Convert timestamps.
The Unix timestamp (also called POSIX time or Epoch time) is a time tracking system that counts the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC. This moment is called the "Unix Epoch" and serves as the zero point of Unix time. Our converter transforms timestamps into readable date formats and vice versa – essential for developers, system administrators, and data analysts.
Unix time increases by exactly 1 every second, regardless of time zones, daylight saving time, or other local time adjustments. This simplicity makes it ideal for computers and databases.
32-bit systems store Unix time as a signed integer with a maximum of 2,147,483,647. On January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC, this value will overflow. Modern 64-bit systems use 64-bit integers and are safe for 292 billion years.
Unix developers at Bell Labs chose 1970 as a practical starting point – close enough to Unix's creation (1969), but a round date for easy calculations.
JavaScript: Date.now() / 1000 | Python: import time; time.time() | PHP: time() | Java: System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000 | Bash: date +%s
Traditionally in seconds. However, JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds. A 13-digit timestamp is usually in milliseconds (divide by 1000), a 10-digit one is in seconds.
💡 Tip: The current Unix timestamp (in seconds) can be retrieved in most terminals with "date +%s". For debugging, save timestamps as comments alongside the readable date.