1995-96 REVIEW AND OUTLOOK : Just When You Think It’s Over, It’s Not

When does the new millennium really begin? Not when most people think, but it’s unlikely to matter.

Most of humanity will undoubtedly mark the 20th century’s demise on Dec. 31, 1999.

But calendar-keepers insist that decades begin with the “1” year, as in 1901, 1991 and 2001, since the first decade was over at the end of the 10th year. Thus, Dec. 31, 2000, will be the official end of the old decade and the end of the 2nd millennium.

The calendar-keepers, however, concede they’ll be pretty much alone at their 3rd Millennium New Year’s Eve parties on that date, because the world long ago chose to view “9” years as endings and “0” years as beginnings.