Why do Americans put the month before the day when writing the date?

Answer 1

Because they like to do British things wrong.

Answer 2

I don't know. I put the day, then the month, and then the year. This is the traditional military style, and seems to be standard in Europe. Lately, I have seen forms that want you to put the year in four digits, the month as two digits and then the day, in two digits. I believe that this is for computers.

I NEVER use a number for a month. I have seen many cases of confusion because of this practice. I can't understand why people still do this.

If you write 6/4/2004, it could be interpreted as 6 April 2004, or it could be read as 4 June 2004. I have seen a form where the same person wrote the date (using all numbers) one way at the top of the form, and the other way at the bottom.

To eliminate confusion, I suggest that we abandon the use of numbers to designate the month. I suggest the use of the military 3 letter abbreviations for the months: JAN. FEB. MAR. APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC.

Answer 3

I've no idea, but you've got me wondering now!
I mean, when the founding fathers landed in the US they must have originally been using the same system they used in the country they had just left. So why did it change?

Oh, and when I'm writing or speaking the date I usually say the 17th of January, not January the 17th!

Answer 4

Haha. i'm from the States and in basic terms have been given a British visa and concept they have been given the dates incorrect on the beginning up using fact it reported a million/a million/2008 - a million/?/2008. i assumed they only gave me a Visa for a pair of days, then I remembered you adult males write your dates in a distinctive far extra than there. yet i incredibly do no longer understand why we do it in a distinctive way.

Answer 5

This has always baffled me too,To us in UK 9 11 would mean 9th day of December,not the 11th day of September,perhaps if you re-phrase the question;;;;;How many country's go day-month-year and how many country's go month --day-year .Then the world could standardise there calender and we would not have to run the risk of turning up for an appointment 3months Early or 3months late

Answer 6

Same reason for driving on the wrong side of the road, I suppose. But that's what the average American would say about people in the UK, if he or she knew the difference!
--That Cheeky Lad

Answer 7

I'm not really sure I didn't make the system but it seems to work for us.
Hey I just had a thought- that's how we say it. we don't say 10 november we say november tenth. so it makes sense when we read it. so like instead of seeing 10/11/2006 (ten November) we see 11/10/2006 (november tenth) it's just how we say it so it makes more sense to us when wwe write it that way.

Answer 8

They do it for the same reason as they drive on the wrong side of the road. They want to be different from the British.

Answer 9

I suppose when we write a date in longhand we tend to write January 1st (for example) and they have just converted that into numbers

Answer 10

Because we are Americans, and screw the rest of the world ... This message approved by George W. Bush.