diff --git a/pandas/tests/apply/test_frame_apply.py b/pandas/tests/apply/test_frame_apply.py
index c28c3ae58219a..7aaad4d2ad081 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/apply/test_frame_apply.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/apply/test_frame_apply.py
@@ -836,7 +836,8 @@ def test_with_dictlike_columns_with_datetime():
     df["author"] = ["X", "Y", "Z"]
     df["publisher"] = ["BBC", "NBC", "N24"]
     df["date"] = pd.to_datetime(
-        ["17-10-2010 07:15:30", "13-05-2011 08:20:35", "15-01-2013 09:09:09"]
+        ["17-10-2010 07:15:30", "13-05-2011 08:20:35", "15-01-2013 09:09:09"],
+        dayfirst=True,
     )
     result = df.apply(lambda x: {}, axis=1)
     expected = Series([{}, {}, {}])