>The modern era[a] is the period of human history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended around 1500 AD) up to the present.

This was coined in around 1500 AD to refer to the current era. If the present is the modern era, then that backs up my position that modern refers to the current time.

Your position was that it can only possibly refer to the current time which is clearly inaccurate as shown many times throughout this pedantithread. The fact that it sometimes or even often refers to that doesn't make it any less inaccurate.