Millennium madness
By Staff -- Plant Engineering, 12/1/1999
Despite the madness surrounding Jan. 1, 2000, the next millennium doesn't officially start until Jan. 1, 2001.According to the Information Services Department of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, "A millennium is an interval of 1000 years and a century is an interval of 100 years. In the Gregorian Calendar, which we use, there is no year zero and the sequence of years near the start runs as follows: 3BC, 2BC, 1BC, 1AD, 2AD, etc. Because there is no year zero, the first year of the calendar ends at the end of the year named 1AD. By a similar argument, 100 years will only have elapsed at the end of the year 100AD. Since 2000AD is the 2000th year of the Christian calendar, two millenia will have elapsed at midnight on December 31. 2000. So the 3rd millennium and the 21st century will begin at the same moment, namely zero hours UTC (commonly known as GMT) on Jan. 1, 2001."
More millenium information is available from the Royal Greenwich Observatory at www.rog.nmm.ac.uk/leaflets/ new_mill.html.
Here are several other sites that offer a variety of information about Y2K.
- www.everything2000.com -- This site contains exactly what is sounds like: If it has to do with Year 2000, you can find it here. The site offers listings for Y2K computer consultants, countdown clocks, Y2K humor, news, travel offers, and much more.
- www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/ an2000_uk/ -- This site, stationed at the Eiffel Tower, offers a great guide to millennium-mania, past and present.
- www.greenwich2000.com -- The new millennium officially starts in Greenwich, England, on the international date line, and here is the site that tells all about it. The site offers interesting facts about Greenwich, the millenium bug, plus information on how the world is planning to celebrate the coming of Year 2000.
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