"Few would have predicted it 60 years before," Judt writes, "but the 21st century might yet belong to Europe."

After all, under French law, everything seized two centuries ago now belongs to France.

"The 21st century will belong to nuclear power," said Mr. Mikhailov in an interview here.

But it remains to be seen to whom the next century of Mr. Halberstam's title belongs.

Beyond all doubt, the 20th century now belongs to historians.

The 19th century belonged to the novel.

He felt Canada was on the verge of becoming a world power, and declared that the 20th century would "belong to Canada".

Perhaps the 21st century will "belong to China and India", as many suggest.

But if the 20th century belonged to the United States, it's possible that the 21st will belong to China and India.

This young century can belong to you and your brother and all the scuzzy young dudes.