Roman numerals

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How to convert Roman numbers manually

Roman numerals are written using seven different letters: I, V, X, L, C, Dand M, they represent the numbers 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000.

We use these seven letters to make up thousands of others. For example, the Roman numeral for two is written as ‘II' which is just two one's smushed together. The number twelve is XII which is just X (10) + II (2). If we take this a step further, the number twenty-seven is written as XXVII, which when broken down looks like XX (20) + V (5) + II (2) – all totalled up it equals to twenty-seven. 

Roman numerals are usually written largest to smallest from left to right. However, this is not always true. The Romans didn't like writing four of the same numerals in a row, so they developed a system of subtraction. 

The Roman numeral for three is written III, but four is not IIII. Instead the subtractive principle is used. The number four is written as 'IV'. Here we have I (1) before V (5) and because the smaller number is before the larger number, we know that we have to subtract here – making IV four. The same principle applies to the number nine, which is written as IX. 

There are six instances where subtraction is used: 

• I can be placed before V (5) and X (10) to make 4 and 9.
• X can be placed before L (50) and C (100) to make 40 and 90.
• C can be placed before D (500) and M (1000) to make 400 and 900.

The number 994 is a great example of this rule – it's written CMXCIV. Broken down we have CM = 900, XC = 90 and IV = 4; adding all these up brings us back to 994.

The History of Roman Numerals

The roman numerals originated in ancient Rome, and people began using them between 800 and 900 B.C. The roman numerals involve seven symbols, which include I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. The roman numerals came in to play their role when the method of counting on one’s fingers got out of hand.

The roman numerals counting system is based on a person’s hand in which I represent a single unit or one finger. Similarly, V represents 5, and X represents 10. For the larger values, other symbols were used to make counting facile for the people. L, C, D, and M are the symbols representing 50, 100, 500, and 1000, respectively.

Convert Any Event Date into Roman Numerals

The roman numerals date converter lets you transform any date into its roman numeral version in a matter of instance. Everybody wishes to stand out from the competitors or do something different for celebrating their event or occasion. You can use this tool to make this thing possible as you can convert the date of the event in roman numerals and display it uniquely. Whether it’s a corporate event, birthday, or wedding, this roman numerals date converter will allow you to convert as many dates as you want without imposing any restriction. Just enter the date, select the format, and press the convert button to get your hands on the dates in roman numerals.