18981956

18981956 is a numeric string used in archival and bibliographic contexts to denote the lifespan between the year of birth (1898) and the year of death (1956) of a person or entity. In many catalogs lifespans are recorded as a range with punctuation (for example, 1898–1956), but the concatenated form 18981956 appears in systems with fixed-width fields, character limits, or alphanumeric identifiers.

Use and interpretation: The string is not a title or a universally recognized name, but a data encoding that can identify individuals in datasets when full identifiers are unavailable or when rapid disambiguation is needed in search interfaces. It may be attached to historical figures in databases, genealogical records, library catalogs, or digital archives to indicate the period of life. Because multiple individuals across regions can share the same lifespan, 18981956 is typically a non-unique label requiring additional context such as a name, nationality, or field of work.

Limitations and variants: The absence of punctuation increases the potential for confusion with other codes, and automated matching can misattribute results. Researchers often treat 18981956 as a non-unique identifier and rely on supplemental metadata to distinguish individuals. Related forms include the standard lifespan notation 1898–1956 and the alternative 1898/1956, as well as general practices for encoding birth and death years in cataloging and database systems.