Timestamp Converter
Convert between Unix timestamps and human-readable date/time
Current Unix Timestamp
Timestamp to Date
Date to Timestamp
Common Timestamps
About Unix Timestamp Converter
Unix timestamp, also known as Epoch time or POSIX time, is a system for tracking time as a running total of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 (midnight UTC/GMT). This format is widely used in operating systems, file formats, and databases because it is compact, simple, and timezone-independent. Whether you are a database administrator, a backend developer, or a system architect, understanding and converting Unix timestamps is a daily necessity.
Our consultant-grade Unix Timestamp Converter provides a robust suite of tools for developers. You can instantly convert seconds or milliseconds to human-readable dates in your local time, UTC, or any specific timezone. Conversely, you can generate timestamps from dates for testing and database seeding. The tool supports ISO 8601 output, relative time calculation (e.g., "2 hours ago"), and automatic format detection to prevent errors.
What is Unix Timestamp?
At its core, Unix time is a simple integer count of seconds since the Unix Epoch (January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC). It ignores leap seconds, meaning every day in Unix time contains exactly 86,400 seconds. This simplicity makes it perfect for computers to calculate time differences without worrying about complex calendar rules or daylight saving time (DST) shifts.
Because Unix timestamps are based on UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), they are the same everywhere on Earth at any given moment. A timestamp generated in Tokyo is identical to one generated in New York. Timezones are only applied when displaying the date to a human user. This separation of 'storage' (timestamp) and 'presentation' (timezone) is a best practice in software engineering.
Key Features
Common Use Cases
The Year 2038 Problem (Y2K38)
The Year 2038 problem is a major milestone for computing. Legacy systems storing timestamps as signed 32-bit integers will overflow on January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC. At that second, the integer value 2,147,483,647 will flip to -2,147,483,648, causing computers to interpret the date as December 13, 1901. This could lead to critical failures in infrastructure and financial systems.
The industry standard solution is to use 64-bit integers for storing time. A signed 64-bit integer can represent dates for the next 292 billion years, effectively solving the problem forever. This tool fully supports 64-bit timestamps and can accurately process dates well beyond the year 2038.
References
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