How long was it since 1609?

Answer 1

In years: 2018 - 1609 = 409 years

In days:

This is not quite so simple:

409 years = 409 × 365 days + leap days = 149,285 + leap days

The leap days are calculated:

1609 - 1699 had: 1612, 1616, ..., 1696 = 22 leap days

1700 was a leap year → 1700-1799 had 25 leap days

1800 was not a leap year → 1800-1899 had 24 leap days

1900 was not a leap year → 1900-1999 had 24 leap days

2000 was a leap year → 2000-2018 had 2000, 2004, ..., 2016 = 5 leap days

= an additional 22 + 25 + 24 + 24 + 5 = 100 days

BUT in 1752 the calendar was adjusted to remove extra leap days to get get the calendar back in sync with the seasons - the 11 days between 2 September 1752 and 14 September 1752 simply did not exist - the people went to sleep on 02/9/1752 and woke up the following morning on 14/09/1752.

So there are a total of 100 - 11 = 89 extra days, making it 149,374 days between 1609 and 2018 (or more accurately between 01/01/1609 and 01/01/2018).

This is why the tax year now runs between 6 April and 5 April the next year - the tax year used to be in sync with the year which started on 25 March (9 months before 25 December) and when the 11 days were removed from the calendar in 1752 (at which time the calendar was changed to start 1 January) the people refused to pay taxes for the 11 days they had not had and so delayed payment for 11 days; the tax year stuck with the old year start of 25 March, but with an extra 11 days taking it to 6 April.

Answer 2

The answer depends on how long was it WHEN?

Answer 3

2018 − 1609 = 409 years