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When the century began is not a matter of opinion. It isn't up for opinion to be the correct response. The correct response is what suzy_q2010 stated. It is immaterial if someone chooses to think otherwise.
I don't know about suzy_q, but it sure met with my disapproval. A series of numbers does not start with a zero. 2001 was the first year of the 21st Century; there's just no disputing it. People can call 2000 the first year of the century all they like, but that doesn't make it so.
Once upon a time, epochs were marked by the change of sovereigns. In nations that had a concept of "zero," there was a concept called the "year of ascencion" that was the point from the moment of coronation to the end of that first year.
In countries where there was no concept of zero (that would be Europe), they just winged it.
But as has been mentioined, time is a continuity not a set of discrete intervals--and certainly a "year" is not even the smallest of them.
The answer is not an individual's opinion. If a person insists 5 and 5 add up to 9, they are mistaken and the same analogy works if a person says the 20th century began January 1, 1900 or the 21st Century began January 1st, 2000. The link explains the reason those who think 1900 and 2000 are mistaken.
There were always events, minor or major that had consequences later, does not always mark the definite start of the 20th century. I would say sometime after 1905-1914 marked the beginning of the cultural 20th century. I have to point out that we are talking about a cultural sense, not the date on a calendar. The assassination of President William McKinley was not a watershed moment, and did not usher in the 20th century, and while the Wright Brothers had a big impact in terms of air travel, that particular moment while significant, was not the start of the 20th century.
I would say WWI is a great candidate.
On a side note I never got why we are hung up on the year zero. Who cares if there ever was a year zero, it is beside the point, for we now use the Gregorian calendar, since the middle 1700s. In our calendar there is a year zero, and 1900 was the start of the calendar 20th century, as was the year 2000 for the 21st.
Uh, I guess some nanosecond between 11:59PM, December 31, 1899 and 12:00 AM January 1, 1900.
Yes I agree with this, but the OP meant in a cultural sense. I forgot to mention in my previous post that the 1920's were very much 20th century, and not like the late 1800's.
So babies are nothing until the first birthday?
How long was the first century in AD? Did it not start until 1 AD?
I agree that the number string doesn't start at 0, but time doesn't tick the way a clock does. At one second into 1/1/2000, because of the one second, we are into that century. I'm sorry for those who disagree, but math can be a harsh mistress.
I see it like age, sure we do not call children under 1 year, "age zero", but we do HAVE a zero, 10, 20, 30, so on and so on. We don't go from 19 to 21, or 29 to 31. The same applies to years, the fact is we go from 1999 to 2000, not 2001. The year 2000 is NOT the 20th century, same applies to decades. This decade ends on Dec 31, 2019, and 2020 will be a new decade.
Plus we use the Gregorian calendar, who cares about previous years on previous calendars. There was a time when March the first month of the year in the Roman system, now we have January and February.
There were always events, minor or major that had consequences later, does not always mark the definite start of the 20th century. I would say sometime after 1905-1914 marked the beginning of the cultural 20th century. I have to point out that we are talking about a cultural sense, not the date on a calendar. The assassination of President William McKinley was not a watershed moment, and did not usher in the 20th century, and while the Wright Brothers had a big impact in terms of air travel, that particular moment while significant, was not the start of the 20th century.
I would say WWI is a great candidate.
On a side note I never got why we are hung up on the year zero. Who cares if there ever was a year zero, it is beside the point, for we now use the Gregorian calendar, since the middle 1700s. In our calendar there is a year zero, and 1900 was the start of the calendar 20th century, as was the year 2000 for the 21st.
I know my opinion will be met with opposition.
There are a lot of great options, and I think what we are choosing here is the beginning of the modern era.
1918 is a good choice, relying on the end of the war. I think a better one would be 1917, with the Russian Revolution and Russia's departure from international hostilities, along with the United States' belated entrance into the war.
Or maybe the 1903 flight by the Wright brothers would be a good choice.
Or the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the dawn a new era of anti-colonial revolution.
Or maybe the publication of Das Kapital way back in 1867. Or the end of the American Civil War in 1865.
When the century began is not a matter of opinion. It isn't up for opinion to be the correct response. The correct response is what suzy_q2010 stated. It is immaterial if someone chooses to think otherwise.
Let's set up a poll, "Do owls exist?"
It's so sad that the people who are completely wrong about this are completely sure that they are right. When walking into a room full of people and then counting those people, we do not start with the number "zero." (Although, considering the chowderheads we will undoubtedly find in this hypothetical room, perhaps we should.)
1901 is the correct number mathematically. And for the reasons Ralph Kirk pointed out, it is also the correct number politically. Technologically, I'd wait all the way to 1903, with powered flight.
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