B.C. (Before Christ)

B.C., which stands for "Before Christ," is a historical term used to denote years before the traditionally recognized birth year of Jesus Christ. It counts backwards from year 1 B.C., moving to earlier dates as the numbers increase. For example, 500 B.C. refers to 500 years before Jesus's estimated birth. This dating system is part of the Gregorian calendar and is often used in historical contexts to place events in chronological order relative to that pivotal event. Today, many prefer "B.C.E." (Before Common Era) as a more neutral term, but both refer to the same time period before the start of the Gregorian calendar era.