Please check the output from different queries below: ========================================= SQL> select sysdate from dual; SYSDATE --------- 07-AUG-06 SQL> desc emp Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------- EMPNO NOT NULL NUMBER(4) ENAME VARCHAR2(10) JOB VARCHAR2(9) MGR NUMBER(4) HIREDATE DATE SAL NUMBER(7,2) COMM NUMBER(7,2) DEPTNO NUMBER(2) SQL> select * from emp order by hiredate; EMPNO ENAME JOB MGR HIREDATE SAL COMM DEPTNO ---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 7369 SMITH CLERK 7902 17-DEC-80 800 - 20 7499 ALLEN SALESMAN 7698 20-FEB-81 1600 300 30 7521 WARD SALESMAN 7698 22-FEB-81 1250 500 30 7566 JONES MANAGER 7839 02-APR-81 2975 - 20 7782 CLARK MANAGER 7839 09-JUN-81 2450 - 10 7844 TURNER SALESMAN 7698 08-SEP-81 1500 0 30 7654 MARTIN SALESMAN 7698 28-SEP-81 1250 1400 30 7839 KING PRESIDENT - 17-NOV-81 5000 - 10 7900 JAMES CLERK 7698 03-DEC-81 950 - 30 7902 FORD ANALYST 7566 03-DEC-81 3000 - 20 7934 MILLER CLERK 7782 23-JAN-82 1300 - 10 7788 SCOTT ANALYST 7566 19-APR-87 3000 - 20 7698 Dev Raj 7839 01-JAN-01 30000 - 10 4444 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 2222 xyz abc - 28-JUL-06 1000 - 10 3333 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 1111 aaa job 7782 28-JUL-06 1000 - 10 17 rows selected. SQL> select * from emp where hiredate = '28-JUL-06'; EMPNO ENAME JOB MGR HIREDATE SAL COMM DEPTNO ---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 4444 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 2222 xyz abc - 28-JUL-06 1000 - 10 3333 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 SQL> select empno, length(hiredate) from emp; EMPNO LENGTH(HIREDATE) ---------- ---------------- 7698 9 7369 9 7499 9 7521 9 7566 9 7654 9 4444 9 7782 9 7788 9 7839 9 7844 9 7900 9 7902 9 7934 9 2222 9 3333 9 1111 9 17 rows selected. SQL> insert into emp values(5555, 'abcdef', 'job123', null, ' 28-JUL-06 ', 5555, null, 20); 1 row created. SQL> commit; Commit complete. SQL> select * from emp order by hiredate; EMPNO ENAME JOB MGR HIREDATE SAL COMM DEPTNO ---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 7369 SMITH CLERK 7902 17-DEC-80 800 - 20 7499 ALLEN SALESMAN 7698 20-FEB-81 1600 300 30 7521 WARD SALESMAN 7698 22-FEB-81 1250 500 30 7566 JONES MANAGER 7839 02-APR-81 2975 - 20 7782 CLARK MANAGER 7839 09-JUN-81 2450 - 10 7844 TURNER SALESMAN 7698 08-SEP-81 1500 0 30 7654 MARTIN SALESMAN 7698 28-SEP-81 1250 1400 30 7839 KING PRESIDENT - 17-NOV-81 5000 - 10 7900 JAMES CLERK 7698 03-DEC-81 950 - 30 7902 FORD ANALYST 7566 03-DEC-81 3000 - 20 7934 MILLER CLERK 7782 23-JAN-82 1300 - 10 7788 SCOTT ANALYST 7566 19-APR-87 3000 - 20 7698 Dev Raj 7839 01-JAN-01 30000 - 10 4444 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 2222 xyz abc - 28-JUL-06 1000 - 10 3333 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 5555 abcdef job123 - 28-JUL-06 5555 - 20 1111 aaa job 7782 28-JUL-06 1000 - 10 18 rows selected. SQL> select * from emp where hiredate = '28-JUL-06'; EMPNO ENAME JOB MGR HIREDATE SAL COMM DEPTNO ---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 4444 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 5555 abcdef job123 - 28-JUL-06 5555 - 20 2222 xyz abc - 28-JUL-06 1000 - 10 3333 xyz job - 28-JUL-06 2000 - 10 SQL> select empno, length(hiredate) from emp; EMPNO LENGTH(HIREDATE) ---------- ---------------- 7698 9 7369 9 7499 9 7521 9 7566 9 7654 9 4444 9 7782 9 7788 9 7839 9 7844 9 5555 9 7900 9 7902 9 7934 9 2222 9 3333 9 1111 9 18 rows selected. SQL> ========================================= Why doesn't the query "select * from emp where hiredate = '28-JUL-06';" display record with empno = 1111?