     
     private var minDateChanged:Boolean = false;
     
+    // TODO: add reference after the global team adds the doc
     /**
      *  Minimum selectable date; only dates after this date are selectable.
      * 
      *  @default If minDate is null, the value defaults to 100 years prior to
      *           the currently selected date in DATE mode, and 100 days prior
      *           to the currently selected date in DATE_AND_TIME mode.
-     * 
+     *           minDate's year should be greater than or equal to 1601 since
+     *           DateTimeFormatter only supports the range from 1601 to 30827.
      *  @langversion 3.0
      *  @playerversion AIR 3
      *  @productversion Flex 4.5.2

                    // is the date invalid for this month?
                    var newEnabledValue:Boolean = i < numDaysInMonth;
                    
                    if (newEnabledValue && (minMonthMatch || maxMonthMatch)) 
                    {
                        // test for outside min/max range
                        tempDate.date = curObj.data;
                        
                        if (tempDate.time < minDate.time ||
                            tempDate.time > maxDate.time)
                            newEnabledValue = false;
                    }
                    

        if (value == _minuteStepSize)
            return;
        
        if (value <= 0 || 60 % value != 0)
            value = 1;
       
        _minuteStepSize = value;
        minuteStepSizeChanged = true;
        populateMinuteDataProvider = true;
