Life Irving Berlin
Why do we put the dates of a person’s life after their name when mentioning them in writing?
For example, when referring to the popular American composer Irving Berlin, in writing it would be common to see him talked about as “Irving Berlin (1888-1989).” The years in the parenthesis are the year he was born and the year he died.
I see this kind of thing occur often, for people of all walks of life from celebrities to an average, middle class citizen. What is the significance/importance of including the dates of their life after their name? Why is it typically done?
I’m guessing a few reasons but the most obvious for me would probably be because their are a bunch of people with that name and those dates help to isolate that particular person and link them to whatever the topic or achievement is in which you are referencing them to.
What’ll I do? – Irving Berlin cover | Live from St Louis, Missouri 