Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the New Style calender, is the dating system now in general use in most of the world. It was proclaimed in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a reform of the Julian calendar.
Traditionally, the years are numbered with reference to the traditional birth of Jesus, using the abbreviations "AD" (anno Domini, "[the] year of [the] Lord") and "BC" ("before Christ"). More recently, "CE" (Common Era or the Current Era) and "BCE" (Before the Common Era or Before the Current Era) have become widely used. This is considered less offensive to non-Christians, especially as the traditional abbreviations reference Jesus as Christ ("The anointed one") and Dominus ("Lord"). Jewish religious scholars were influential in this. However, there have been no similar politically correct changes in, for example, the Jewish calendar or the Islamic calendar.
