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Remember the build-up to the millenium? Doesn't seem like 10 years ago does it? Well, this whole decade has flown past and we are now at the end of it. Where did all that time go...

Maths not your subject, Keith?

The year 2000 was the first year of the new millennium; the first year of the noughties. 2010 is the first year of the next decade.

Reginald, remember the 'end of the 80s'? That was December 1989. Remember 'the eve of the millenium'? That was December 1999. So the last month of this decade will be December 2009. Next month in other words.

Actually, Reggie is quite correct.

There was no Year Zero.

Therefore, the first decade consisted of the years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

The second decade began with the year 11.

The third decade began with the year 21.

The first century ended with the year 100.

The second century began with the year 101.

The second millennium ended with the year 2000.

This millennium began with the year 2001.

This decade will end with the year 2010.

To make it easier for those struggling with the arithmetic (Sam?):

Take a handful of pennies. Now, arrange them in piles, 10p to a pile.

Take a close look at them.

You will find that the first pile begins with penny number 1 and ends with penny number 10 (not penny number 9).

Next, you will find that the second pile begins with penny number 11 (not penny number 10) and ends with penny number 20 (not penny number 19).

And so on.

I hope this has helped.

Correct Steve. The hype about 2000 being the millenium was always incorrect but the lack of maths skills in the populace goes back a few hundred years and is now too ingrained to have changed.

Stick to music, Steve.....seriously.

Counting the pennies is slightly different in that you start at number 1. In contrast, a decade starts at the 0, ie 1900, 1910, 1920 etc....and so ends at the 9. Hell, use your fingers like a nursery kid if you don't believe me. Max is entirely correct when he says that it'll be 10 years, this New Year, since the millennium.

I remember my teacher explaining this to me when I was about 5 or 6 and never thought I'd have to pass on such knowledge to supposed educated adults 28 years later.