JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://code.jquery.com/ui/1.11.3/themes/smoothness/jquery-ui.css">
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.2.1.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/ui/1.11.3/jquery-ui.min.js"></script>
<div style="position:relative">
  <div id="date-text">
  
  </div>
  <div style="position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0">
    <input type="text" size="10" id="dt" style="opacity:0"/>
  </div>
</div>

JavaScript

var today = new Date();
today.setHours(0,0,0,0);
$("#dt").datepicker({defaultDate: today}).on('change', function() {
  $("#date-text").html($("#dt").datepicker("getDate").toLocaleDateString());
});
$("#date-text").html(today.toLocaleDateString());