CALENDARIAL FACTS ABOUT THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11229, 25 November 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

CALENDARIAL FACTS ABOUT THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

When - will the 20th century begin? Whythere should be different answers to this question is a little puzzling to know. A few fundamental facts disposed of ought easily to settle the controversy. Of course, the first century began with the year 1, and closed with the year 100. The second century, then, began with the year 101, and closed with the year 200. Now, following this method to the present time, there can be but one answer to the above question. The 19th century closes with the year 1900, and the year 1900 closes December 31. Immediately after midnight-, therefore, of December 31, 1900, is when the 20th century begins. In other words, it begins with the first second of the first hour of the first day of January, 1901. Just at the very nick of time when the 20th century begins at the international date line, the 19th will still be enveloping, as it were, the entire globe; but 12 hours afterward, it will be the 20th century on half the earth and the 19th on the other half; 12 hours later the 19th will have entirely passed, and the 20th will have made its first circuit round this ball on which we live. Thus it takes a century a full day's time to get complete possession of affairs, and from the time of its very beginning to the point where its last trace disappears occupies just 100 years and 1 day. This is evident from the fact that after a new century has begun on the earth it still takes the preceding century full 24 hours to give way entirely to the new. The 20th century will open on Tuesday and close on Sunday. It will have the greatest number of leap years possible for a century—24. The year i 904 will be the first one; then every fourth year after that to and including the year 2000. February will three times have five Sundays—in 1920,1948, and 1976. In 1901, Decoration Day, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving Day will occur the same day in the week. Then, after that, the same thing will happen at the following intervals: 6, 11, 11, 6, 11, 11, and so on, years; or in 1907, 1918,1929, 1935, and so on. In the years 1912, 1940, 1969, and 1996 there are four holidays that will fall on the same day in the week—the three already mentioned, and Washington's Birthday Anniversary, as also February 29. Thanksgiving Day and Christmas will occur on the same day in the week in 1906, and then at successive intervals of 11, 6, 11, 11, 6, 11 years, and so on; also in 1928, 1956, and 1984. March 4 will fall on Sunday in the inaugural years 1917, 1945, and 1973. The same yearly calendar that was used in 1895 can be used again in 1901, after which at successive intervals of 6, 11, 11 years throughout the century; that for 1890 again in 1902, and at intervals of 11, 6, 11 years; 1891, again in 1903, and at intervals of 11, 11, 6 years; 1892, in 1904, and at intervals of 28 years ; 1899, in 1905, and at intervals of 6, 11, 11 years; 1894, in 1306, and at intervals of 11, 6. 11, years; 1896, in 1908, and every 28th year thereafter ; 1897, in 1909, and at intervals of 6, 11, 11 years; 1898, in 1910, and at intervals of 11, 6, 11 years; 1872, in 1912, and every 28th year thereafter; 1876, in 1916; 1880, in 1920; 1884, in 1924; 1888, in 1928; in the last four cases, also at intervals of 28 years. The following are, in order, beginning with 1901, the dates of Easter for the first 25 years of the century: —April 7, March 30, April 12, 3, 23, 15, March 31, April 19, 11, March 27, April 16, 7, March 23, April 12, 4, 23, 8, March 31, April 16, 7, March 23, April 16, 1, 20, 12. The earliest possible date on which Easter can occur is March 22. The last time it occurred on this date was in 1818, but it will not occur again till after the 20th century. The latest Easter can occur in April 25, and it will thus occur but once in the coming century. in 1943. Whenever Easter occurs on March 27, or April 3, 10, 17, or 24, Christmas also occurs on Sunday. Though one of the objects aimed at by the Church Authorities who fixed upon the method of determining the date of Easter was to prevent its occurrence on the same day as the Jewish Passover, nevertheless the two events will occur together four times in the 20th centurv, April 12, 1903, April 1, 1923, April 17, 1927, and April 19, 1981. The 20th century will contain 36,525 days, which lacks but one day of being exactly 5218 weeks. The middle day of the century will be January 1, 1951. The day of the week that will not occur as often as each of the 'others 'is Monday. Fifteen out of the hundred years will begin on Wednesday and the same number on Friday. Fourteen will begin on each of the other days in the week. . . . As to eclipses in the coming century, there will bo about 380 of them, the number of solar being to the number of lunar in about the ratio of 4 to 3. What is of very rare occurrence in a calendar year will happen in 1935, the first time since 1823—viz., seven eclipses, the largest possible number that can happen in a year. There are eight total solar eclipses predicted to occur, visible in the United States, in 1918, 1923, 1925, 1945, 1954, 1979, 1984, 1994. There will also occur 12 transits of Mercury on the following dates: November 12, 1907; November 6, 1914; May 7, 1924; November 8, 1927; May 10, 1937; November 12, 1940; November 13, 1953; November 6, 1960; May 9, 1970; November 9, 1973 November 12, 1986; November 14, 1999. The first, second, ninth, and tenth will be wholly visible in the United States; the seventh and eighth only partially so. A transit of Venus, however, which is of much more consequence, will not occur within the next century. The earliest date predicted is June 8, 2004.—8. J. Yannev, in the Scientific American.