Aside from the fact your data as posted isn't a Word table, you cannot expect a Word table to sort something that appears to have such disparate data as '16.10.1974', '23.061976' and '1976' in date order. Neither '23.061976' nor '1976' is a date - they're just numbers. Similarly, a number sort will sort your dates as if they too are just numbers - in day, then month, then year, order.

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]