Altering the Spelling out the Hebrew Year

Question

In 1983-1984, the Hebrew year was 5744. Normally, the year would have been spelled out in Hebrew letters תשמ״ד, but according to my rabbi then, Rabbi Phillip Rabinowitz, zt'l, as pronounced the word would mean "annihilation" and therefore we should change the last two letters so that it reads תשד״ם. He told me that it had been done in earlier years when the spelling out of the year might portend something bad for the Jewish people. What other years was the spelling of the Hebrew calendar year altered for this purpose?

Answer 1

Sometimes the name changes because it spells a "bad" idea, but sometimes it's done because the other one is just nicer.

• 1910 - תר"ע became עת"ר (from Ra - bad)
• 1912 - תרע"ב became תער"ב (like here) (from Rav - hunger)
• 1917 - תרע"ז became עזר"ת (like here) (Ezras - help)
• 1919 - תרע"ט became עטר"ת (like here) (Ateres - crown)
• 1938 - תרצ"ח became תרח"צ (Tirtzach - kill)
• 1950 - ה,תש"י became השי"ת (Hashem Yisborech).
• 1991 - תשנ"א became תנש"א (like here) (Tinose - Rule)

Surprisingly, 1944 stayed תש"ד (like here) (Shin Daled spells Shed - daemon)