Date:         Tue, 1 May 2001 09:32:23 -0400
Reply-To:     PAdkins@CHECKFREE.COM
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Paula M. Adkins" <PAdkins@CHECKFREE.COM>
Subject:      January 1, 1960
Comments: To: John.W@MEDISCIENCE.CO.UK
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

>My questions are just the opposite.  Why did SAS choose 1960 as
>their base?

John, as I recall from when I took the "SAS Fundamentals: A Programming
Approach" class, the reason why SAS chose 1960 as their base is because
January 1, 1960, is the date Dr. Jim Goodnight, founder of SAS, developed
SAS on an IBM system. A SAS date value is interpreted as the number of days
between January 1, 1960, and that date. For example:

01JAN1959 ---> -365
01JAN1960 --->  0
01JAN1961 --->  365

Hope this helps!

Paula M. Adkins, Risk Analyst I
Risk & Source Management Dept.
CheckFree Corporation
6000 Perimeter Drive
Dublin, OH 43017
614-564-3117, 614-564-4308-fax
www.checkfree.com