Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates. Supports seconds and milliseconds.
What is a Unix Timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called Epoch time or POSIX time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC, minus leap seconds. It's the universal time standard used in programming, databases, and APIs.
Common Use Cases
- API Development — Most APIs use Unix timestamps for date/time fields in JSON responses
- Database Queries — Storing dates as integers in databases for efficient sorting and comparison
- Log Files — Server logs and event tracking systems use timestamps for precise event ordering
- JWT Tokens — The "exp" (expiration) and "iat" (issued at) claims in JWT are Unix timestamps
- Debugging — Quickly convert raw timestamp values from API responses or logs
Seconds vs Milliseconds
| Unit | Example | Common in |
|---|---|---|
| Seconds (10 digits) | 1717200000 | Unix systems, PHP, Go, Python |
| Milliseconds (13 digits) | 1717200000000 | JavaScript, Java, REST APIs |
Our converter automatically detects whether your input is in seconds or milliseconds.
Important Timestamps to Know
| Event | Timestamp |
|---|---|
| Unix Epoch Start | 0 (Jan 1, 1970) |
| Year 2000 Problem | 946684800 (Jan 1, 2000) |
| Year 2038 Problem | 2147483647 (Jan 19, 2038 — 32-bit signed int max) |
| Bitcoin Genesis Block | 1231006505 (Jan 3, 2009) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this tool free?
Yes, completely free with no registration or limits.
What timezone does the converter use?
Results are displayed in your local timezone (as detected by your browser) with UTC offset shown for clarity.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
On January 19, 2038, Unix timestamps stored as 32-bit signed integers will overflow, potentially causing date errors in legacy systems. Most modern systems now use 64-bit integers to avoid this issue.