When does the decade end?

[Denise in Florida]

Dh and I were always taught that a decade ends with the 10. Therefore, this decade just entered its last year. My dd16 (stubborn thing:glare:) insists that the decade ended last night and a new one has just started.

 

I thought I would check with the lovely folks here and get your opinions.

 

Thanks

[Jen500]

I guess you could look at the ten years as 0-9. So, 2000-2009

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I have always been taught that a decade runs from year 1 through year 10, so 2001-2010 is the correct time frame. 2000 was the last year of the previous decade and 2011 will be the first year of the new decade.

[fivetails]

I've always known it as the last year being the 9 .. 1979 ended the 70s, 1989 ended the 80s, 1999 ended the 90s, and 2009 ended the [whatever you want to call it]s. :tongue_smilie:

[KJB]

The Romans did not have a zero in their numbering system. Their calendar began with January 1 in the year 1. This decade won't really end until midnight between Dec 31st, 2010 and January 1, 2011.

[ProudGrandma]

I guess you could look at the ten years as 0-9. So, 2000-2009

 

yes, but was there a year 0? I always thought that there wasn't a year 0, but rather it started with 1...year 1-10 was the first decade and so then the 11-20 would be the next....so 2001-2010 is a decade and 2011-2020 would be the next. But I don't claim to know it all...so I am sure there are other who have a differing thought.

 

Kathy

[Daisy]

It ended last night, imo.

 

We call the years by the "father" of the tens as we say in place value.

 

20's

50's

 

I can't imagine it any other way.

 

We just started the 10's.

[Jen500]

yes, but was there a year 0? I always thought that there wasn't a year 0, but rather it started with 1...year 1-10 was the first decade and so then the 11-20 would be the next....so 2001-2010 is a decade and 2011-2020 would be the next. But I don't claim to know it all...so I am sure there are other who have a differing thought.

 

Kathy

 

Hmmm, I was just thinking of a decade as being any period of ten years.

[EKS]

I'm guessing it runs from years 1-10 because there was no year 0 in the beginning of all this counting.

[Miss Marple]

I agree with your son :-)

 

Here's a link to an article about the subject: http://clipmarks.forbes.com/tag/when-does-the-decade-end/ (the author is a bit obnoxious about it though)

Edited January 2, 2010 by CynthiaOK

[nukeswife]

We go by the 1-10 theory. Just like we say that the millennium didn't end 12-31-99 it ended 12-21-2000 because there was no year 0

[Sputterduck]

I agree with your son :-)

 

Here's a link to an article about the subject: http://clipmarks.forbes.com/tag/when-does-the-decade-end/ (the author is a bit obnoxious about it though)

 

Yep.

 

From that article "It ought to be blindingly obvious, to even the most slathering of idiots, that the 1920s refers to 1920-29. The year 1930? It is not part of the 1920s. The Twenty-Twenties? They will begin on 2020. Obviously. 2030? It will not be part of the Twenty-Twenties."

[Ellie]

At the end of 2010.

[KJB]

Here's a link to an article about the subject: http://clipmarks.forbes.com/tag/when...he-decade-end/ (the author is a bit obnoxious about it though)

 

Making ad hominem attacks doesn't change when *the* (as opposed to *a*) actual decade ends.

 

He's talking about a cultural (and possibly an emotional) understanding about what a decade is considered to be, and not a factual representation of the way we keep time.

 

From Wiki:

 

In TV show The X-Files episode called Millennium, continuing the TV series of the same name, Scully mentions that the new millennium doesn't start until January 1, 2001. She is made fun of, but not suggested to be incorrect, when Mulder responds, "No one likes a math geek, Scully."

 

He may not like "math geeks" either, but being a bully doesn't make him right.

[Miss Marple]

When we talk about historical decades, particularly in the 20th century we talk about the Roaring 20's, etc. And the decade of the 20's doesn't include anything from the 30's.

 

As far as how we keep time - sure we just ended a decade, we will end another decade next year, and so on. The same point can be made with a millennium. But that's not the same as ending "The decade" which, as you state, is a designation with more historical/cultural reference.

 

A decade is simply 10 years as we all know. "The" decade is any time period we will refer to later (i.e., the Roaring 20's). So I have to agree with the author, ad hominem attacks and math geeks aside, that "The" decade we just completed began on Jan. 1, 2000 and I'm not going to be referring to 2010 as part of the "2000's decade". But it will included in the "twenty-tens" and 2020 will be included in the hopefully more prosperous "2020's".

 

But I imagine, based on historical past, that there will be many disagreements about this :-). Case in point: see the headline below from Foxnews.com

 

Identical Twins Born in 2 Separate Decades

 

Saturday, January 02, 2010

 

TAMPA, Fla. — Identical twin boys in Florida will get to celebrate their birthdays individually after they were born in separate decades.

Edited January 2, 2010 by CynthiaOK