The traditional system of dividing time into a period "before Christ" or B.C. and "anno Domini" (the year of the Lord), or A.D. was established by the Venerable Bede.

How have people in the past reacted to century turns and millennial turns?

This is what people in Europe did as the calendar turned from the year 999 A.D to 1000 A.D.

Some "millennimania" occurred in the years prior to 1900. This is what religious people in the Watchtower organization were doing.

Check out the head lines of Newspapers on December 31st 1899

last revised: 9:45 PM 12/13/95