March was once the first month of the Roman year before January took that position.

The longer version

The early Roman calendar opened in spring, when military campaigns resumed and fields could be worked again. March led the sequence, and the months behind it were simply numbered, which is why later names no longer line up with their positions in the year.

Reformers eventually moved the start to January so the civil year would begin nearer winter and coincide with the term of elected magistrates. Rather than rename anything, they shifted the numbering and kept the old labels. That decision left a permanent mismatch: counting from January, the ninth month still carries a name meaning seven, and readers assume an error where there is only history.

Where this entry sits

These facts wander through clocks, calendars, time zones, and the long human effort to measure passing hours. You will find leap years, odd month lengths, ancient sundials, and the reasons modern timekeeping works the way it does. The full list sits on the Time and Calendars page, where every entry is listed in order.