Hmmmm... Seems like we are using BCE/CE and you didn't even know about it (blame the Jews!!!):

The Common Era Choice Explained

The reason that the timeline uses the common era dating system is simple, it's accurate.

For those who are not sure what CE and BCE means, it's simple. BCE stands for Before Common Era, which is every year before the year 0. After the year 0 is the Common Era, or CE.

I know many are saying "before 0 is BC, and after 0 is AD". But that is actually wrong, the origin of Common Era is not a plot to take Christ out of the calendar, but is really a way to keep him in. The BC/AD system came into play before the actual date of Christ's birth was known. Due to the fact that Jesus was not born in the year 0, as previously thought there were two options. Change what year we were in at the time of discovery by 6 years, or create the Common Era system.

Because AD is "the year of our lord", that would make 1 AD, actually 5 years before the year 0. So as I type this it is the year 2000 CE, or 2006 AD.

I opted for the CE dating system because if I went with AD things that happened recently would be marked in the wrong year. Such as Adolf Hiler would have been in poer from 1941-1951 AD, or Columbus would have crossed the Atlantic in 1498 AD. I felt this would have only made the timeline confusing and appear erroneous.

But that is actually wrong, the origin of Common Era is not a plot to take Christ out of the calendar, but is really a way to keep him in.

Freedom is slavery, War is Peace.

Your trying to avoid the issue of using BC/AD as insulting to Jews is obvious.

which is every year before the year 0...

Neither the BCE/CE system or the BC/AD system have now or ever had a year 0. There is only 1 BC or 1 AD--its the same system thought up by a Christian monk (very likely wrong, as you state) in the 5th Century--however both are based on the "traditional" (and incorrect) estimation of the same date--namely Jesus birth. The reason it is the "Common Era" is due to the influence world wide of Christian culture...

To me it seems pretty disingenuous for academia for whatever reason to try to sanitize BC/AD since it really is the same Christian based and invented calender after all...