Writing today’s date sounds simple, but even this basic task sparks global debates and confusion. Should you write 06/30/2025, 30/06/2025, or 2025-06-30? Which is correct? Let’s break down the main standards, common mistakes, and why it matters.
1. The Three Most Popular Date Formats
| Format | Example | Region | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MM/DD/YYYY | 06/30/2025 | USA | Month-Day-Year |
| DD/MM/YYYY | 30/06/2025 | UK, EU, Asia | Day-Month-Year |
| YYYY-MM-DD | 2025-06-30 | International | Year-Month-Day |
2. Standards and Recommendations
- ISO 8601 is the international date standard: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g.,
2025-06-30).- Reference: ISO 8601 Wikipedia
- US government recommends Month Day, Year for formal writing (e.g., June 30, 2025).
- EU and most of the world use Day Month Year in documents.
3. Common Problems & Arguments
- Ambiguity:
- 06/07/2025 is June 7 in the US, but 6 July in the UK.
- This confusion can lead to errors in contracts, logs, and tickets.
- Programming Bugs:
- Date format errors are a common cause of bugs in code, databases, and file exports.
- Advice: Always use ISO 8601 in code for clarity and sorting.
- Cultural Preference:
- Some cultures prefer text (e.g., 30 June 2025), others prefer numeric.
Discussion:
4. Best Practices for Writing Today’s Date
| Context | Recommended Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Coding / Tech | ISO 8601 | 2025-06-30 |
| Business Letter | Month Day, Year | June 30, 2025 |
| EU Documents | Day Month Year | 30 June 2025 |
| Informal Notes | Local convention | 06/30/2025 |
- In emails and official documents, use the full month name to avoid confusion:
June 30, 2025 or 30 June 2025 - In code, APIs, and filenames, use YYYY-MM-DD for compatibility and sorting.
5. Online Tools
To instantly see today’s date in every major format and copy it for your needs, use
todaysdatenow.com
- Supports all global standards and custom formats.
- No install required.
6. Summary
- Always check your audience and context.
- When in doubt, use YYYY-MM-DD — the world’s safest format.
- For code and databases: stick to ISO 8601.
- When communicating internationally, avoid ambiguous formats.
Further Reading
- ISO 8601 Full Standard (PDF)
- Time and Date – International Date Formats
- Oxford Manual of Style: Dates
- https://telegra.ph/How-to-Get-the-Current-Date-in-the-10-Most-Popular-Programming-Languages-06-30
- https://telegra.ph/How-to-Check-the-Current-Date-on-MacOS-Windows-and-Linux-06-30
- https://linktr.ee/todaysdatenow