First or Last?

[wdfifteen]

So, is 2020 the first year of the third decade of the century or the last year of the second decade?

We normally count 1 through 10, not 0 through 9.

[oldE]

Last of the second, but I don't have to sell media.

Happy New Year.
Les

[Chocaholic]

Whichever it is, wishing all a great 2020. We’re all getting older. Time to lighten up and enjoy life more.

+1

[cabmandone]

Yes.

[LWJ]

Exactly.

(Last)

[masraum]

first

0-9, 10-19, 20-29, etc....

But then I work in "computers", so a lot of what I do does start with 0.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by masraum

....
But then I work in "computers", so a lot of what I do does start with 0.

....or a 1

Happy New Year....enjoy the ride boyz and girlz!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by KC911

....or a 1

Happy New Year....enjoy the ride boyz and girlz!

Exactly, I may work with devices that have 24 ports - 0-23 or 1-24. You never know.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by masraum

first

0-9, 10-19, 20-29, etc....

But then I work in "computers", so a lot of what I do does start with 0.

Yea, I know the computer world starts at 0. What I want to know is why my aerial camera system numbers the photos from 0. I can't give or sell you 0 of anything. If you start walking and want to count your steps, even the biggest computer geek does not start off on step 0 as it would not be accurate, it is one step not 0 steps.

We talked to the programmer and he just stared at us as if we asked him to number the frames using colors not numbers.

We end up having to do mental gymnastics to figure out the end of one flight line and the beginning of the next when it is many thousands of images into a project.

[herr_oberst]

1.....

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by Zeke

The question starts at the first year, 1 AD. The year before that was 1 BC. No year 0. So technically, 10 AD is the last year of the first decade. The public, however, sees it differently by consensus.

Correct

[wildthing]

By the 1500's the new years were off the solstice so much... so some guy who called himself Gregory changed it, and many folks seemed to follow suit. But that's unrelated.

Really, if you say 20's, it should mean all years where the second digit is 2.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Zeke

The question starts at the first year, 1 AD. The year before that was 1 BC. No year 0. So technically, 10 AD is the last year of the first decade. The public, however, sees it differently by consensus.

100% correct, but the calendar does not really go from BC to AD with a year zero. Now we don't even use BC/AD it is BCE and CE. CE stands for “common (or current) era”, while BCE stands for “before the common (or current) era”. Since the entire world uses the calendar, "they" tried to get away from the birth of Christ what was now considered well after the year 1 anyway.

Christ was estimated to have been born between 4 and 6 AD or CE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Jesus

Saudi Arabia did not start using the Gregorian calendar until 2016!

Thursday, 4 October 1582, was followed by Friday, 15 October 1582. Imagine trying to figure out your house payments, or car payments!

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by Zeke

The question starts at the first year, 1 AD. The year before that was 1 BC. No year 0. So technically, 10 AD is the last year of the first decade. The public, however, sees it differently by consensus.

As others have said, this is correct^. By this reasoning, 2000 was not the beginning of the 21st century as the public recognizes, 2001 marked the beginning of the current century.

However, when speaking of "decades", which are simply blocks of time that can begin or end whenever one wishes, we are dealing with a different numbering system--one which can include "0."

To be accurate, the first decade of the "2000s" would be the years of 2000-2009, the second decade would be 2010-2019, and the third decade would start in 2020.

If you wish to speak of the decades of the 21st century though, the years would be marked differently. The first decade of the 21st century was 2001-2010, the second was (is) 2011-2020, and the third begins in 2021.

Just like language usage, the public acceptance of "violations" of rules determine what is commonly accepted, and now it is commonly accepted that the new century begins on the "0" year and the new decade also begins on the "0" year.

So, to answer wdfifteen's original question, 2020 is the last year of the second decade of the 21st century.

[svandamme]

"If you ain't first, yer last!"

[Por_sha911]

Honestly, I never understood the whole new year phenomenon other than back in my former life it was a great excuse to party. I don't disparage those that love it and if it helps people to make good changes then mazel tov.
I understand how everyone thinks we are in a new decade because the 3rd number goes from a one to a two but technically


More importantly, I wish everyone well in this new year.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by ossiblue

As others have said, this is correct^. By this reasoning, 2000 was not the beginning of the 21st century as the public recognizes, 2001 marked the beginning of the current century.

Kennedy said "We choose to go to the moon in this decade".

We did in 1969 but from watching myriad moon shot YouTube videos, NASA held that extra year in their hip pocket.

FWIW, he pronounced decade "de-cade" vs "dec-ade" but in that Rice speech he also pronounced it dec-ade. See 2:55 in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th5A6ZQ28pE

[masraum]

[flipper35]

If we look at them as an array, it is the first, but I prefer a Julian date anyway.