Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28
PUZZLES OF THE CALENDAR.

TULLLES UF HE CALENUAk.
Camille FIammarion Discusses the Nom.
enclature of the Centuries - How the
Years Got All Mixed Up-Ensland's Losa
of Three Months
WRITTEN FOB THE DIsPATcH.J
Here we are in the eighteen hundred and
| ninety-second year of the Christian era
And apropos of this permit me to answe,
the question put so many times, and often
SO seriously discussed, concerning the be-
ginning and the end OF a century. 1t is
somewhat ine1plicable that half of the dis.
putants declare that the year 1900 will be-
long to the nineteenth century, while an
other half affirm that it will belong to the
twentieth, for the reason that child of 0
year and some months exists and is pretty
and healthy.
Now, it is agreed that the first year of our
era is known as the year l, and not as the
year 0. The first century began with the
year 1 and ended with the year 100. The
second century began with the year 101 and
ended with the year 200. The nineteenth
century began with the year 1901, and it
will come to an end on December 81, 1900.
The year means the first year and not a
completed year plus new current year.
The first decade in a century should then
be counted from 1 to 10, and the Last decade
from 81 to 100 inclusiveIy.
About the Christian Era.
The twentieth century. then, will begin
on the LIST of January, 1901 This, doubt
less, will not prevent the invention of new
paradoxes to obscure the question, and per-
haps some cheap dramatist will revive q
little piece de Circumstance played in the
year 1900 under the title, "a Centennial
Fact" In what century do we live, good
heavens?
Ny readers know. that the Christian era
was not thought of IS centuries ago, and
that it does not really date from the birth
of Jesus, still less from his conception, in
spite of the formula alb incarnatione Christi.
This era was suggested for the first time in
the sixth century by monk named Denys
surnamed The Little, who lived at Rome
about the year $50. His calculations led
him to place the incarnation of Jesus in the
seven hundred and ffty-third year of Rome,
and this computation is the foundation, of
the Christian era, which was not adopted
until the year 300 by order of Charlemagne
after his coronation. But Denys, The
Little's, calculation is in error BY four
years, because, according even to tradi-
tion, Jesus was born during the reign
of Herod, who died in the 750th year of
Rome. Calculations too long to reproduce
here indicate that the birth of Jesus took
place toward the end of the 749th year SUBJ
sequent to the founding of Rome, and that
His death occurred sc years after this date.
The Christian era, which makes Jesus die
1t the age of 33. is too short by four years.
The 1st of January of the year / is the 1st |
IF January of the year 750, and not of the |
year 754 (Roman). The year 1892 is the |
,ighteeen hundred and ninety-sixth after |
he birth of Jesus.
The Mistake Makes No Difference.
In spite of the admitted error it would be |
impossible to-day to change |
lates to this beginning, the base of all the |
historical dates of Europe for more than
!, 900 years. And besides it matters little,
We are not dealing here with pure science, |
,ut are in the domain of history, ''the great
st liar that ever existed" according to a
celebrated historian.
As to the beginning of the year it was for
i very long time fixed at the incarnation,
otherwise called the visit of the angel
Gabriel, that is, at the 25th of March,
This custom, very much in vogue in Eu-
ope, endured to the year 1745 among the
inhabitants of Pisa, and the calculation of
)enys had even received the soubriuuet
'Pisan calculation. The Kings OF France
nd England adopted at one time March 25,
t another time Christmas, Easter at an.
ther time, and the latter custom prevailed |
Ehen Charles TX in 1868 fixed the beginning
4 the year at January /. Others continued
o follow the Roman custom of beginning
he year on March /, as in the time Of
ulius Cesar. These different systems of
hronology are often a source of inextrica-
lie confusion in reading the chroniclers of.
he middle ages As Easter is the most
lovable date imaginable since it can cor
cspond to all the dates comprised between
larch ~ and April 25, we find years that
ave two almost complete months of April,
for instance the year 1347.
A Fact About New Years Day. a.l
1t must be confessed, however, that moth
,g is more arbitrary than the establishment |
date for the change from one year to
mother. Why the first of January, the
5th of December, the 25th of March, or
ny other date whatever? The earth turns !
bout the sun, following an ellipse little
lfferent from circle. Such figure has
either beginning nor end, so that nature
erself is/ not obliged to mark where the
ear begins, or where it ends. But the sea-
ms exist. The most natural impulse would
ad to beginning the year with the advent
line weather, on May /, for instance.
es, but spring in our northern hemisphere
autumn south of the equator, aud when
inter spreads her shrouds of SHOWS over
rance, Germany and Russia, Patagonia and |
ew Zealand revel under the rays of q sum
er sun. See then why the nomenclature /
the Republican calendar, otherwise SO {
leasing, could not be applied to the entire /
obe. They are not astronomical, and--I (
.seech the pardon of all the statesmen of
e whole world-nobody can invent any
ing durable in the matter of measures of
me or space, If he is in disagreement with II
essieurs, the astronomers Kings, min
ters, DEGREES pass away, the heavens re- /,
ain, and the earth is in the heavens, II
Thermidor at Paris being, then, Pluviose
Buenos Ayres; Floreal at Melbourne 3
ing Brumaire at London; the calendar is ,
acceptable for the whole world. The
reneh Republic fixed the beginning Of the