Touring Ends of Eras Flashcards
Star Trek Beyond - Captains Log
- In this scene, the captain of the Enterprise starts recording a log entry using the term “Stardate,” which marks the date in the Star Trek universe.
- This idea is compared to historical events, such as the English calendar change in 1752, which caused some problems.
Julian
- Calendar system created by Julius Caesar over 2,000 years ago.
- U sed in ancient Rome and many parts of Europe until the 16th century.
-The Julian calendar had 12 months and 365 days, with an extra day added every four years to account for leap years.
Gregorian
The calendar system we use today
-introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 as a modification of the Julian calendar
-12 months, each with lengths of 28 to 31 days. It also includes a leap day added to February every four years to better synchronize the calendar with the solar year.
Islamic
- also called Hijri calendar, is a lunar calendar system used by Muslims to determine the dates of religious events and observances.
- Based on the lunar cycles, with each month starting when the new moon is sighted. Consists of 12 months, each lasting either 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon. ( shorter than the solar year used in the Gregorian calendar)
-> being approximately 11 days shorter.
The Islamic calendar begins with the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina (Hijra, which occurred in 622 CE.) This event marks the start of year 1 in the Islamic calendar.
Japanese
-Currently, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar alongside the Emperor’s reign year designation. Dates are written with the year first, then the month, and finally the day.
-For example, February 16, 2003, can be written as either 2003年2月16日 or 平成15年2月16日 (the latter indicating the year according to the Emperor’s reign).
- Before adopting the Gregorian calendar in 1873, Japan used the lunisolar Chinese calendar.
Korean
- Also called Dangun calendar, is a lunisolar calendar system. It calculates dates from Korea’s meridian, rooted in Korean culture.
- Koreans primarily use the Gregorian calendar. Major festivals remain with other celebrations.
- Though not official, South Korea maintains the traditional Korean calendar, based on the East Asia’s Shixian calendar. Meanwhile, North Korea has used the Juche calendar since 1997, marking years from the birth of its founder, Kim Il Sung.
Rumi
- Also as the Roman calendar, was used by the Ottoman Empire from 1839 until 1926. It was then adopted by the Republic of Turkey for civic purposes.
- This calendar based on the Julian calendar and assigns a specific date to each solar day.
- In contrast to the religious Islamic calendar, which is lunar-based, the Rumi calendar is solar-based.
Hindu
- The Hindu calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. A lunar month, called a “Purnimanta” or “Amanta” depending on the region, begins with the new moon (Amavasya) and ends with the full moon (Purnima).
- Hindu calendar also incorporates solar adjustments. Hindu year is shorter than a solar year.
- To reconcile this, an extra month, called “Adhika Masa” or “Purushottam Maas,” keep the calendar in sync with the solar year.
Nepali
- The Nepali calendar, called Bikram Sambat (BS), initiated by King Vikramaditya of ancient India.
- Vikramaditya is a legendary figure believed to have started this calendar around 57 BCE after defeating the Shakas.
- The first month is Baishakh, starting around mid-April. Each month can have 29 to 32 days, varying yearly.
Mayan
- Used by ancient Mayan civilization and other Mesoamerican cultures.
- Consisted of two main cycles: a 260-day ritual cycle and a 365-day year cycle. These cycles together formed a longer cycle of 18,980 days, known as the “Calendar Round.”
- The 260-day cycle, called the Tzolkin or “Count of Days,” had 13 numbers and 20 named days. Used for rituals, with each day believed to have certain characteristics.
- The 365-day year was divided into 18 months of 20 days each, plus a month of 5 unlucky days called Uayeb.
Solar
A solar calendars dates indicate the season or almost equivalently the apparent position of the Sun relative to the stars.
- The Gregorian calendar, widely accepted as a standard in the world, is an example of a solar calendar.
Lunar
Based on the cycles of the Moon’s phases (Solar cycles sun).
- The Islamic calendar is example of a purely lunar calendar.
Different lunar calendars start months at various points, using new, full, or crescent moons or calculated methods. Months in lunar calendars often alternate between 29 and 30 days because a lunar cycle is about 29 and a half days long.
Inaugural Address
In 1996, American President Bill Clinton gave a memorable Inaugural Address. His speech reflects how people in 1990s were en-visioning their changing world. He noted that a the Internet was a mystery to most but had now become a regular resource for millions of students. Interestingly (there was no talk of online shopping or social media at that time).
The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
Resource that provides access to historical documents related to law, diplomacy, and government. It offers a collection of primary source materials (constitutions, treaties, speeches, legal documents…)
- These documents are development of law and governance throughout different eras.
The End of History: Francis Fukuyama’s controversial idea
In 1989, Francis Fukuyama wrote a paper titled “The End of History?” for a magazine, later expanding it into a book called “The End of History and the Last Man” in 1992.
Fukuyama argued that the ideal form of political organization had been throughout history as liberal democratic states with market economies. (iberal democracy was the best achievable system.)
