The Decade That Never Was

The 1700s decade officially began on January 1, 1700, and ended on December 31, 1709. Contrary to popular belief, this ten-year span is technically not part of the 18th century, which only began in 1701.

Our modern calendar does not have a year zero, meaning the first century began with the year one. Because of this, every century strictly starts on a year ending in 01 and finishes at the end of a year ending in 00. This creates a recurring confusion every time we change centuries. People often assume the 18th century started in 1700, but they are technically off by one full year.