What is a century?
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are counted from year 1, so the 21st century began on January 1, 2001, and will end on December 31, 2100.
The word century comes from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred. Because the calendar starts at AD 1, not year 0, the first century covered the years 1 to 100. The 20th century ran from 1901 to 2000. This is why the 1900s, the years beginning with 19, are called the 20th century.
In everyday speech, many people treat years like 2000 as the start of a new century, and the year 2000 was widely celebrated as one. Technically, though, it was the last year of the 20th century. Historians and astronomers usually stick to the strict definition.
Other meanings
Century can mean any group of 100. In cricket, a century is when a batter scores 100 runs. In ancient Rome, a centuria was a unit of about 80 to 100 soldiers led by a centurion. Living to 100 makes someone a centenarian.
Did You Know?
The number of people aged 100 or older worldwide is estimated at more than half a million and is growing quickly.