Why didn't they name the 1900's the 19th century and the 2000-2099 the 20 century?

Answer 1

Pretty simple...because from 1 to 101 was the first century, from 101 to 201 was the second century and so on down the road to the 19th century was from 1801 to 1901, 20th from 1901 to 2001, and we are now in the 21st century, but we haven't ended it yet. But does it really matter...each millisecond starts a new century.

Answer 2

The "first" century would be years 1 through 100.
"Second" would be 101 to 200. etc etc
So, year 101 would be the first year of the second century. The year 2000 ended the 20th century and we started counting the years in this century at 1. So, 2001 was the first year of the next or 21st century.
[Like you count anything..you don't count out something by grabbing the first item in the bunch and saying "zero" If so, would you please count out and give me a hundred hundred-dollar-bills? By that counting method I would end up with 101 bills.]
And for previous answerer's: There are one hundred years in a century, how the heck does "1 through 99" or 99 years make a century. 1 through 99 is only 99 total. And there was no year zero.

Answer 3

Because the years 0 to 99 were the 1st century, not the Zero century. That made the years 100 to 199 the 2nd century, etc etc.

Answer 4

From year 1 to year 99 (or 100) was the first century

Answer 5

because from year 0-99 was the first century, making the 100's the second century, and so on until the 1900's are actually the 20th century-- you have count those first hundred years as well.

Answer 6

Because from the year 0 (if it ever existed) to 99 was the 1st century and from 100 to 199 was the 2nd so that is why we are in the 21st century!!!
lol

Answer 7

Europe didn't really have a mathematical concept of the number zero until the 11th Century, so they started at 1 A.D. (there is no year zero) and considered that to be the start of the 1st Century. It would be nice to do it the way you suggest, but there's the logical hole of calling 1-99 A.D. the Zeroth Century.

Answer 8

First century = 0 to 99
Second century = 100 - 199

and so on.

So, 1900s = 20th century, NOT 19th century
2000 onwards = 21st century

Answer 9

I'll tell ya without insults:

years 1-100 were the first century.
101-200 the second and so on..
That's also why the 21st century didn't really start until 2001. You don't have a whole dollar till you have 100 pennies do you? Nope so you don't have a whole century till you have 100 years.
Y2K.. HA!!

Answer 10

because 1 - 100 were the first century, then the 2nd century started with the year 101...and so on.

Incidentally, the 21st century is from Jan 1, 2001 to Dec 31, 2100.