1904 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- MCMIV
- Lowercase
- mcmiv
- Letters
- 5
- Parts
- M · CM · IV
- Subtractive pairs
- CM, IV
- Read aloud
- nineteen oh-four
- Leap year?
- Yes
How MCMIV is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 1904 separately and joining the pieces gives MCMIV:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousands | 1 | 1,000 | M |
| Hundreds | 9 | 900 | CM |
| Tens | 0 | 0 | — (zero has no symbol) |
| Ones | 4 | 4 | IV |
Reading it back, left to right:
- M = 1,000 → running total 1,000
- CM = 900 (M minus C) → running total 1,900
- IV = 4 (V minus I) → running total 1,904
Why MCMIV has 5 letters
Every year from 1900 to 1999 begins with MCM (1,900); the rest of MCMIV after MCM — IV — spells out 4. Of the 201 years from 1900 to 2100, 146 have a longer numeral and 23 a shorter one.
The rules MCMIV follows
- Largest to smallest. MCMIV uses the symbols M, C, I and V (5 characters in all), and the values never increase from left to right except inside a subtractive pair.
- Subtraction. CM (900) and IV (4) are subtractive pairs: a smaller symbol in front of a larger one is taken away from it. Only six pairs are allowed — IV, IX, XL, XC, CD and CM — and MCMIV uses two of them.
- No repeats. Every symbol in MCMIV appears once in a row, which is why the numeral stays short.
Common mistakes when writing 1904
- MDCCCCIV — wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 900 is written CM. The correct form is MCMIV.
- MCMIIII — wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 4 is written IV. The correct form is MCMIV.
The year 1904 in Roman numerals: where it appears
- Cornerstones and public buildings. Buildings, bridges and monuments from the early 20th century often have their completion year carved as a numeral, so MCMIV may be cut into a date stone or lintel from 1904.
- An Olympiad year. 1904 is the year of the Games of the III Olympiad — St. Louis.
- On a calendar. 1904 was a leap year, with 366 days, and January 1 fell on a Friday. A full date such as July 4, 1904 is often written VII · IV · MCMIV.
To turn a complete birth date or wedding date into numerals — with dots, dashes or spaces in US or day-first order — use the Roman numeral date converter.
Years around 1904 in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numeral | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | MCM | 3 |
| 1901 | MCMI | 4 |
| 1902 | MCMII | 5 |
| 1903 | MCMIII | 6 |
| 1904 | MCMIV | 5 |
| 1905 | MCMV | 4 |
| 1906 | MCMVI | 5 |
| 1907 | MCMVII | 6 |
| 1908 | MCMVIII | 7 |
| 1909 | MCMIX | 5 |
| 1910 | MCMX | 4 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 1904 in Roman numerals?
1904 is written MCMIV. Break it into M (1000), CM (900), IV (4) and add the parts: 1000 + 900 + 4 = 1904.
Is MDCCCCIV a correct way to write 1904?
No. MDCCCCIV is wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 900 is written CM. The standard numeral for 1904 is MCMIV.
How do you say MCMIV?
Read the value, not the letters: MCMIV is the year 1904, said “nineteen oh-four.” Spelling out the letters one by one is only useful when checking a carving or engraving.
What year comes after MCMIV?
1905, written MCMV. The year before, 1903, is MCMIII.