Convert numbers to and from Roman numerals
Numbers above 3,999 use vinculum notation: a line above a numeral multiplies its value by 1,000.
So ICCCXXVI = 1,000,326.
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Patterns in the Chart
Once you see the pattern, Roman numerals become predictable. Every decade repeats the same structure: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX — just with different base symbols. The 40s (XL, XLI, XLII...) work exactly like the 4s (IV), just one level up. The hundreds mirror the tens, which mirror the ones. It's turtles all the way down.
Read more →The One Super Bowl That Broke Tradition
The NFL has used Roman numerals for every Super Bowl since 1971 — except one. Super Bowl 50 in 2016 dropped the numerals because "Super Bowl L" looked awkward in marketing. A single letter doesn't have the same gravitas as a string of numerals. They went back to Roman numerals the very next year with Super Bowl LI.
Read more →Where do Roman numerals come from?
It is thought Roman numerals come from hand signals and tally marks. The stroke I represents a finger, the V represents the gap between thumb and fingers for five, and the X represents hands crossed for ten. The L, C, D, and M come from modifications of Greek letters like chi, theta, and phi to represent 50, 100, 500, and 1,000. Over time, these marks changed into the Latin letters people recognize today. There is no 0 in the Roman alphabet, as the concept for the number 0 didn't fully develop until India invented it around 600 CE / 10600 HE.