B.C.

The B.C. / A.D. dating system was developed by 6th century monk Dionysius Exiguus in 525 A.D. The abbreviation BC or B.C. stands for “Before Christ; AD or A.D. is an abbreviation for the Latin term “Anno Domini” which means “in the year of our Lord” and refers to the year Dionysius Exiguus believed Christ had been born. Some who object to the religious meaning behind the B.C. / A.D. system use the terms BCE (“Before Common Era”) and CE (Common Era) to take the place of B.C. and A.D.