0 = January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTCRelated Tools
What is the Unix Epoch?
The Unix epoch is the reference point for Unix time: January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. Every Unix timestamp represents the number of seconds that have elapsed since this moment.
This system was created when the Unix operating system was being developed at Bell Labs in the late 1960s. The date was chosen because it was close to the system's creation and using midnight UTC on January 1st simplified calculations.
Today, Unix time is used across virtually all computer systems, from servers to smartphones, making it the universal standard for representing time in computing.
Key Unix Epoch Milestones
| Timestamp | Date | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Jan 1, 1970 | The Unix Epoch |
| 1000000000 | Sep 9, 2001 | 1 Billion seconds |
| 1234567890 | Feb 13, 2009 | Sequential timestamp |
| 2000000000 | May 18, 2033 | 2 Billion seconds |
| 2147483647 | Jan 19, 2038 | Y2K38 (32-bit limit) |
✓ Why Unix Time?
- • Universal & timezone-independent
- • Easy arithmetic operations
- • Compact storage (single number)
- • Works across all platforms
⚠️ Year 2038 Problem
- • 32-bit systems overflow in 2038
- • Max value: 2,147,483,647
- • Solution: Use 64-bit timestamps
- • Most systems already updated
FAQ
What is the Unix epoch?
The Unix epoch is January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. It is the starting point from which all Unix timestamps are measured in seconds.
Why was 1970 chosen?
Unix was developed in the late 1960s, so 1970 was chosen as a convenient, round number close to the system creation. It also simplified date calculations.
Convert Unix Timestamps
Use our epoch converter to transform timestamps to dates and back.
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