Format the cell for General or Number, not Date. Or, you can use
the DATEDIF function:

=DATEDIF(date1,date2,"y")

See www.cpearson.com/excel/datedif.htm for more information about
DATEDIF.


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com




"D L Barnard" wrote in
message
...
the website says to calculate number of years type:
=year(A3)-year(A2). when
i type this is i get a weird answer. problem is not that i get
the number
signs....i get a date 1900. for example: 1/1/1900 0:00.
please advise for
this is for homework, university. thank you to whomever
responds.

D L Barnard