September 2: Great Britain Adopts the Gregorian Calendar (1752)
Prayer Idea
Pray for wisdom and courage to make the most of each day you have.
History Note
Throughout history, people have used astronomical observations to track the passage of time. Different cultures have created different calendars. Solar calendars are based on the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Lunar calendars are based on the moon’s orbit around the Earth. Some calendars use a combination of solar and lunar elements.
During the time of Julius Caesar, an astronomer from Alexandria named Sosigenes recommended updating the Roman calendar to better track with the seasons of the year. The new Roman calendar had 12 months. Each month had 30 or 31 days except for February, which had 28 days. In leap years, the date of February 23 was repeated instead of having a February 29. Because of its association with Julius Caesar, the calendar became known as the Julian calendar. It became the standard calendar across Europe.
Because Sosigenes made a slight mistake in his calculations, the accuracy of the Julian calendar gradually drifted. By the 1500s, the difference between the Julian calendar and a true solar calendar was about 10 days. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new calendar for the Roman Catholic Church, which became known as the Gregorian calendar. Areas with a majority Catholic population like Portugal, Spain, and France quickly adopted it. However, areas with majority Protestant populations were suspicious of the new innovation.
In 1750 the British parliament passed a law to adjust the calendar used in the United Kingdom and its “dominions and countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.” In addition to moving the official start of the year from March 25 to January 1, the law declared that the day after September 2, 1752, would be September 14. When you read books about British history, you may see reference to Old Style dates and New Style dates. That is because this change caused some confusion for dates before 1752.
For example, George Washington was born in the British colony of Virginia on February 11, 1731, according to the Old Style. Because of the calendar changes in 1752, George Washington’s birthday became February 22, 1732, according to the New Style. For the rest of his life, George Washington and those close to him sometimes recognized February 11 as his birthday and sometimes February 22.
Most countries around the world use the Gregorian calendar for official and civic purposes. Some countries and religious groups still use another calendar instead of or in addition to the Gregorian calendar.
Protestant areas of Germany adopted the Gregorian calendar with some modifications during the 17th century. This 1982 German stamp recognized the 400th anniversary of the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. Photo by Galyamin Sergej / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Learn about the history of the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the switch between them.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
