Developer Tools

Unix Time Calculator

Convert Unix timestamp to human-readable date and vice versa. Calculate Unix epoch time for any date.

Use Unix Time Calculator to get instant results without uploads or sign-ups. Everything runs securely in your browser for fast, reliable output.

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About this tool

Unix time (POSIX time, Epoch time) counts seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC. Used in programming, databases, and computer systems worldwide.

Unix timestamps simplify date storage and calculations - just one number instead of year/month/day/time. Universal across time zones and platforms.

Usage examples

Current Time

Now in Unix time

Dec 15, 2024 = 1734220800 seconds since epoch

Year 2000

Y2K in Unix time

Jan 1, 2000 00:00:00 = 946684800

How to use

  1. Enter a "Date and Time" or leave blank for now.
  2. Click "Calculate" to get Unix timestamp.
  3. Or enter "Unix Timestamp" to convert to date.
  4. Use for programming, logs, and databases.

Benefits

  • Convert to/from Unix time
  • Programming friendly
  • Database timestamps
  • Time zone independent
  • Simple calculations
  • Universal standard

FAQs

What is Unix time?

Unix time (Unix timestamp, Epoch time, POSIX time) is seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC (the "Unix epoch"). Does not count leap seconds. Used in Unix/Linux systems, programming languages, databases. Current Unix time is over 1.7 billion seconds.

Why does Unix time start in 1970?

Unix was created at Bell Labs in early 1970s. Developers chose January 1, 1970 as "zero point" - it was recent, rounded, and Unix was still new. Arbitrary but now universal. Before 1970 uses negative timestamps. Dates after 2038 have "Year 2038 problem" on 32-bit systems.

What is the Year 2038 problem?

On January 19, 2038, 32-bit signed integers overflow (2,147,483,647 seconds since epoch). System clocks will reset to 1901. Solution: use 64-bit timestamps (good until year 292 billion). Most modern systems already use 64-bit. Legacy systems need updates.

How do I convert Unix time to readable date?

In JavaScript: new Date(timestamp * 1000). In Python: datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp). In PHP: date('Y-m-d H:i:s', timestamp). In Excel: (timestamp / 86400) + 25569. Multiply by 1000 for milliseconds. Most programming languages have built-in conversion functions.

What is the difference between Unix time and milliseconds?

Unix time = seconds since epoch. JavaScript uses milliseconds (Unix time × 1000). Java also uses milliseconds. When sharing timestamps between systems, clarify: seconds or milliseconds. Common error: using seconds in millisecond field or vice versa.

How do I calculate time difference with Unix timestamps?

Subtract timestamps to get seconds difference. Example: 1734220800 - 1734134400 = 86,400 seconds = 1 day. Divide by 60 for minutes, 3600 for hours, 86400 for days. Much simpler than date arithmetic. This is why timestamps are popular in programming.

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