In 1997 with Kim Jong Il fully consolidating his power after the death of his father, North Korea abandoned the Gregorian calendar that is used in the rest of the world. Instead they use the "Juche" calendar which starts from the year of Kim Il Sung's birth (1912) as being year 1. For example, 2015 would be written as "Juche" 104. To calculate the date in Juche years, simply subtract 1911 from the current year. Dates are often written in North Korea with "Juche" first; for example: April 12, "Juche" 104 (2015).