New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-30
Year of Grace 1918
And Its Pagan Fellows
Corresponds to Year 663l Of
Julian Period and 5679
of Jewish Era

The year 1918 OF the Christian era.
which begins on Tuesday. January l..
and ends on Tuesday, December 81,
corresponds 10:
The year 6631 Of the Julian period "a
period of 1850 Julian years being the
period OF agreement of the solar and
lunar cycles with the cycle Of Indie
ton). January /, 1918, Julian eslen-
dsr, corresponds to January II, 1918,
Gregorian calendar.
The year 5679 of the Jewish era
(reckoned from the assumed creation
of the world. /. G., October 7, 1901 b.
O. begins at sunset on September 8,
1918, GregoTian calendar.
The year 1897 of the Mshometsn
era, OF the era of the Hegira July
16, A. d. 622), begins at sunset October
8, 1918, Gregorian calendar.
On the first day of January, 1915,
around 1,00s,000,000, or. more exactly,
1,008 ,246,240 minutes will have elapsed
since the birth of Christ, or the be-
ginning Of the Christian era.
This figure is the result OF the fol-
lowing calculation:
Counting the common year as cor.
tanning 525,600 minutes 1866 times y
times 60), we get for 1917 years 1901
$4,000 minutes. In this calculation,
however, the leap years baye not been
taken into account. These make add
tional twenty-five days for every cen
fury until the year 1900; twenty-four
days for every century since 1900 IN
til 1900, plus four days for the leap
years 1904, 1908 and 1916. Also the
-. Ia ~ =
must be deducted. As a result, the
above number is 10 be increased BY
671 ,040, i. c., the minutes contained IN
the additional 466 days, which gives
the exact number of minutes, viz
1.O08, 246,240 elapsed until January j.
1918.
The first day of January OF the year
1918 is the 2,42l ,595th since the begin
ming of the Julian period.
Was Not Always Thus
Tho year did not always begin on
January /. The Druids began IL on
March 10, the Persians and PhGni-
clans at the autumnal equinox, the an
cient Mexicans on February %. The
Egyptians reckoned the beginning o.
the year from the first of 10th March
ApriD; but since the Egyptian year
constantly lost, and its seasons shifted.
so that in about 1,507 topical years New
Years Day had run through all the days
of the true year back To the starting
point, the Greeks of the time OF Scion
began the year at the winter solstice'
December 81, but in the time Of Per
icles, in 1872 y. c., they changed the
date 10 June 81. The Romans began
the year in March and later on Janu-
airy 1. The Jews began and still begin
their civil year with the trst montn
Of Thisri, which roughly correspond
20 our September. Their year 96''
will begin on September s, 1918. Inc
Chinese reckon the year from the hrs'
moon after the sun enters AduariOs'
which happens not earlier than JanG
airy 81 and not later than February ~
The present year Of the Mahometans
will begin on October 6. 1915.
Even in Christendom the date q,
which the year commenced varied ~
different periods in different countries.
In England December % was Ne"
Years Day until William the Con
queror. His coronation happened 70
occur on January I, hence the year
was reckoned 70 begin on that dsy.
In France the year was yariodsly rec.
oned: from Christmas Day, IRON
Easter Eve or from March. 20. from
1864 the year was reekoned in Franc.
from January to December 81. In kons
and a great part of Italy il was f r,p,
December %. until Pope Gregory Al
reformed the calendar tloesl, .ss
fixed January as the first day OF N.
year. The years, howeser, aceefa,n5s
to which Papsl bulls are dated, s''''
commence with Christmas DAY.