Ignorant. When I learned COBOL, which would have been contemporary to many of the original systems, data types were numbers of various formats, characters, primitive fixed length strings, and bits. There was no data type for dates. It would have been roll your own. Pre UNIX being mainstream we used '7-4-5' dates in assembly based from 1900 (this was a financial business but not the IRS).
This isn't a COBOL issue (if it's even an issue at all), it's a data design issue. As many have pointed out, there are reasons for this possible origin date.
This isn't a COBOL issue (if it's even an issue at all), it's a data design issue. As many have pointed out, there are reasons for this possible origin date.