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This year is NOT the end of the first decade of the third millennium.
OK, we all have our pet peeves, and here is mine. I thought this was all put to rest when many publication pointed out that the start of the third millennium was the year 2001, not 2000. But the web and the papers are being inundated now with articles about the best of the decade, the worst of the decade, etc. The decade has one more year to go. The second decade of this millennium (and of the 21st century) will begin on January 1, 2011. Here's the deal: The first year of the common era was the year one. There was no year zero. (The year prior to that was the year one BCE.) The first decade of the common era ended with the end of the year 10, and the start of the year 11. Thus all decades, centuries and millennia start with years that end in 1, and they end in years that end in 0. Now, is that too hard to get and remember? Please tell everyone not to keep going on with this mind numbing foolishness. Rant over.
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