When did it start?.

With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in all the newscasts it prompted me to ask my overseas friends as to who started calling the Month before the Day, like as you all know on this side of the water 9/11 would be the 9th of November. Did it begin in the US and if so when.
I remember an Aunt of mine from Los Angeles sending me a silver medal for my 10th birthday and on the back was engraved my birth date 11/25/45, I insisted to my Mother that Auntie had got it wrong, it should read 25/11/45. It must be going on for a very long time. I'm not well up on American history but I seem to remember reading that when America got independence they changed a lot of things British, like riding on the other side of the road. Can anyone enlighten me please.

Re: When did it start?.

Good question Jem, I've often wondered that...

Re: When did it start?.

.......me too

Come on Eileen (oooh wasn't that a song?)

Re: When did it start?.

Yes by Dexys Midnight Runners

Re: When did it start?.

I don't think anyone really knows.
The first headline on the American Declaration of Independence says,

"In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776"

It might have started there, although there are some examples of us using the same i.e. The Tea-table Miscellany By Allan Ramsay: January I. 1724.

Re: When did it start?.

I find it very confusing like that.

Re: When did it start?.

I have no idea. It's always been that way, which is no explanation, really; I find it a bit confusing when you date things day/month and I have to reverse them mentally! It's always month/ day/ year here.

As far as today, as it happened here and we keep referring to it as 9/11 I suppose that's why other media use that format.

I'm curious now, may Google after dinner if it's quiet here and see if I can find out why the discrepancy in dating practice.

Re: When did it start?.

I think it is from the nineteenth centuary when people used to write, Monday September 3 1898 and then just dropped of the day and left the month, date, year.
It was common practice in the UK at that time as well.

Re: When did it start?.

Thank you all for your help. It is a bit confusing and you have to make a quick mental adjustment to know where you are with the dates. I suppose its like Hammer says, nobody really knows when it started.
I was just thinking how that would work with a cheque. For example, you are in business and you send some goods to the US, you have wages etc. to pay so you want to be paid on the 10th of June 2012, you receive the cheque on that date and its dated 6/10/12, would you have to wait 4 Months to get your money in Britain?. Just a thought.

Re: When did it start?.

I did a Google search last night with no joy. Why and when never came up. just which countries did what. Perhaps I was using poorly chosen search terms; guess we'll just have to wonder.