In Latin, the term 'vulgaris aerae' (English, Vulgar Era) was used interchangeably with 'Christian Era' as far back as in the 1600s. In English, it is found in writings as early as 1708. The expression Common Era is also no new invention, it has been in use for several hundred years. This is supposed to be the birth year of Jesus, although modern historians often conclude that he was born around 4 years earlier. The year count starts with year 1 in the Gregorian calendar. The Anno Domini year–numbering system was introduced by a Christian monk named Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century. BC is an abbreviation of Before Christ.īecause AD and BC hold religious (Christian) connotations, many prefer to use the more modern and neutral CE and BCE to indicate if a year is before or after year 1.Īccording to the international standard for calendar dates, ISO 8601, both systems are acceptable.Instead of AD and BCĬE and BCE are used in exactly the same way as the traditional abbreviations AD and BC. The Common Era begins with year 1 in the Gregorian calendar. Business Date to Date (exclude holidays).
