06Hey Cindy...

The way Excel calulates dates is based off of a numbering sequence assigned
to each specific date. Here is an extract from the Excel Help tool... if
you look at todays date 06/12/06, Excel stores this date as 38880.00 so if
all you do is enter the string 053106, then Excel thinks that you are
entering a number string equivalent to a date... that date assigned to the
numberic string 53106 happens to be 05/24/2045... read the passgae below to
better understand dates in Excel...

How Microsoft Excel stores dates and times
Microsoft Excel stores dates as sequential numbers known as serial values.
Excel stores times as decimal fractions because time is considered a portion
of a day. Dates and times are values and, therefore, can be added,
subtracted, and included in other calculations. For example, to determine the
difference between two dates, you can subtract one date from the other. You
can view a date as a serial value and a time as a decimal fraction by
changing the format of the cell that contains the date or time to General
format.

Excel supports two date systems: the 1900 and 1904 date systems. The default
date system for Microsoft Excel for Windows is 1900. To change to the 1904
date system, click Options on the Tools menu, click the Calculation tab, and
then select the 1904 date system check box.

The following table shows the first date and the last date for each date
system and the serial value associated with each date.

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Thanks for your help -
Joe Mac


"CindyLF1" wrote:

I have the cell formatted to Date 03/14/01, however, when I type in 053106
and tab it displays as 05/24/45. Seems like there is a hidden formula but I
checked and the worksheet isn't protected and has no hidden formulas.
Suggestions please.