In contemporary history

Contemporary history

Contemporary history describes the period timeframe that is without any intervening time closely connected to the present and is a certain perspective of modern history. The term "contemporary history" has been in use at least by the early 19th century. In the widest context of this use,...

, the third millennium is a period of time that commenced on January 1, 2001, and will end on December 31, 3000, of the Gregorian calendar

Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...

. This is the third period of one thousand years in the Anno Domini

Anno Domini

and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....

. With rising technology and a more stable political world, the third millennium can be seen as an era

Era

An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...

 of completion in which the concept of global issues concludes and the history of the world

History of the world

The history of the world or human history is the history of humanity from the earliest times to the present, in all places on Earth, beginning with the Paleolithic Era. It excludes non-human natural history and geological history, except insofar as the natural world substantially affects human lives...

 ends to be replaced by new eras with untold events.

As this millennium is currently in progress, its first two decades, the past 2000s and the current 2010s

2010s

The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019...

, are the subject of the historian's attention. The remaining part of the 21st century

21st century

The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. The years from 2001 to 2010 are historical; the years from 2011 to 2100 are subject to futurology and...

 and longer-term trends are researched in futurology

Futurology

Futures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...

.

Centuries and decades

21st century 21st century The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. The years from 2001 to 2010 are historical; the years from 2011 to 2100 are subject to futurology and...	2000s	2010s 2010s The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019...	2020s 2020s The 2020s or "twenty twenties" is the decade that will begin on January 1, 2020 and will end on December 31, 2029. It is the third decade of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.-Notable predictions and known events :...	2030s 2030s The 2030s or the "twenty thirties" is a decade that will begin on January 1, 2030 and end on December 31, 2039. It is the fourth decade of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium....	2040s 2040s The 2040s decade will begin on January 1, 2040 and will end on December 31, 2049. It is the fifth decade of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.- Notable predictions and known events :* Possible manned mission by NASA to Jupiter's moon, Callisto...	2050s 2050s The 2050s decade will begin on January 1, 2050 and will end on December 31, 2059. It is the sixth decade of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.- Notable predictions and known events :...	2060s 2060s The 2060s decade will begin on January 1, 2060 and will end on December 31, 2069.-2061:*Expected expiration of the Singapore-Malaysia Water Agreement....	2070s 2070s The 2070s decade will begin on January 1, 2070 and will end on December 31, 2079.- 2070 :* February – The Teen Age Message, an Active SETI message sent from the 70-meter Eupatoria Planetary Radar, arrives at its destination, the star HD 197076.- 2076 :...	2080s 2080s The 2080s decade will begin on January 1, 2080 and will end on December 31, 2089.-2080:*According to The China Modernization Report, China is expected to be one of the most developed countries in the world, equivalent to the level of the United States of the early 21st century.-2082:* All...	2090s
22nd century 22nd century The 22nd century is a century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It is the upcoming century, beginning on January 1, 2101 and ending on December 31, 2200.-Events:...	2100s	2110s 2110s The 2110s decade will begin on January 1, 2110 and will end on December 31, 2119. It will be the first full decade of the 22nd century.- Predicted events :...	2120s 2120s The 2120s decade will begin on January 1, 2120 and will end on December 31, 2129. It will be the third decade of the 22nd century.- Predicted events :* 2123: Triple conjunction Mars–Jupiter....	2130s 2130s The 2130s decade will begin on January 1, 2130 and will end on December 31, 2139. It will be the fourth decade of the 22nd century.- Predicted events :* June 13, 2132: Solar eclipse of 6 min 55 s, saros 139....	2140s 2140s The 2140s decade will begin on January 1, 2140 and will end on December 31, 2149. It will be the fifth decade of the 22nd century.- Predicted Astronomical Events :* June 19, 2141: Long-duration lunar eclipse of about 106.1 minutes...	2150s 2150s The 2150s decade will begin on January 1, 2150 and will end on December 31, 2159. It will be the sixth decade of the 22nd century.- Predicted Astronomical Events :...	2160s 2160s The 2160s decade will begin on January 1, 2160 and will end on December 31, 2169. It will be the seventh decade of the 22nd century.-Predictions:* July 5, 2168: Solar eclipse of 7 min 26 s, saros 139....	2170s 2170s The 2170s decade will begin on January 1, 2170 and will end on December 31, 2179. It will be the eighth decade of the 22nd century.-Events:* 2174: The second full orbit of Neptune around the sun since its discovery in 1846....	2180s 2180s The 2180s decade will begin on January 1, 2180 and will end on December 31, 2189. It will be the ninth decade of the 22nd century.-Events:* 2185: Triple conjunction Mars–Saturn....	2190s 2190s The 2190s decade will begin on January 1, 2190 and will end on December 31, 2199. It will be the tenth and final decade of the 22nd century.-Planned Events:...
23rd century 23rd century The 23rd century is the century of the Christian Era or Common Era which, in the Gregorian calendar, begins on January 1, 2201 and ends on December 31, 2300.-List of the long total solar eclipses:* July 27, 2204: Solar eclipse, , of saros 139....
24th century 24th century The 24th century of the anno Domini era will span from January 1, 2301–December 31, 2400 of the Gregorian calendar. Unlike most century years, the year 2400 is a leap year, and the first century leap year since 2000....
25th century 25th century The 25th century of the anno Domini era will span from January 1, 2401– December 31, 2500 of the Gregorian calendar.-List of long total solar eclipses:* April 20, 2414 : Solar eclipse, , of saros 145....
26th century 26th century The 26th century of the anno Domini era will span from January 1, 2501–December 31, 2600 of the Gregorian calendar.-List of the long total solar eclipses:* June 14, 2504 : Solar eclipse,, , of saros 145....
27th century 27th century The 27th century of the anno Domini era will span from January 1, 2601–December 31, 2700 of the Gregorian calendar.-List of the long total solar eclipses:* August 28, 2603 : Solar eclipse, , of saros 164....
28th century 28th century The 28th century of the anno Domini era will span from January 1, 2701–December 31, 2800 of the Gregorian calendar. Unlike most century years, the year 2800 is a leap year, and the first century leap year since 2400....
29th century 29th century The 29th century of the anno Domini era will span from January 1, 2801–December 31, 2900 of the Gregorian calendar.-List of the long total solar eclipses:* May 21, 2813 : Solar eclipse, , of saros 170....
30th century 30th century The 30th century of the annus Domini era will span from January 1, 2901–December 31, 3000 of the Gregorian calendar.-2968:* The Helium Centennial Time Columns Monument in Amarillo, Texas, contains four separate time capsules, the last of which is intended to be opened 1000 years after the...

Popular expectations

• Transition from Type 0 to Type I civilization of the Kardashev scale
  Kardashev scale
  The Kardashev scale is a method of measuring an advanced civilization's level of technological advancement. The scale is only theoretical and in terms of an actual civilization highly speculative; however, it puts energy consumption of an entire civilization in a cosmic perspective. It was first...
  
   (22nd century)
• Space colonization
  Space colonization
  Space colonization is the concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth. Although hypothetical at the present time, there are many proposals and speculations about the first space colony...
  
   (3rd millennium)
• First interstellar travel
  Interstellar travel
  Interstellar space travel is manned or unmanned travel between stars. The concept of interstellar travel in starships is a staple of science fiction. Interstellar travel is much more difficult than interplanetary travel. Intergalactic travel, or travel between different galaxies, is even more...
  
   space mission. (3rd millennium)
• First transpiration of human–alien contact
  First contact (science fiction)
  First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
  
  . (No actual specific time period is proposed for this possible event.) (3rd millennium)