Using commas around dates w/o interfering with date format conversion

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Hi! Sorry to bother you, but I didn't see the info I need in the Manual of Style.

I know that we're encouraged to link full dates (month/day/year) so that they can be displayed according to the user's preferences. I use a comma after the year, as is correct in the American format: "He said January 1, 1989, was his birthday." Unfortunately, that's bad when it displays as, "He said 1 January 1989, was his birthday."

I'd like to ensure that the comma appears after the year in the American date format but not in incompatible formats. Is this possible?

Thanks so much for your help.

DoorsAjar 10:16, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Excuse my ignorance, but why do you need a comma after the year in the American format? -- Chairman S. Talk Contribs 11:00, 25 March 2007 (UTC) A Wikipedia user gives references here. The Chicago Manual of Style also supports using a comma after the year. I believe the MLA style guide does as well, but I can't check that right now. DoorsAjar 12:06, 25 March 2007 (UTC)