1920 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- MCMXX
- Lowercase
- mcmxx
- Letters
- 5
- Parts
- M · CM · X · X
- Subtractive pairs
- CM
- Read aloud
- nineteen twenty
- Leap year?
- Yes
How MCMXX is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 1920 separately and joining the pieces gives MCMXX:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousands | 1 | 1,000 | M |
| Hundreds | 9 | 900 | CM |
| Tens | 2 | 20 | XX |
| Ones | 0 | 0 | — (zero has no symbol) |
Reading it back, left to right:
- M = 1,000 → running total 1,000
- CM = 900 (M minus C) → running total 1,900
- X = 10 → running total 1,910
- X = 10 → running total 1,920
Why MCMXX has 5 letters
Every year from 1900 to 1999 begins with MCM (1,900); the rest of MCMXX after MCM — XX — spells out 20. Of the 201 years from 1900 to 2100, 146 have a longer numeral and 23 a shorter one.
The rules MCMXX follows
- Largest to smallest. MCMXX uses the symbols M, C and X (5 characters in all), and the values never increase from left to right except inside a subtractive pair.
- Subtraction. CM (900) is a subtractive pair: 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 MCMXX uses one of them.
- Repetition. XX repeats X two times. I, X, C and M may repeat up to three times in a row; V, L and D never repeat.
Common mistakes when writing 1920
- MDCCCCXX — wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 900 is written CM. The correct form is MCMXX.
The year 1920 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 MCMXX may be cut into a date stone or lintel from 1920.
- An Olympiad year. 1920 is the year of the Games of the VII Olympiad — Antwerp.
- On a calendar. 1920 was a leap year, with 366 days, and January 1 fell on a Thursday. A full date such as July 4, 1920 is often written VII · IV · MCMXX.
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 1920 in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numeral | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | MCMXV | 5 |
| 1916 | MCMXVI | 6 |
| 1917 | MCMXVII | 7 |
| 1918 | MCMXVIII | 8 |
| 1919 | MCMXIX | 6 |
| 1920 | MCMXX | 5 |
| 1921 | MCMXXI | 6 |
| 1922 | MCMXXII | 7 |
| 1923 | MCMXXIII | 8 |
| 1924 | MCMXXIV | 7 |
| 1925 | MCMXXV | 6 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 1920 in Roman numerals?
1920 is written MCMXX. Break it into M (1000), CM (900), X (10), X (10) and add the parts: 1000 + 900 + 10 + 10 = 1920.
Is MDCCCCXX a correct way to write 1920?
No. MDCCCCXX is wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 900 is written CM. The standard numeral for 1920 is MCMXX.
How do you say MCMXX?
Read the value, not the letters: MCMXX is the year 1920, said “nineteen twenty.” Spelling out the letters one by one is only useful when checking a carving or engraving.
What year comes after MCMXX?
1921, written MCMXXI. The year before, 1919, is MCMXIX.