Another Calendar that originated in China is the Chinese Cyclical Calendar of 60 years (Kap Cha 甲子). It is based on the ten celestial stems (甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, 辛, 壬, and 癸) and the twelve terrestrial branches (子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌 and 亥). To start the cycle, the first of the stems is combined with the first of the branches, the second with the second until the tenth is reached; then the first stem is joined to the eleventh branch, the second to the twelfth branch, and the third to the first branch, etc. This continues through sixty combinations, at which time the cycle starts over again. Starting dates of the cycle have been 1384, 1444, 1504, 1564, 1624, 1684, 1744, 1804, 1864, 1924, 1984, and 2044. This calendar system was generally used for naming major historical events. As an example, the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 is referred to as the Imjin (壬辰) War. Another example is the Ulsa (乙巳) Protectorate Treaty of 1905. Today, Koreans celebrate their 61st birthday as a milestone in their life, the start of a new 60-year cycle.
