Unix Timestamp: What It Is and How to Use It

What Is a Unix Timestamp?

A Unix Timestamp (epoch time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. This format is widely used in programming for storing and transmitting dates.

Why January 1, 1970?

This date was chosen by the creators of the Unix operating system as the reference point. Since then, the format has become the de facto standard for working with dates in IT.

Example Values

How to Convert

Timestamp to Date

Enter a numeric value and get a readable date adjusted for your time zone.

Date to Timestamp

Select a date and time — get the Unix Timestamp in seconds and milliseconds.

Timestamp Formats

The Year 2038 Problem

32-bit systems store timestamps as signed 32-bit integers. The maximum is 2,147,483,647, which corresponds to January 19, 2038. After that, an overflow will occur.

Convert timestamps with the Unix Timestamp converter.

See also: Timezone Converter, Date Difference, World Clock