Is there a proper abbreviation for born and died or must they be spelled out?

I was helping my sister and mother with a project my sister has for school. She has to do a family tree. Along with the person's name I put when they were born and when they died. I put b. for born and d. for died.

I have seen b. and d. many times on the internet. My mother said that she has never seen b. or d. before. She said that b. and d. are incorrect. She made me feel like a complete idiot. :(

don't feel like an idiot just because of that. you are not.

but like your mom, I have never seen the B and D abbreviations used for born and died, either. g/l though.

I have seen the b. and d. abbreviations before and as far as I know they are correct.

I think the most common way is to list the year of birth and the year of death, separated by a dash. For example, 1913-1975

don't feel like an idiot just because of that. you are not.

but like your mom, I have never seen the B and D abbreviations used for born and died, either. g/l though.

What does g/l mean?

What does g/l mean?
g/l is an abbreviation for good luck.

I know you'll see "D.O.B." on government forms and it means Date of Birth. Not sure if "D.O.D." would be the version for Date of Death, but it would make sense.

Give google a try. ;)

g/l is an abbreviation for good luck.

Correct Marv.

I've seen b. and d. used as abbreviations before. I think the date usually preceeds them, but I definitely think those abbreviations are right.

Yer mom is wrooooooong. Sounds like she hasn't read enough history books. I see b. and d. listed everywhere all the time.

I've seen b. and d. used for birth and death. Usually, they're used before the dates.

I'm a member of a old time radio group and here is how they handle births and deaths.

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:49:10 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@earthlink.net>
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <old.time.radio@oldradio.net>
Subject: 9-16 births/deaths

September 16th births

09-16-1881 - Jack Harvey - Cleveland, OH - d. 11-9-1954
writer: "Joan Davis Time"
09-16-1893 - Alexander Korda - Pusztaturpaszto, Hungary - d. 1-23-1956
director: "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-16-1899 - Sam Spewack - Ukraine, Russia - d. 10-14-1971
writer: "Theatre Guild On the Air"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-16-1902 - Philip Reep - d. 1-23-1985
singer: (Elm City Four) "The Gay Nineties Revue"
09-16-1903 - Joe Venuti - Lecco, Italy - d. 8-14-1978
jazz violinist: "Friendly Five Footnotes";"Paul Whiteman Show";
"Jubilee"
09-16-1908 - Neil Reagan - Tampico, IL - d. 12-11-1996
director, announcer: (Brother of Ron) "Dr. Christian"; "Straight Arrow"
09-16-1910 - Herta Glaz - Vienna, Austria -^ d. 1-28-2006
mezzo soprano: "NBC Summer Symphony"; "Metropolitan Opera"
09-16-1911 - Dorian St. George - d. 3-1-2004
announcer: "Advs. of Charlie Chan"; "Candid Microphone"
09-16-1911 - Paul Henning - Independence, MO - d. 3-25-2005
writer: "Burns and Allen"
09-16-1914 - Allen Funt - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-5-1999
host: "Candid Microphone"
09-16-1915 - Cy Walter - Minneapolis, MN - d. 8-18-1968
pianist: "Piano Playhouse"; "Songs by Sinatra"
09-16-1919 - Andy Russell - Los Angeles, CA - d. 4-16-1992
singer: "Your Hit Parade"
09-16-1919 - Larry Dobkin - NYC - d. 10-28-2002
actor: Archie Goodwin "Advs. of Nero Wolfe"; Ellery Queen "Advs. of
Ellery Queen"
09-16-1919 - Ralph Barco - d. 3-19-1993
orchestra leader: WHK Cleveland, Ohio
09-16-1921 - Korla Pandit (Juan Rolando) - St. Louis, MO- d. 10-1-1998
organ: "Chandu the Magician", "Jubilee"
09-16-1922 - Janis Paige - Tacoma, WA
actor: "MGM Theatre of the Air"; "Theatre of Romance"
09-16-1924 - Lauren Bacall - NYC
actor: Sailor Duval "Bold Venture"
09-16-1924 - Royce Ryton - Ferring, England - d. 4-14-2009
playwright: "The Royal Baccarat Scandal"
09-16-1925 - B.B. King - Itta Bena, MS
disc jockey: "Boogie for Breakfast"
09-16-1925 - Charlie Byrd - Chuckatuck, VA - d. 12-1-1999
jazz guitarist: "Voices of Vista"
09-16-1926 - Tommy Bond - Dallas, TX - d. 9-24-2005
actor: Randolph Foster "A Date With Judy"
09-16-1927 - Jack Kelly - Astoria, NY - d. 11-7-1992
actor: "Suspense"
09-16-1930 - Anne Francis - Ossining, NY
actor: Kathy Cameron "When a Girl Marries"

September 16th deaths

01-01-1905 - Richard Keith - NYC - d. 9-16-1976
actor: Ray Hunt "Myrt and Marge"; Frank W. Brock "Special Investigator"
01-18-1920 - Constance Moore - Sioux City, IA - d. 9-16-2005
singer, actor: Gloria Dean "Hollywood Mystery Time"
01-19-1910 - Jaime Del Valle - d. 9-16-1981
producer, director: "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar"; "Count of Monte
Cristo"
02-26-1920 - Antony Kearey - London, England - d. 9-16-1997
producer: "The Shetland Wildcat"
03-06-1942 - David Cleve - England - d. 9-16-2005
actor: "Out of School"
03-13-1914 - Glen Gordon - NYC - d. 9-16-1977
actor: Dr. Fu Manchu "The Shadow of Fu Manchu"
03-18-1902 - Doris Dalton - Sharon, MA - d. 9-16-1984
actor: Voice of Romance "Romance"; "One Foot in Heaven"
06-11-1906 - Frank Woodruff - Columbia, SC - d. 9-16-1983
director: "Lux Radio Theatre"
06-14-1884 - John McCormack - Athone, Ireland - d. 9-16-1945
singer: "The Atwater-Kent Hour"; "The Vince Program"
08-10-1901 - Josef Koestner - Wilmersdorf, Germany - d. 9-16-1990
orchestra leader: "Ry-Krisp Show"; "Hoover Sentinels Serenade"
09-07-1910 - Don Ried - d. 9-16-1996
vocalist: "The Jack Kirkwood Show"
09-28-1881 - Pedro de Cordoba - NYC - d. 9-16-1950
actor: John Marshall "Those We Love"; Jose Alvarado "Romance of the
Ranchos"
11-05-1887 - Ralph Moody - St. Louis, MO - d. 9-16-1971
actor: "Gunsmoke"; "Roy Rogers Show"; "Wild Bill Hickok"
11-28-1906 - Helen Jepson - Titusville, PA - d. 9-16-1997
singer: "Kraft Music Hall"; "Show Boat"
11-29-1912 - Alan Courtney - NYC - d. 9-16-1978
host: "Calling All Girls"; "Korn Kobblers"
12-02-1923 - Maria Callas - NYC - d. 9-16-1977
opera singer: "The Metropolitan Opera"
12-23-1911 - James Gregory - The Bronx, NY - d. 9-16-2002
actor: Captain Vincent Cronin "21st Precinct"

Harvey