3rd millennium - Definition and Overview

(2nd millennium – 3rd millennium – 4th millennium – other millennia)

The third millennium is the third period of one thousand years in the Common Era. However, there are two opinions on the start and end dates.

Start and End Dates

January 1 2001 - December 31 3000

For those who start counting their calendar from January 1 1, then the third millennium began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 3000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar.

January 1 2000 - December 31 2999

In the sense of the Common Era calendar the third millennium began on January 1, 2000 and will end on December 31, 2999. The majority of the celebrations for the start of the third millennium occurred at midnight on December 31 1999 / January 1 2000. The first decade of the new millennium (see below) contains the year 2000.

Events

It's too early in this millennium to have enough perspective to see which of the events that have occurred so far will be considered sufficiently notable to rank as major events of the millennium, if any. However, some events are listed in the article on the 21st century.

Centuries and Decades

See also

Common Era

External link

A website arguing that the new millennum began on January 1, 2000 (http://www.hermetic.ch/cal_stud/newmill.htm)