18781955

18781955 is a four-digit year string formed by concatenating the years 1878 and 1955. As a standalone sequence, it does not have a universally defined meaning and its interpretation depends on the context in which it appears. In biographical or genealogical records, 1878–1955 is commonly read as a lifespan, indicating that an individual was born in 1878 and died in 1955. Without a name or additional identifying information, this notation remains ambiguous, as many people could share such a life span.

In archival, library, or digital cataloging contexts, 18781955 may function as a compact code or data field representing a date range or a period covered by a collection, a career, or an era. Some databases or automated systems generate concatenated year identifiers for indexing or file-naming purposes, which can resemble this string. As a filename, catalog identifier, or machine-readable key, it may appear without separators for efficiency or consistency with other numeric codes.

Because the string contains no separator, readers should rely on accompanying metadata to determine its precise meaning. If a document cites 18781955 without further description, it is advisable to look for context such as names, subjects, or other dates that clarify whether it refers to a person’s life span, a historical interval, or a catalog identifier.

See also: 1878; 1955; lifespan notation; date range; archival coding.