Irregular formatting of y axis on graph

I believe only scatter charts would work out the X-axis intervals/scale for you. If you pick a normal line or column chart, you can just put whatever label you choose for the a-axis.

You you right click on the chart and click on SELECT DATA, you can pick you x-axis source cells.

Hello,

if Excel recognizes the value as a date, it will use a date/time axis and the values will be placed accordingly on a line chart. In a line chart you can select if you want a date/time axis or a category axis. The screenshot shows a line chart with the date axis that Excel 2013 put in as the default. 

If you only use only the year number, you can still create a line chart, but in order to show the correct placement on the time scale, you must manually format the axis to a date axis.

By nature an XY Scatter chart's X axis is numeric and will always place the data marker according to its value. 

How so? I'm not sure I follow. You hooked on to X axis values with your answer. 

But then, after reviewing the question and the use of "Y" axis, not "X" axis, we may both have been led up the garden path.

Mabel09, can you please respond and add some clarification?

What chart type are you using? The "Y" axis is typically the vertical axis that shows the numeric value. 

Some charts, for example "Bar charts" use the horizontal axis for the values, not the vertical axis. 

Post a sample file. You can save a file to your OneDrive public folder, share it and post a link in a response here. 

You read the question in the exact opposite way I did - how to get Excel to place the years on a continuous scale vs how to just show only the years mentioned.

And you both misread it because the poster asked to set the "Y" axis, not the "X" axis.

That's what I am referring to in my previous post. Y axis is the value axis and in most chart types it is the vertical axis. For some chart types, like horizontal bar charts, the value axis is the horizontal axis and looks like the X axis, because it is positioned horizontally.  

So, is the question about the value axis or about the category axis (regardless of the orientation thereof)? That's why I have asked Mabel09 to provide some clarification. 

That's what I am referring to in my previous post. Y axis is the value axis and in most chart types it is the vertical axis. For some chart types, like horizontal bar charts, the value axis is the horizontal axis and looks like the X axis, because it is positioned horizontally.  

So, is the question about the value axis or about the category axis (regardless of the orientation thereof)? That's why I have asked Mabel09 to provide some clarification. 

I started typing my response before I saw your second message. Great timing!

Yeah, timing can add spice to a thread. 

I just hope that Mabel09 will come back with some more details about the chart type. Life can be so easy if you have the info to make decisions. 

I am sure you were correct teylyn in the way you read the question.

I thought OP wanted Excel not to position the years properly on a numeric scale and fill in the gaps. Pretty sure I got the wrong end... kinda funny.