Getting your dates right is the difference between good genealogy and bad. Dates let you put together your family’s history correctly and avoid mistaken relationships, marriages, or births of children. Although Family Tree Maker accepts several kinds of standard date formats – like MM/DD/YYYY– and more complicated ones – like “circa 1940”– mastering how to apply these formats creates a more accurate and readable tree.

Configuring Date Formats in Family Tree Maker

When you start up Family Tree Maker, the very first thing you should do is set the format of your preferred date. You can easily do this by looking at the “Preferences” area. Here, options are offered where you can define the format most desired for you; it is either the day-month-year format that is known in most countries or the month-day-year approach. If you set this early, it will ensure consistency throughout inputting data.

Editing and Changing Date Formats in Family Tree Maker

Most of the time, you will notice that dates were keyed incorrectly. Well, nothing to worry about because, with Family Tree Maker, you can easily edit those formats with just some clicks. For instance, if you discover a date is wrong, then you need to double-click in the date field where it is and correct it. It’s always helpful to check the date and make your family tree clean.

Date Formats to Facilitate Better Genealogy Research

Applying the proper date formats can make a huge difference in your research. In some cases, using “before” and “after” dates—such as “before 1900”—may be helpful when searching online for records. This particular detail helps narrow big piles of data so that you can find your ancestors’ records easier. When filling in your family tree, try to take note of the context of dates — such as events tied to specific years — that may bring your family history to life.

Troubleshooting Date Format Problems

Even with a good setup, things can go wrong. If Family Tree Maker does not read your date format right, first check the software settings to see if it is set as you would like it to be. If problems persist, an online forum is a good source of solutions. Fellow genealogists often share helpful tricks that resolve common problems.

In The End

Getting date formats right in Family Tree Maker not only makes your genealogy research better but ultimately contributes to creating a clearer, more informative family tree. So take some little time setting things up properly and enjoy the process of uncovering your family’s story!