Anno Domini
A. D., the year of Our Lord, of grace, of the incarnation, of the circumcision, and of the Saviour's crucifixion. The Christian era began Jan. 1, in the middle of the fourth year of the 194th Olympiad, the 753d year of the building of Rome, and in 4714 of the Julian period. This era was invented by a monk, Dionysius Exiguus, about 532. It was introduced into Italy in the 6th century, and ordered to be used by bishops by the Council of Chelsea in 816, but was not generally employed for several centuries. Charles III. of Germany was the first who added "in the year of our Lord" to his reign, in 879.
ANNONAY (an-o-nā), a town in southern France, department of Ardèche, 37 miles S. S. W. of Lyons, in a picturesque situation. It is the most important town of Ardèche, manufacturing paper and glove leather to a large extent, also cloth, felt, silk stuffs, gloves, hosiery, etc. There is an obelisk in memory of Joseph Montgolfier of balloon fame, a native of the town. Pop. about 17,500.