RFC Errata
RFC 5905, "Network Time Protocol Version 4: Protocol and Algorithms Specification", June 2010
Note: This RFC has been updated by RFC 7822, RFC 8573, RFC 9109
Source of RFC: ntp (int)
Errata ID: 6423
Status: Held for Document Update
Type: Editorial
Publication Format(s) : TEXT
Reported By: Stijn van Drongelen
Date Reported: 2021-02-07
Held for Document Update by: Erik Kline
Date Held: 2022-07-27
Section 6 says:
| 1 Jan 1972 | 41,317 | 0 | 2,272,060,800 | First day UTC |
It should say:
| 1 Jan 1972 | 41,317 | 0 | 2,272,060,800 | First day "modern" UTC |
Notes:
The initial definition of UTC was introduced in 1963 with CCIR Recommendation 374. The time standard specified that seconds had a varying duration. In 1970, CCIR Recommendation 460 introduced the current definition of UTC, using leap seconds, which was implemented on the first second of 1972. Consult D. McCarthy's "Note on Coordinated Universal Time" (numbered CCTF/09-32 by the Consultative Committee for Time and Frequency of the BIPM) for more information.
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There may perhaps be more precise terminology than "modern", but this point should be addressed by a document that updates or replaces this one.