[LEAPSECS] LEAPSECS Digest, Vol 88, Issue 31

[Greg Hennessy]

On 01/14/2014 05:39 PM, Matsakis, Demetrios wrote:

> Not my issue, but the last day of the 20th century is technically

> December 31, 2000.    I wish it weren't.   When this controversy

> passed  in 1701, Isaac Newton is quoted has having rejoiced that "the

> issue was finally behind us".


Well, that depends on how you count. It has often been said that
the new century starts in 2000 for C programmers, and starts in 2001
for fortran programmers. Plenty of people argue there was no year
zero, but there are people who have a year zero, and a year -1, as
well as a year 1. Ask someone from China when the 2nd millenium started
and you may be surprized by the answer.

USNO had celebrations on Jan 1 2000 as well as Jan 1 2001, and there
were people arguing for both dates as being the 'proper' one.

Greg