Unix Timestamps Explained: A Practical Guide

December 27, 2025

Unix timestamp (also known as Epoch time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 (UTC).

Why Use Unix Timestamps?

  • Timezone independent
  • Easy to compare and calculate
  • Compact storage
  • Universal across programming languages

Common Conversions

Current timestamp: Use Date.now() / 1000 in JavaScript. To convert back: new Date(timestamp * 1000).