"2009 is a great year to be alive!"
Those were the immortal words spoken for posterity by First Black US President Barack Obama earlier today during a landmark speech in which he correctly identified that the current year, 2009, will probably be the last year for more than 900 human years to contain two zeros in the middle of it.
"Yes, my fellow Americans," said Obama, "2009 will be the last time any of us see a double '0' in the centre of a year. It will be truly momentous for all of us. Can you dig it?"
"Yes, we can!" roared the mainly black audience.
The next time after 2009 when there will be a year with a double '0' in the middle of it, is the year 3000, just over 900 years hence, and few, if any, of us alive today will be around to witness it.
Professor Stephen Hawking, who has extensively studied years with a double 0 in the middle of them in his laboratory, confirmed it would be the last double zero year for "quite a while".
Next year will be called '2010', a year made famous by author Arthur C. Clarke with his book 2010: Odyssey Two, which was about an odyssey.
The first year this millennium to have two zeros in the middle of it, 2001, was also the brainchild of Clarke, when he wrote his book 2001: A Space Odyssey way back in 1968. At that time, the idea of a year with two zeros in it was unthinkable, and Clarke was hailed as a genius.
President Obama, himself on something of an odyssey, spoke highly of Clarke yesterday, when he said:
"That Limey guy sure knew what he was talking about!"
