Ante Christum natum facts for kids

The term ante Christum natum is a Latin phrase that means "before Christ was born". You might see it shortened to a. Chr. n., a.Ch.n., a.C.n., A.C.N., or ACN. It's like saying "BC" in English, which also means "before Christ".

Sometimes, you might see a shorter version, ante Christum, which just means "before Christ". Its abbreviations are a. Chr., A. C., or AC.

There's also a related phrase, p. Chr. n. or post Christum natum. This means "after Christ was born" and is similar to "Anno Domini" (AD).

In English, these Latin phrases are not used very often. Most people use "BC" and "AD" instead. However, in some other European languages, like Italian, they use their own versions, such as "a.c." or "a.C." for avanti Cristo.

How We Started Counting Years Before Christ

The idea of counting years before Christ became popular thanks to an Anglo-Saxon historian named Bede. He lived a long time ago, in the 700s.

Bede's Contribution

In his famous book, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (which means Ecclesiastical History of the English People), Bede used a Latin phrase that meant "before the time of the Incarnation of the Lord". This was in the year 731 AD.

Bede was the first writer to describe a year as being before Christ. This helped people understand and organize historical events in a clear timeline.

The Start of Anno Domini

Both Bede and an earlier scholar named Dionysius Exiguus believed that the year Anno Domini 1 (AD 1) began when Jesus Christ was born. This idea helped create the calendar system we use today.

See also

In Spanish: Antes de Cristo para niños

• Chronology of Jesus
• Common Era
• List of ecclesiastical abbreviations
• Nativity of Jesus