diff --git a/github2/core.py b/github2/core.py
index c3acdd0..d0b113d 100644
--- a/github2/core.py
+++ b/github2/core.py
@@ -1,3 +1,19 @@
+from datetime import datetime
+
+GITHUB_TIMEZONE = "-0700"
+GITHUB_DATE_FORMAT = "%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S"
+
+
+def ghdate_to_datetime(github_date):
+    date_without_tz = github_date.rsplit("-")[0].strip()
+    return datetime.strptime(date_without_tz, GITHUB_DATE_FORMAT)
+
+
+def datetime_to_ghdate(datetime_):
+    date_without_tz = datetime_.strftime(GITHUB_DATE_FORMAT)
+    return " ".join([date_without_tz, GITHUB_TIMEZONE])
+
+
 class GithubCommand(object):
 
     def __init__(self, request):
@@ -36,28 +52,45 @@ class BaseDataType(type):
         super_new = super(BaseDataType, cls).__new__
 
         attributes = attrs.pop("attributes", tuple())
+        date_attributes = set(attrs.pop("date_attributes", tuple()))
         attrs.update(dict([(attr_name, None)
                         for attr_name in attributes]))
 
+        def _contribute_method(name, func):
+            func.func_name = name
+            attrs[name] = func
+
         def constructor(self, **kwargs):
             for attr_name, attr_value in kwargs.items():
                 if attr_name not in attributes:
                     raise TypeError("%s.__init__() doesn't support the "
                                     "%s argument." % ( cls_name, attr_name))
                 setattr(self, attr_name, attr_value)
-        attrs["__init__"] = constructor
 
-        def to_dict(self):
-            dict_ = {}
-            for attr_name in self.attributes:
-                attr_value = getattr(self, attr_name, None)
-                if attr_value is not None:
-                    dict_[attr_name] = attr_value
-            return dict_
-        attrs["to_dict"] = to_dict
+            # Convert dates to datetime objects.
+            for date_attr_name in date_attributes:
+                attr_value = getattr(self, date_attr_name)
+                if attr_value and not isinstance(attr_value, datetime):
+                    date_as_datetime = ghdate_to_datetime(attr_value)
+                    setattr(self, date_attr_name, date_as_datetime)
+        _contribute_method("__init__", constructor)
+
+        def iterate(self):
+            not_empty = lambda e: e is not None
+            objdict = vars(self)
+            for date_attr_name in date_attributes:
+                date_value = objdict.get(date_attr_name)
+                if date_value and isinstance(date_value, datetime):
+                    objdict[date_attr_name] = datetime_to_ghdate(date_value)
+
+            return iter(filter(not_empty, objdict.items()))
+        _contribute_method("__iter__", iterate)
 
         return super_new(cls, name, bases, attrs)
 
+    def contribute_method_to_cls(cls, name, func):
+        func.func_name = name
+        return func
 
 class BaseData(object):
     __metaclass__ = BaseDataType
diff --git a/github2/issues.py b/github2/issues.py
index b1bfde9..16cf041 100644
--- a/github2/issues.py
+++ b/github2/issues.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from github2.core import GithubCommand, BaseData
 class Issue(BaseData):
     attributes = ("position", "number", "votes", "body", "title",
                   "created_at", "updated_at", "user", "state")
+    date_attributes = ("created_at", "updated_at")
 
 
 class Issues(GithubCommand):