Countdown to 2001
(or is it 2000?)
2000 : The New Millennium Begins
2001 : The New Millennium Begins
Only one of these headings is correct. Do you know which one?
If you're confused - don't worry. You're not the only one who isn't sure when the next millennium begins.
In Britain the Millennium celebrations begin on January 1st 2000.
In Australia the celebrations start on January 1st 2001.
One country has done its sums correctly while the other country needs a new set of batteries for its calculator.
Let's find out who is right.
Firstly, we need to make sure that we know what a millennium is.
A decade is a period of
10 years.
A century is a period of 100
years.
A millennium is a period of 1000
years.
Decades
The first year in our calendar was year 1. Can you work out which year was the last year in the first decade?
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
this is the first decade |