VFP can handle dates from {^0001/01/01} to {^9999/12/31}. In case of SET DATE SHORT/LONG VFP relies on the Windows API calls to work with dates and Windows doesn't allow dates before {^1600/01/01}

>VFP is designed to process dates from the 17th. century and later, only. The reason is that shortly before this - 1582, IIRC - there was the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. 10 days were omitted, to make Spring start, once again, on March 21. This can cause some confusion (which calendar to use?), and this probably explains the decision not to use dates before the 17th. century.
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>(1) "What happened in Rome between October 4 and October 15, 1582?" (Answers at the end.)
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>(2) "In what month is the October Revolution celebrated?"