Time’s Up for the Twenty-First Century

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has sparked a firestorm by proposing that centuries be renumbered using a zero-based index. Under the plan, the “First Century” would be renamed the “Zeroth Century,” the “Second Century” would become the “First,” and so on.

“Let’s be clear: the years aren’t changing,” explained ISO spokesperson Greg Orian. “We’re just acknowledging that a century starting in the year 0 should logically be called the Zeroth Century. It’s basic numeracy. It’s not personal.”

Regardless, the announcement was met with immediate backlash from defenders of the current system, including long-time calendar consultant Cal Ender, who called the proposal “chronological heresy.”

“We’re supposed to believe that the 20th Century just started?” scoffed Ender. “That’s a slippery slope. Next, they’ll tell us we just celebrated the end of the 1st millennium even though we all know it was ‘why-TWO-kay.’”

Proponents argue that the change would eliminate centuries of counting confusion. “People hear ‘19th Century’ and immediately think of the 1800s. It’s needlessly opaque,” said Orian. “This reform would align names with common sense. The year 1900 clearly belongs to the 19th Century. It’s right there in the name.”

The ISO’s announcement has thrown institutions like museums into disarray. “Do we rebrand the ‘20th-Century Art’ exhibit as ‘19th-Century Art’?” wondered one curator. “It sounds ridiculous, but the math checks out.”

While the debate rages on, the ISO insists their plan is about progress. “It’s time we modernize the way we think about time,” said Orian. “People resisted when we switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, too. Now, no one even remembers why we did that.”

For now, the future remains uncertain. Or, as Orian put it, “Stay tuned – change takes time, but fortunately, we’ve got plenty of that.”