Common Era

The Common Era (CE) is a chronological system used to date years. It is equivalent to the Anno Domini (AD) system, which means "in the year of our Lord" in Latin. The CE/AD system was developed in the 6th century by Dionysius Exiguus, who aimed to calculate the date of Easter. He identified the year of Jesus Christ's birth as the starting point for this new era.

It's important to note that there is no year 0 in this calendar system. It progresses directly from 1 BCE (Before Common Era) to 1 CE (Common Era). Historians generally estimate Jesus's birth to have occurred between 6 and 4 BCE, based on biblical accounts, though the exact date remains uncertain. The terms BCE and CE are increasingly used as a more secular alternative to BC and AD.1