diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5a5a74b42a..48af06cfdb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -238,8 +238,8 @@ Chrono now also provides date formatting in almost any language without the
 help of an additional C library. This functionality is under the feature
 `unstable-locales`:
 
-```text
-chrono { version = "0.4", features = ["unstable-locales"]
+```toml
+chrono = { version = "0.4", features = ["unstable-locales"] }
 ```
 
 The `unstable-locales` feature requires and implies at least the `alloc` feature.
@@ -251,8 +251,8 @@ let dt = Utc.ymd(2014, 11, 28).and_hms(12, 0, 9);
 assert_eq!(dt.format("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S").to_string(), "2014-11-28 12:00:09");
 assert_eq!(dt.format("%a %b %e %T %Y").to_string(), "Fri Nov 28 12:00:09 2014");
 assert_eq!(dt.format_localized("%A %e %B %Y, %T", Locale::fr_BE).to_string(), "vendredi 28 novembre 2014, 12:00:09");
-assert_eq!(dt.format("%a %b %e %T %Y").to_string(), dt.format("%c").to_string());
 
+assert_eq!(dt.format("%a %b %e %T %Y").to_string(), dt.format("%c").to_string());
 assert_eq!(dt.to_string(), "2014-11-28 12:00:09 UTC");
 assert_eq!(dt.to_rfc2822(), "Fri, 28 Nov 2014 12:00:09 +0000");
 assert_eq!(dt.to_rfc3339(), "2014-11-28T12:00:09+00:00");
diff --git a/src/datetime.rs b/src/datetime.rs
index 312961069f..1b8ccbb426 100644
--- a/src/datetime.rs
+++ b/src/datetime.rs
@@ -310,6 +310,25 @@ impl<Tz: TimeZone> DateTime<Tz> {
     }
 }
 
+impl Default for DateTime<Utc> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Utc.from_utc_datetime(&NaiveDateTime::default())
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "clock")]
+impl Default for DateTime<Local> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Local.from_utc_datetime(&NaiveDateTime::default())
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for DateTime<FixedOffset> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        FixedOffset::west(0).from_utc_datetime(&NaiveDateTime::default())
+    }
+}
+
 /// Convert a `DateTime<Utc>` instance into a `DateTime<FixedOffset>` instance.
 impl From<DateTime<Utc>> for DateTime<FixedOffset> {
     /// Convert this `DateTime<Utc>` instance into a `DateTime<FixedOffset>` instance.
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 0d10c4920d..a645639eeb 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@
 //! help of an additional C library. This functionality is under the feature
 //! `unstable-locales`:
 //!
-//! ```text
-//! chrono { version = "0.4", features = ["unstable-locales"]
+//! ```toml
+//! chrono = { version = "0.4", features = ["unstable-locales"] }
 //! ```
 //!
 //! The `unstable-locales` feature requires and implies at least the `alloc` feature.
@@ -239,12 +239,14 @@
 //! ```rust
 //! use chrono::prelude::*;
 //!
+//! # #[cfg(feature = "unstable-locales")]
+//! # fn test() {
 //! let dt = Utc.ymd(2014, 11, 28).and_hms(12, 0, 9);
 //! assert_eq!(dt.format("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S").to_string(), "2014-11-28 12:00:09");
 //! assert_eq!(dt.format("%a %b %e %T %Y").to_string(), "Fri Nov 28 12:00:09 2014");
 //! assert_eq!(dt.format_localized("%A %e %B %Y, %T", Locale::fr_BE).to_string(), "vendredi 28 novembre 2014, 12:00:09");
-//! assert_eq!(dt.format("%a %b %e %T %Y").to_string(), dt.format("%c").to_string());
 //!
+//! assert_eq!(dt.format("%a %b %e %T %Y").to_string(), dt.format("%c").to_string());
 //! assert_eq!(dt.to_string(), "2014-11-28 12:00:09 UTC");
 //! assert_eq!(dt.to_rfc2822(), "Fri, 28 Nov 2014 12:00:09 +0000");
 //! assert_eq!(dt.to_rfc3339(), "2014-11-28T12:00:09+00:00");
@@ -253,6 +255,12 @@
 //! // Note that milli/nanoseconds are only printed if they are non-zero
 //! let dt_nano = Utc.ymd(2014, 11, 28).and_hms_nano(12, 0, 9, 1);
 //! assert_eq!(format!("{:?}", dt_nano), "2014-11-28T12:00:09.000000001Z");
+//! # }
+//! # #[cfg(not(feature = "unstable-locales"))]
+//! # fn test() {}
+//! # if cfg!(feature = "unstable-locales") {
+//! #    test();
+//! # }
 //! ```
 //!
 //! Parsing can be done with three methods:
diff --git a/src/naive/date.rs b/src/naive/date.rs
index bfb94b497a..989254ae5f 100644
--- a/src/naive/date.rs
+++ b/src/naive/date.rs
@@ -1714,6 +1714,22 @@ impl str::FromStr for NaiveDate {
     }
 }
 
+/// The default value for a NaiveDate is 1st of January 1970.
+///
+/// # Example
+///
+/// ```rust
+/// use chrono::NaiveDate;
+///
+/// let default_date = NaiveDate::default();
+/// assert_eq!(default_date, NaiveDate::from_ymd(1970, 1, 1));
+/// ```
+impl Default for NaiveDate {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        NaiveDate::from_ymd(1970, 1, 1)
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(all(test, any(feature = "rustc-serialize", feature = "serde")))]
 fn test_encodable_json<F, E>(to_string: F)
 where
diff --git a/src/naive/datetime.rs b/src/naive/datetime.rs
index 84b6cecd15..db23f54037 100644
--- a/src/naive/datetime.rs
+++ b/src/naive/datetime.rs
@@ -1511,6 +1511,23 @@ impl str::FromStr for NaiveDateTime {
     }
 }
 
+/// The default value for a NaiveDateTime is one with epoch 0
+/// that is, 1st of January 1970 at 00:00:00.
+///
+/// # Example
+///
+/// ```rust
+/// use chrono::NaiveDateTime;
+///
+/// let default_date = NaiveDateTime::default();
+/// assert_eq!(default_date, NaiveDateTime::from_timestamp(0, 0));
+/// ```
+impl Default for NaiveDateTime {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        NaiveDateTime::from_timestamp(0, 0)
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(all(test, any(feature = "rustc-serialize", feature = "serde")))]
 fn test_encodable_json<F, E>(to_string: F)
 where
diff --git a/src/naive/time.rs b/src/naive/time.rs
index 4d2b5c2f51..ee44903ed2 100644
--- a/src/naive/time.rs
+++ b/src/naive/time.rs
@@ -1341,6 +1341,22 @@ impl str::FromStr for NaiveTime {
     }
 }
 
+/// The default value for a NaiveTime is midnight, 00:00:00 exactly.
+///
+/// # Example
+///
+/// ```rust
+/// use chrono::NaiveTime;
+///
+/// let default_time = NaiveTime::default();
+/// assert_eq!(default_time, NaiveTime::from_hms(0, 0, 0));
+/// ```
+impl Default for NaiveTime {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        NaiveTime::from_hms(0, 0, 0)
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(all(test, any(feature = "rustc-serialize", feature = "serde")))]
 fn test_encodable_json<F, E>(to_string: F)
 where