Object.ReferenceEquals never hit

Question

Can anyone tell me why the following condition does not hit?

List<DateTime> timestamps = new List<DateTime>();
timestamps.Add(DateTime.Parse("8/5/2011 4:34:43 AM"));
timestamps.Add(DateTime.Parse("8/5/2011 4:35:43 AM"));
foreach(DateTime x in timestamps)
{
    if (Object.ReferenceEquals(x, timestamps.First()))
    {
        // Never hit
        Console.WriteLine("hello");
    }
}

Answer 1

Because DateTime is a value type, immutable and so the references will not be equal even though the values are.

Are you meaning to do something like this? Value comparison:

if (DateTime.Compare(x, timestamps.First()) == 0)
{
    // Never hit
    Console.WriteLine("hello");
}

Answer 2

Value types are passed and compared by value. That's why they're called "value types".

Reference types are passed and compared by reference. That's why they're called "reference types".

DateTime is a value type.

Therefore you are attempting to compare two values by reference. That's not going to work. It will always be false.

Can you explain why you'd expect something different?