JSTL Date comparison

U can use jstl and usebean something like this

    <jsp:useBean id="now" class="java.util.Date"/>
    <c:if test="${someEvent.startDate lt now}"> 
    It's history!</c:if>

Just use <fmt:formatDate> to extract the year from it so that you can do the math on it.

<fmt:formatDate value="${user.birthDate}" pattern="yyyy" var="userBirthYear" />
<c:if test="${userBirthYear le 1970}">
    <doSomeLogic/>
</c:if>

You could also add a boolean getter to you bean:

public boolean isBirthDateAfter1970(){
    return birthDate.after(dateOf1970);
}

So you can use the following EL:

<c:if test="${user.birthDateAfter1970}">
   You were born after the sixties.
</c:if>

<c:if test="${date1.time > date2.time}">...</c:if>

or lt,=,gt:

<c:if test="${date1.time gt date2.time}">...</c:if>

We exploit Long getTime() method of java.util.Date.