Talk:Chronology

BCE/CE section uses these terms before explaining them. Peter Jackson (talk) 16:57, 10 October 2019 (UTC)

23.43695 + 66.33 = 89.76695. Offhand, I can't think of any reason why they shouldn't add up to 90. Maybe they're from sources with different dates, as the inclination does vary slightly over time. Peter Jackson (talk) 17:04, 10 October 2019 (UTC)

Egyptian calendar:

1. I think, without checking right now, that Censorinus' calculations were out by 4 years
2. 1460 years before 139 is 1322, not 1321
3. all these calculations are based on the Julian year, not the astronomical year
4. heliacal rising of Sothis occurs on a particular day 4 years running; what basis could we have for choosing 1 in particular?
5. what basis could we have for saying the calendar was originally supposed to start at that time, rather than this being a later idea?

Peter Jackson (talk) 17:12, 10 October 2019 (UTC)

Scotland didn't adopt the Gregorian calendar in 1599, it only changed the start of the year. The paragraph needs more rewriting. Peter Jackson (talk) 17:20, 10 October 2019 (UTC)

Yes, agreed. Other countries did likewise. John (talk) 22:22, 10 October 2019 (UTC)

"35 years later"? That makes 1787. You can have either 1776 (Declaration of Independence) or 1783, when we recognized it. Peter Jackson (talk) 17:24, 10 October 2019 (UTC)

The operative date is 17 September 1787, when the US Constitution was formally ratified. You can use 4 July 1776 if you prefer that but the wording will need to be changed. John (talk) 22:22, 10 October 2019 (UTC)

Hadn't thought of that interpretation. But what you say isn't correct: that was the date of signing. It was ratified by the requisite 9 states (as specified in Article VII) on 21 June 1788. Well, that's less than 36 years from September 1752, so the statement might stand in that sense, though a source cited by WP says it didn't come into force till 4 March 1789. Peter Jackson (talk) 09:30, 11 October 2019 (UTC)