When does history begin? There are many alternatives. For example, astronomers begin to count since the Big Bang, the Bible counts since the world`s creation, ancient Romans counted ‘anno urbis conditae’ (since the foundation of Rome). If the date of the world`s creation is not convenient you may change it.

The date of creation

According to the Alexandrine era taken by orthodox countries the world was created on the 25^th of May in 5493 B.C. Thus,it was 7502 years ago. However many chroniclers expressed their surprise why orthodox countries had chosen exactly that date. ‘ First of all it should be shown where the very beginning is, when the Heaven and Earth were created, when the very first day of world`s creation was. Taken this day as an unbreakable and indisputable base I call on the Christ to help me prove that it was created in 5500,’ — wrote George Syncellus (the Byzantine chronicler and ecclesiastic).

Russia and Europe

Since the 10^th century people in Russia lived within the Byzantine calendar that defined its own date of the world`s creation — 5508 B.C. But in the Byzantine Empire a new year began on the 1^st of September and in Russia — on the 1^st of March. In 1492 the world celebrated the grand millennium — 7000 years old. Grand duke John the Third recommended the Moscow synod to consider the 1^st September being the beginning of the year.

In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII decreed Gregorian calendar that was adopted by the whole Europe.

Until Peter I the Great Russian governors took no interest in any new calendar. But in 1699 Peter changed the celebration of a new year from the 1^st of September to the 1^st of January. Thus, in the year 7207 of the old Russian calendar Peter proclaimed that the Julian Calendar was in effect and the year was 1700.

On the 24^th of January the Council of Peoples Commissars decreed the Gregorian calendar in Russia. The date correction made up 13 days and after the 31^st of January came not the 1^st but the 14^th of February. Days of week in both calendars coincided so they did not change.

Юлианский период

Many astronomers consider the beginning of the current Julian period invented by the French scholar Joseph Justus Scaliger the starting point of the calendar. The Julian period starts on the 1^st of January in 4713 BC (Julian calendar)and lasts for 7980 years. AD 2009 is thus year 6721 in the Julian period. After 7980 years the number starts from 1 again.

The Julian period is the lowest common multiple of three cycles:

1. The Golden Number Cycle. A cycle of 19 years, based on the Metonic cycle, which was intended to aid in Lunar calculations; 19 Julian years is (almost) 235 lunations.

2. The Solar Cycle. A cycle of 28 years, identifying the pattern of the calendar of the year in the Julian Calendar. Julian years can begin on any day of the week, but come in two lengths, 365 or 366, and therefore 14 yearly calendars serve to describe all possible year configurations. The repetition cycle, however, requires 28 years before it repeats, since 4 and 7 have no common factors but 1, and 4 × 7 = 28. 

3. The Roman Indiction. This is a Roman census cycle, which was often used in dating documents, records and tax forms, common after about 325 CE, that repeated every 15 years.

Thus, 19 × 28 * 15 = 7980, the Julian Period is 7,980 years long, or 2914695.00 days.

The Julian Period Year is rarely used (except in the Old Farmer's Almanac), but the strict count of days is widely used among astronomers, calendar freaks and Mayanists.