The current millennium began on January 1, 2001.
In the most common calendar, the Gregorian calendar, the first day of the first year AD (also known as CE) was January 1, 1. 1000 years later was January 1, 1001, and another 1000 years brings us to January 1, 2001. So, the first millennium was from January 1, 1 through December 31, 1000, and the second millennium was from January 1, 1001 through December 31, 2000. We are currently in the third millennium. 2009 is the ninth year of the third millennium, the first year being 2001.
Whilst this is perfectly true, there are nowadays some ridiculous attempts to justify the millennium starting on Jan 1 2000. This is because so many people have red faces over having chosen the wrong date to celebrate, a year too early, and don't like to admit it. The beginning of the last century was celebrated on Jan 1 1901, 100 years before, not 99. Children were wrongly declared the first born in the new millennium, and people rushed to see the sunrise in the Pacific, all on the wrong date. Which meant that in most countries the real millennium was not even celebrated with a penny squib. We will have to wait 1000 years to see if the world gets it right in 3001.
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The above answer is based on the mistaken view that a millennium only starts once every thousand years. In fact if you check in a dictionary the first definition you find is that a millennium is ANY period of one thousand years. So a millennium can start on any date. This is similar to a decade being ANY period of ten years.
So which date should we choose to celebrate the new millennium? One possible answer is that given above, which is based on the Christian millennium concept. But as a millennium can start on any date we are free to define it how we like. The reason 1 Jan 2000 was widely adopted over the Christian date is that the calendar "clicks over" on that date from nines to zeros. This is similar to the excitement when a car odometer changes from 99,999 to 100,000, and is what most people want to recognize. They are free to do so!
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The above rebuttal to the originally submitted answer, is largely spurious and based on an unrealistic suggestion that the millennial periods described are subject to 'artistic license'.
The "Millenniums" discussed are millennial events as described by the Gregorian Calendar. As such they can not be UNLINKED from that guideline.
One can imagine whatever quasi-millennial period one wishes in other contextual basis', but the Calendar Millennium, that this topic references, is based on the Gregorian CALENDAR, which begins with the year 1. (one)
As such, it MUST be attached to the ten year period beginning with ONE and ending with ZERO, as described by the CALENDAR YEAR it describes.
To say the millennial year can be some other period of time is like saying 2+2 is not necessarily 4. It can equal something else if it makes you feel better about it. Another example would be saying we in the U.S. don't necessarily celebrate the 4th of July on the 4th of July, because ANY month with a number 4 in it could be our basis for celebratory glee if it pleases us better.
The Calendar Millenniums are not subject to whim. They are ruled by the Gregorian Calendar, which time periods they describe.
The Calendar means what it means. It does NOT mean whatever I "feel free" to distort it as.
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I have to thank the author of the above for bringing to my attention a fact I had overlooked in my previous response; that this question is sited in the Calender subdivision of questions. So maybe I should have responded to the question as though it had said "When did the (Calendar) millennium start?". He/she is of course correct in that sense; there is no alternative to 2001 for the Gregorian calendar millennium.
Be that as it may, my original response was added in the context of debates about the celebrations that took place at midnight on Dec 31 1999, and I should have made that clearer. My point about the generic millennium as any 1000 years period still stands in any wider context than the Gregorian calendar. People don't have to celebrate the Gregorian millennium (as correctly defined in the previous post), or indeed any particular event. If they choose to be more excited about the "odometer effect" I described than the strict Gregorian new millennium - which I believe they inevitably will, despite this debate! - then that is a simple matter of choice.
The 4th Millennium AD will commence on Thursday, January 1, 3001 AD.
january 01, 2001
The new millennium started on January 1, 2001, and ended on December 31, 2100. While many celebrated the turn of the millennium at the beginning of the year 2000, the official start of the 21st century and the new millennium was marked by the year 2001, as there was no year zero in the Gregorian calendar.
The new millennium officially started on January 1, 2001. This is because the Gregorian calendar does not have a year zero; it counts from 1 BC to AD 1. Therefore, the first millennium spanned from the year 1 to 1000, and the second millennium ran from 1001 to 2000, with the third millennium beginning in 2001.
No. A millennium is 1000 years, so two millennia can not have ended after just 1999 years. So 2000 was the last year of the 2nd millennium and the new one started on the 1st of January 2001.
The start of the second millennium AD was 1001, and the final year of the second millennium was 2000.
The 4th Millennium AD will commence on Thursday, January 1, 3001 AD.
january 01, 2001
A millennium year consists of one thousand years. For example, the millennium can start in 2000 and will end in 3000.
The new millennium started on January 1, 2001, and ended on December 31, 2100. While many celebrated the turn of the millennium at the beginning of the year 2000, the official start of the 21st century and the new millennium was marked by the year 2001, as there was no year zero in the Gregorian calendar.
After "the war of the great day of God the Almighty" at Armageddon then the start of the Millennium. All the Biblical and historical evidence indicating that we are in the last days of this wicked system of things gives us a firm basis for expecting the millennium of peace to begin in the near future.
1 January 2001.
2000
swimming started in the 3rd millennium BC.
To determine the date that is 1 million days after the start of the millennium, we first need to establish the start date of the millennium. The millennium began on January 1, 2001, as the 21st century began on January 1, 2001, not 2000. Adding 1 million days to January 1, 2001, we can calculate the date by dividing 1 million by 365 (days in a year) to determine the number of years, then the remaining days. This calculation would bring us to September 26, 2728.
The new millennium officially started on January 1, 2001. This is because the Gregorian calendar does not have a year zero; it counts from 1 BC to AD 1. Therefore, the first millennium spanned from the year 1 to 1000, and the second millennium ran from 1001 to 2000, with the third millennium beginning in 2001.
Go to the 'Start' menu, then to the 'taskbar and start menu' option, then to 'start menu programs'. Look around in this section for the 'Millenium' program, and delete it.