Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-29
More on When the Second Half
OF This Century Begins


To the Editor OF The Star:
The numbers so and 100 are significant To
celebrate either a fiftieth anniversary or
hundredth. however, before its attainment is
jumping the gun. No bank would settle q
note for $50 or 500 on payment of only $40
or 500.
Those of us who have reached three score
years can recall the bitter discussions IS to
whether the twentieth century would begin
on January 1. 1900. or year later. It finally
was conceded that the nineteenth century
ended with the termination of 1900 full
years and that the present century began an
instant later, or second after midnight on
January /, 1901.
When we disregard simple computations
or the decisions of the past we make the
same mistake in asserting that the second
half of the twentieth century will begin on
January l. 1850.
little thinking will eliminate the error.
For instance, a child'S first birthday Is not
the day he was born. but one year later. OBJ
viously he will not be so years old until he
has lived so full years. The boy saving pennies
will not begin his second half dollar until he
has so of them in his bank. He will not res
joice over only 40. Likewise, no one rightly
will celebrate the beginning Of the second
half Of any century until it's first so years
have been completed. He therefore will defer
celebrating the beginning Of the second half
of the present century until January l, 1851.
VIM. H. CHEESMAN.
To the Editor Of The Star:
How befuddled minds which are unable or
unwilling to understand elementary arith-
metic become! Whether the first half of the
present century ends at midnight, December
81, 1949, or year later, depends on what
is taken as starting point.
DR.. Gallup and D. M. U. say that the first
so years of this century end on December 81.
1949: but H. G. argues that the half CEN
tury does not end until December 81, 1850.
(See Letters to the Editor in The Star of
December 23) The first two authors evident
ly number the first year zero. whereas H. G.
counts the first year as Number One.
Suppose, for illustration. that shrewd
miser is paying debt of 500 to D. M. U. in
dollar bills. The two sit on opposite sides
Of table and the miser passes the bills.
numbered consecutively from / to 100 in
elusive, across line to D. M. u. Bill No.
is pushed over the line first, then No. 2, and
the others in order until No. 40 has been
paid over. Then the old skinhint says to
D. M. u, Nov the 500 are half paid. Sign
this receipt for $50"
II D. NJ u. is smart, he will know that he
has paid only $40 and will demand that the
INU. CV JILL VIC ldASACO OVSA NOAoAO AAS SAeAS
the receipt. But If the numbering Of the
100 dollar bills begins with zero on the
first bill and the last bill is marked &c. then
when No. 40 has been paid. D. M. U. should
sign a receipt for the first half of the 500.
What is true of the 500, Of course, Is true
of the years Of the century.
Therefore, the question becomes: How
did the numbering of the years Of the pres
emit era begin? THE first year A. D. was
called zero year, it follows that at midnight
December 81, &c. the first century ended and
the second began January l. 100. Likewise,
the present century began January l, 1900,
and the first half will end at the end Of the
day December 81, 1949.
But numbering usually is begun with one,
not with zero. When the pages Of book OF
100 pages are numbered. the first page is
not numbered zero, the second page one, and
so on. So the numbering Of the years AID.
probably began with one. # So DR.. Gallup
and D. M. u. are wrong, and H. @. is right;
and the first half Of this century will not
end until the year 1860 closes.
GEORGE FREDERICK MILLER