that was based on someone trying to fight a parking ticket.

They finally settled it by using the US postal service as source.

 

12:00 PM was acceptable as noon but 12:00 AM is not ever acceptably ??

If I remember the article correctly

[MustOfBeenDrunk]

This show both 12am & 12pm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-hour_clock