Dating the Black Mesa Incident

[Quλrter-Life]

Half-Life Wikia isn't all too clear on the date of the 'Black Mesa Incident'. But here's my 'Calendar Theory' to finding at least the month/year of the incidient. (Maybe I'm missing something, but you let me know!)

Looking at the Office Complex calendars in both the original Half-Life and in the Black Mesa mod, it seems the incident took place in December, assuming of course the calenders were kept current by the Black Mesa employees. And common known clues tell us the incident happens in the 2000's http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Half-Life_universe?file=Blue_Marble_calendar_2.png#200-.

Thinking it through, I came up with this:

1. In the original Half-Life, the incident happened sometime in December of 2002.
2. In the Black Mesa mod, the incident happened sometime in December of 2000.

How do I arrive at these conclusions? With a little deduction, the years can be narrowed down, given that the calendars in the Office Complexes are accurate:

1. In the original Half-Life there is an Office Complex December calendar where the 1st of the month seems to fall on a Sunday http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Half-Life_universe?file=Blue_Marble_calendar_2.png#200-. Despite there being no grid or template on the calendar to clearly show what day the 1st of the month falls on, the first week also includes seven days. Black Mesa is also in the US, and the US uses a 7-day/week calendar that starts on Sundays. So, to tell what year the incident took place, we need to find the year(s) in the 2000's where the 1st of December falls on a Sunday, or where the entire first week of December includes 7 days. Looking back at such calendars, the incident happened in 2002, as it's the only year in the 2000's where the 1st falls on a Sunday, or where the first week of December includes 7 days.

2. According to the calendars in the Office Complex in the Black Mesa mod, the 1st of December falls on a Friday http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=293523983. Looking at old calendars, the incident happened either in 2000 or 2006, as they are the only years of the 2000's where December 1st falls on a Friday. And given the old, bulky computer moniters used around Black Mesa, it probably wasn't 2006, seeing as by then flat-screen moniters were in pretty widespread use. Another reason to think the incident is not 2006 is that Black Mesa would likely always have the most cutting-edge equipment for their scientists, and hence, flat-screen moniters (money seems to be no issue for Black Mesa equipment!). Since the moniters are not flat-screen, the incident probably took place in 2000 rather than 2006.

[Quλrter-Life]

You're right; the calendar from the Black Mesa Mod-makers wouldn't count for much if anything. I thought the difference was interesting though. You may be right that a different day in August could be right; and looking at average December temperatures in New Mexico, the hotest it gets is about 60°F. On the tram in the beginning of the game, the high temperature for the day is something like 105°F, and that sounds like a spring or summer day. But of course, if you're right, it conflicts with the calendars and other considerations too. Perhaps Valve never wanted it to be clear when it happened, so they provided a bunch of conflicting information!

[A-06]

Originally posted by Quλrter-Life:

Perhaps Valve never wanted it to be clear when it happened

Jackpot! There you have the answer. If they get specific on the subject they're just limiting themselves.

[Quλrter-Life]

You make good points for a summer day in a later year, but it still seems very odd that the incident took place in the summer while all the calendars in Black Mesa say December... Would all the employees forget to change their calendars since 2002? Or did the aliens have old calendars for the lab and turn them all to December? The more I think about it, the more inclined I am to say Valve probably wants the date to be impossible to figure out, remaining mysterious...

[FAY!!]

It happened May 16, 2000 something. Probably early 2000's, like you said. The original instruction book for Half-Life clearly states that the Black Mesa incident happened "May 16, 200-". On a side note, you really shouldn't use Half-Life wiki, it's super outdated. They moved to Combine Overwiki.net quite some time ago.

[A-06]

Originally posted by Plaip:

On a side note, you really shouldn't use Half-Life wiki, it's super outdated. They moved to Combine Overwiki.net quite some time ago.

Is it outdated if there's still people editing it?[half-life.wikia.com]

[Millzie_95]

Originally posted by Plaip:

It happened May 16, 2000 something. Probably early 2000's, like you said. The original instruction book for Half-Life clearly states that the Black Mesa incident happened "May 16, 200-". On a side note, you really shouldn't use Half-Life wiki, it's super outdated. They moved to Combine Overwiki.net quite some time ago.

May 16, 2000 most likely, or May 16, 2002 (less likely) so we have narrowed it down to these, given the calenders provide conflicting or inaccurate information.

[FAY!!]

Originally posted by A-06:

Originally posted by Plaip:

On a side note, you really shouldn't use Half-Life wiki, it's super outdated. They moved to Combine Overwiki.net quite some time ago.

Is it outdated if there's still people editing it?[half-life.wikia.com]

Cuz people are doofuses and don't realize Combine Overwiki exists

[A-06]

Originally posted by Plaip:

Originally posted by A-06:

Is it outdated if there's still people editing it?[half-life.wikia.com]

Cuz people are doofuses and don't realize Combine Overwiki exists

Could you give a proper answer to my question? I don't see the connection between people being doofuses and the wiki being outdated.

[Millzie_95]

Originally posted by A-06:

Originally posted by Plaip:

Cuz people are doofuses and don't realize Combine Overwiki exists

Could you give a proper answer to my question? I don't see the connection between people being doofuses and the wiki being outdated.

Even the main Wikipedia is outdated, some articles haven't been updated since 2009.

[PzCampus]

What about V-22 Osprey? It has been introduced in 2007 (despite being developed since 1980's, and US marines being trained from 2000). About the calendar, if the first day of the week were monday, it would have worked for december 2008

[Turambar]

Monday March 16th 2009

[Turambar]

Originally posted by PzCampus:

What about V-22 Osprey? It has been introduced in 2007 (despite being developed since 1980's, and US marines being trained from 2000). About the calendar, if the first day of the week were monday, it would have worked for december 2008

+1 that is true, but I am totally sure that these calendars are outdated, for that reason all of them are set in december they just werent changed. There are more important things to buy than calendars first.I think that freeman's letter was made in 2008 but the incident was in 2009. That is the unique explanation for the Oppsoing force date Monday March 16th. A date that all peole insist that is wrong. But it is not wrong at all when you understand that Freeman was working in black mesa a little less than a year but much more than some days. Time enought to earn all those stories from Alyx. I hace much more reasons to set all in Monday March 16th 2009 in any case. But they are very hard to explain to me since english is not my native language.

[mikey]

Originally posted by Plaip:

It happened May 16, 2000 something. Probably early 2000's, like you said. The original instruction book for Half-Life clearly states that the Black Mesa incident happened "May 16, 200-". On a side note, you really shouldn't use Half-Life wiki, it's super outdated. They moved to Combine Overwiki.net quite some time ago.

can you link a source to where it says that