Date Format Converter

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Common Date Formats Explained

Date formats vary widely across countries and systems. The US format (MM/DD/YYYY) places the month first, while the European format (DD/MM/YYYY) leads with the day. This difference is the most common source of confusion when reading or exchanging dates internationally. For example, 04/05/2026 means April 5 in the US but May 4 in Europe.

Other common formats include long form (April 1, 2026), short form (Apr 1, 2026), and SQL format (2026-04-01 00:00:00) used in databases. Unix timestamps represent dates as the number of seconds (or milliseconds) since January 1, 1970 (the Unix epoch), and are widely used in programming and APIs.

ISO 8601 — The Universal Date Standard

ISO 8601 is the international standard for date and time representation. It uses the format YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2026-04-01), which eliminates ambiguity by placing the most significant unit (year) first. This format is used by default in databases, APIs, and most programming languages.

The extended form includes time: 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z, where T separates the date and time, and Z indicates UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). ISO 8601 dates sort correctly as strings, making them ideal for filenames, logs, and data exchange.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is ISO 8601?
ISO 8601 is an international standard for representing dates and times. The date format is YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2026-04-01). It eliminates ambiguity by always placing the year first, then month, then day. It is the default format used in databases, APIs, and most programming languages.
What is the difference between MM/DD/YYYY and DD/MM/YYYY?
MM/DD/YYYY is the US date format where the month comes first (e.g., 04/01/2026 = April 1). DD/MM/YYYY is the European format where the day comes first (e.g., 01/04/2026 = April 1). A date like 04/05/2026 is ambiguous — it could mean April 5 (US) or May 4 (European).
What date format does SQL use?
SQL databases typically use the format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (e.g., 2026-04-01 00:00:00). This is based on ISO 8601 and ensures consistent sorting and comparison. Most databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server) accept this format natively.
How do I convert a date to a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC (the Unix epoch). To convert, paste any date into this tool and the Unix timestamp (in both seconds and milliseconds) will appear in the output grid. In JavaScript, use Math.floor(new Date("2026-04-01").getTime() / 1000).
What is RFC 2822?
RFC 2822 defines the date format used in email headers and HTTP headers. The format is Day, DD Mon YYYY HH:MM:SS +0000 (e.g., Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000). It includes the abbreviated day name, two-digit day, three-letter month abbreviation, four-digit year, and timezone offset.