The End of a Decade – Wait For It, WAIT FOR IT…
by John Weckerle
As is often the case at this time in any year ending in a “nine,” people are looking back over the past decade and reminscing. Let’s take a look at a few things that didn’t happen in this decade:
- Y2K did not pass without damaging systems worldwide.
- George Bush was not elected president.
- Al Gore and Joe Lieberman did not lose the Presidential election.
- AOL did not purchase Time Warner.
- Brazil did not celebrate it’s 500th year.
- Israel did not withdraw from southern Lebanon.
- Hedy Lamarr, Tom Landry, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. did not die.
These things did not happen in this decade because they happened in the year 2000, which was in the last, and not this, decade. While popular culture has come to view the “nine” year as the last in a decade, it is not; that distinction actually falls to the “10” year. This is because of the way the Gregorian calendar, which we use to this day, was set up: the first year was designated as the year 1 rather than the year zero. Thus, the first decade was the year 1 through 10, and all decades (and centuries, and millenia) have followed the example since. The 20th century and the second millennium both came to a close on December 31, 2000, and the first decade of the 21st century will end on December 31, 2010. Whether you loved it or hated it, you’re in for one more year of the decade!
One Response “The End of a Decade – Wait For It, WAIT FOR IT…”
Thank you for the reminder… but still debatable. Pediatrics and counting age eligibility (junior riders and the like) more often than not start at ground zero, counting 0-12 (00 of decade) months as the 1st year, 13-23 month (01) as the second year, etc.
Then again perhaps it just means we can pick the one we want (unless applying to UESF for a Junior card), whichever one *feels* like the end of the decade to reflect (and inflict reflections)? Can we wallow in decade-nostalgia an extra year, change our minds from decade to decade or should we pick one and stick with it.