Bc Ad Calculator

BC/AD Timeline Calculator

Calculate years between historical dates

BC (BCE) AD (CE)
BC (BCE) AD (CE)

How to Calculate Time Between BC and AD

Calculating time across history requires accounting for a specific mathematical quirk: There is no "Year 0" in the Gregorian or Julian calendars. The timeline jumps directly from 1 BC (Before Christ) to 1 AD (Anno Domini).

The Calculation Logic

  • Same Era: If both dates are in the same era (both BC or both AD), simply subtract the smaller number from the larger number.
  • Across Eras: If one date is BC and the other is AD, add the years together and subtract 1.

Historical Examples

Event A Event B Total Years
Pyramid of Giza (2560 BC) Today (2024 AD) 4,583 Years
Julius Caesar Dies (44 BC) Fall of Rome (476 AD) 519 Years
1 BC 1 AD 1 Year
function calculateTimeline() { var startYear = parseInt(document.getElementById("startYear").value); var endYear = parseInt(document.getElementById("endYear").value); var startEra = document.getElementById("startEra").value; var endEra = document.getElementById("endEra").value; var resultDiv = document.getElementById("timelineResult"); var resultText = document.getElementById("resultText"); var resultContext = document.getElementById("resultContext"); if (isNaN(startYear) || isNaN(endYear) || startYear <= 0 || endYear <= 0) { alert("Please enter valid years greater than 0."); return; } var totalYears = 0; if (startEra === endEra) { // Same era calculation totalYears = Math.abs(endYear – startYear); } else { // Crossing BC/AD calculation // Formula: (Year1 + Year2) – 1 because there is no Year 0 totalYears = (startYear + endYear) – 1; } resultDiv.style.display = "block"; resultText.innerHTML = "Total Duration: " + totalYears.toLocaleString() + " Years"; var contextMsg = "Calculation from " + startYear + " " + startEra + " to " + endYear + " " + endEra + "."; if (startEra !== endEra) { contextMsg += " (Adjusted for the absence of Year 0)"; } resultContext.innerText = contextMsg; }

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