Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1900 — The Scientific American Says 1901. [ARTICLE]

The Scientific American Says 1901.

/ The Scientific American, in its latest issue, devotes quite a song article to the end of the century question. The American, than which there is no higher journalistic authority on such problems, is very clear in deciding that the 19th century will not end until the end of the present year, but at the same time it admits the existence of many plausible arguments for tire other view of the question, namely that the 20th century began with the first of this year. The question ail turns, not on whether it takes IQO years to make a century or not, as several of our exchanges have flippantly stated, but in the point whether the Christian era began, with the year, olie or the year 0. If it began with 1 and not with 0 them the 19th century ends Dec. 31st. 1900. If it began with 0, then the 19th century ended Dec. 31st. 1899. As there is no allusion in all history to the year, and as such a year would be a manifest absurdity anyhow, the conclusion is clear that tho era bogan with the year 1, and that theretore the 19th century ends Dec. 31st. 1900 and the 20th century will begin Jan. Ist. 1901.