Answer: BC, AD, and CE are some of the frequently used abbreviations in history texts, whether in history textbooks, newspapers, etc. It helps us get a fair idea regarding the date and time of that particular event or incident. This dating method is known as the Gregorian Calendar, based on Jesus Christ’s birth date. Dionysius Exiguus, a Christian monk, invented the concept of counting years from the birth of Jesus Christ in the year 525.
BC – Before Christ; AD – Anno Domini
Decades in the Julian and Gregorian calendars are labelled or numbered using Anno Domini (AD) and Before Christ (BC). The term Anno Domini comes from Mediaeval Latin and means “in the year of the Lord,” but it’s typically shortened to “our Lord.”
This chronological era is predicated on the year of Jesus’ birth, with AD representing years after the era and BC denoting centuries before the period began.
CE – Common Era
The Gregorian calendar’s indication for the Common Era (CE) is the world’s most extensively used calendar era. Alternatives to Dionysius Exiguus’ Anno Domini (AD and BC) notations are a Common Era and Before the Common Era. The two methods are statistically equatable: “2022 CE” and “AD 2022” both refer to the current year, whereas “400 BCE” and “400 BC” refer to the same year.
The phrase “Common Era” first appeared in English in 1708 and was popularised by Jewish religious experts in the mid-nineteenth century. CE and BCE have been used in technical journals as truly secular words since the twentieth century.
Many consider the CE a little more impartial and inclusive to non-Christian people, whereas the prior years are referred to as Before Common Era (BCE).