Atomic calendar

Today's date
10 Castle 79 AE (24 November 2024)
Years in the Atomic and Gregorian calendars
Atomic	Gregorian	Atomic	Gregorian
1 BT	1944–1945	50 AE	1995–1996
0 AE	1945–1946	75 AE	2020–2021
1 AE	1946–1947	78 AE	2023–2024
2 AE	1947–1948	79 AE	2024–2025
5 AE	1950–1951	80 AE	2025–2026
10 AE	1955–1956	90 AE	2035–2036
25 AE	1970–1971	100 AE	2045–2046
Calendar start in italics Current Atomic year in boldface

The Atomic Calendar is a calendar used by the Federal Commonwealth of Sirocco. Introduced on 19 December 2012 and formally adopted on 16 July 2013, the calendar honours Sirocco's heavily Atomic Age-inspired culture by beginning on 16 July 1945, the date of the Trinity nuclear test.

The current Atomic year is 79 AE, which runs from 16 July 2024 to 15 July 2025, and is the 10th and last year of the 70s decade, which began on 16 July 2015 (1 Trinity 70 AE) and will end on 15 July 2025 (31 Julin 79 AE).

Dating system

Leap years in the Atomic and Gregorian calendars
Atomic	Gregorian	Atomic	Gregorian
42 AE	1987–1988	70 AE	2015–2016
46 AE	1991–1992	74 AE	2019–2020
50 AE	1995–1996	78 AE	2023–2024
54 AE	1999–2000	82 AE	2027–2028
58 AE	2003–2004	86 AE	2031–2032
62 AE	2007–2008	90 AE	2035–2036
66 AE	2011–2012	94 AE	2039–2040
Next Atomic leap year in boldface

Although devised in late 2012, the Atomic calendar officially begins on 16 July 1945, the date of the first man-made nuclear explosion; thus the year begins on 16 July and ends on 15 July. The calendar also contains a year zero, in this case the calendar year of 16 July 1945 to 15 July 1946. This was followed by the year 1 which ran from 16 July 1946 to 15 July 1947 and so forth. While there was some initial confusion on whether to begin the calendar at 0 AE or 1 AE, it was decided that the former would be used after being recommended by Quentin I of Wyvern.

Years from 16 July 1945 onwards are given the suffix AE (Atomic Era), for example the calendar year of 16 July 2012 to 15 July 2013 is the Atomic year 67 AE. Dates preceding 16 July 1945 are given the suffix BT (Before Trinity), in this sense the calendar year 16 July 1944 to 15 July 1945 is considered the year 1 BT. Suffixes are mainly used when Gregorian or pre-Atomic dates are listed in the same material, whereas they are generally omitted if Atomic dates are the only ones present.

Weeks in the calendar also function somewhat differently. 16 July is always the first day of the first week of the calendar regardless of what day of the week, whilst 15 July is always the final day of the final week regardless of its day. For example, in the year 67 AE (2012–13) week 1 runs from 16 July 2012 to 21 July 2012, while week 53 runs from 14 July 2013 to 15 July 2013. No week ever spans more than the one year, so while Monday, 15 July 2013 may be constituted as week 53 of 67 AE, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 is the start of week 1 of 68 AE, which due to the calendar's Sunday basis, runs through to Saturday, 20 July 2013, after which it is followed by week 2, which runs from Sunday, 21 July to Saturday, 27 July. An exception to this rule lies in bookkeeping, where weeks 1 and 53 are combined to simplify records.

An example of the peculiar dating methods in the Atomic Calendar can be demonstrated in this calendar of 16 July 20122027–202815 July 2013 (67 AE). In it the short first and fifty-third weeks are demonstrated. Note that for convenience the years are given in the Gregorian style.

Months of the year

The twelve months of the Atomic Calendar are derived from significant U.S. and British atomic tests, as well as sites and projects associated with atomic tests of the time. Months are comprised of between 28 and 31 days.

No.	Name	Abbreviation	Days	Gregorian dates
1	Trinity	T, Tr, Tri	31	16 July to 15 August
2	Baker	B, Ba, Bak	31	16 August to 15 September
3	Hurricane	H, Hu, Hur	30	16 September to 15 October
4	Grable	G, Gr, Gra	31	16 October to 15 November
5	Castle	C, Ca, Cas	30	16 November to 15 December
6	Argus	A, Ar, Arg	31	16 December to 15 January
7	Plowshare	Ps, Plo	28 or 29	16 January to 12 or 13 February
8	Sedan	S, Se, Sed	31	13 or 14 February to 15 March
9	Prime	Pr, Pri	30	16 March to 14 April
10	Manhattan	M, Ma, Man	31	15 April to 15 May
11	Nevada	N, Ne, Nev	30	16 May to 14 June
12	Julin	J, Ju, Jln	31	15 June to 15 July

In the event of a leap year, the month of Plowshare is extended by one day. Instead of starting on 13 February, Sedan begins on 14 February and remains one day behind until 1 March when it is aligned back to the Gregorian calendar. Note in this case that the leap day is 13 February, not 29 February - 29 February would fall on 16 Sedan.

Seasons

Seasons are given as Southern Hemisphere/Northern Hemisphere.

Winter/Summer

• Julin
• Trinity
• Baker

Spring/Autumn

• Hurricane
• Grable
• Castle

Summer/Winter

• Argus
• Plowshare
• Sedan

Autumn/Spring

• Prime
• Manhattan
• Nevada

As part of Siroccan culture

Sirocco's Atomic Age culture is a nostalgic recreation of the United States of America during the first twenty years of the Atomic calendar (0-19 AE, 1945-1965 in the Gregorian calendar).

See also

• List of micronational calendars