Why do americans write their date the other way round?

just wonderin!

This is how I head my papers at school:

(right side)
Deanna _____
11-29-02
Period 3

OR

Deanna _____
Nov. 29, 2002
P.3

How does everybody else do it?

It ought to be day, month, year: 30.11.02, 11.30.2002, 11 November 2002.

(British)

Logically, one would think that it would go in some order, like from greatest to smallest--day-date-year.

There are only seven days in a week, 30 or 31 days in a month, and 365 days in a year. It is only logical. But here is another example of Americans making it hard on themselves--first it is spelling, and then it is the way in which they write their dates!

I think the abbreviated date forms come form speech. Britsh say 'the thirtieth of November', hence 30.11.02. Whereas the Americans say 'November thirtieth', hence 11.30.02.

This is no judgement on Americans, but I think the British form is older and better as it is more natural in speech.

I think that there is only the americans that write it that way. Doesn't the whole World write it day/month/year. Its logical to go in some order isn't it!!! But like where did it all start from? Why do americans start a date with the month first. Is it because they have time to think up the day number while writing the month down??

Because they are stupid, silly!!!

Pierre, you're the sorriest excuse for a Frenchman I have ever seen.

I don't think it's only the Americans who do this, writing the date as month/day/year is pretty common in Canada too. You do, however, see day/month/year as well in Canada especially on documents from the government. Also I have some Canadian friends who prefer to write it as day/month/year, one of them wrote the month as roman numerals to avoid confusion. Generally speaking, though, it's month/day/year in Canada. I suppose that Canadians have just adopted the American style.

I think that the month/day/year style is restricted to North America and only English-speaking North America at that. I'm pretty sure Mexicans write the date as day/month/year and I suppose Quebecois do too. The day/month/year style seems to be the most accepted style internationally. Passports (US ones included) use this style.

I can tell you for sure that it's day/month/year in Australia and New Zealand, I think it's the same in Europe. Due to European influence I'm guessing that in Africa and South America the day/month/year style would be used too. I don't really know about the Middle East but I think that in the East of Asia they write year/month/day. At least in Japan it's year/month/day, I assume that in Corea and China it's the same but I can't be too sure about South-East Asia or India.

Except for in English-speaking North America I believe that the date is written as either day/month/year or year/month/day. Both of these styles are logical. Writing the date in any other order just wouldn't make sense at all but then you have the Americans.

How did it come about that the Americans got date writing so muddled up? I think that J got it right when (s)he wrote "the abbreviated date forms come form speech". This is a good explanation but it doesn't excuse them, the American style is still illogical. Another good question might be "How did the date come to be put this way in speech?"

I think that J's right too when (s)he writes "the British form is older and better as it is more natural in speech." If you think about it, "the thirteenth of November, 2002" is just short for "the thirteenth day of November in the year 2002". This is natural, like J wrote, as you can see how it refers directly to the day in question. The name of a month followed by an ordinal number, e.g. "November thirteenth", just doesn't do the job as naturally.

Until I left my country I would write the date as "13/11/02" but since I started working with Canadians and Americans I haven't used this style. Writing the date like that would have caused confusion but I never gave in. These days I write the date like "13 Nov 02" or some variation using letters for the month.

The reason why the English write day/month/year is from the formality used in the French language. All official documents were written in French before 18th century and it was the French who used that order day/month/year.

When English became our official language in England including the Royal Court and armed forces, we simply adopted the French dating order in the English language.

If I had to guess, I'd say the way Americans write month/day/year is their own or from else where. In many other languages, the American way is also quite common.

Rupert

Again you make a stupid statement. 'All official documents were written in French before [the] 18th century'? English began to be used in the fifteenth century.

'If I had to guess, I'd say the way Americans write month/day/year is their own or from else where.'

Master of the obvious!

English was used but was not official in the Royal court.

Do you completely disagree that the dating order is not from the French language?

J,

Why are you so harsh on me? I will go away if you don't want me to post any messages here.

Your message is also obvious though. When you read the question "Why do Americans write their date the other way round?", it's obvious they know day/month/year but your message is "it ought to be day/month/year."

If you have something personally against me, it's more straightforward and constructive if you just say so. From the first encounter, you have tended to use a very strong language against me. It's perfectly pleasant to correct someone's mistakes and to enlighten others. If that's the purpose, we should all avoid any qualitative words such as stupid that sounds disconcerting to others.

Yeah J, lay off him. This is not a university - it's more of a big living room filled with armchair experts.