Unix to datetime object using Javascript

Question

I am trying to convert a unix time stamp to a datetime object using javascript but am getting a strange output.

The unix timestamps I'm using are 1420243200000 and 1420272000000. My javascript code looks like this:

function timeConverter(UNIX_timestamp){
  // var a = new Date(UNIX_timestamp*1000);
  // var year = a.getFullYear();
  // var month = a.getMonth()+1;
  // var date = a.getDate();
  // var hour = a.getHours();
  // var min = "0" + a.getMinutes();
  // var sec = "0" + a.getSeconds();
  // var time = date + ' ' + month + ' ' + year + ' ' + hour + ':' + min.substr(-2) + ':' + sec.substr(-2) ;
  // return time;
  var myDate = new Date( UNIX_timestamp *1000);
  time = myDate.toLocaleString();
  return time;
}

Neither the commented or uncommented attempts produce the correct date. I keep getting 9/18/46975, 6:00:00 PM and 8/17/46976, 2:00:00 AMas the answers and I can't figure out what's going wrong.

Joseph · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-09 19:42:31Z

2

Your timestamp appears to already be in milliseconds. Don't multiply with 1000.

Calling it "UNIX_timestamp" is misleading. Unix timestamp is seconds elapsed since epoch. Timestamps from JS functions (like Date.now() and +new Date()) are milliseconds elapsed since epoch.

answered Sep 9, 2015 at 19:42

Joseph

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3 Comments

kdubs Over a year ago

When I don't multiply by 1000 then I get Invalid Date as the result.

Joseph Over a year ago

@kdubs That's because your variable is potentially a string. Try checking.

kdubs Over a year ago

Ahhh. It was a string. Fixed it by using var timestamp = parseInt(UNIX_string,10); Thanks!

MarkW · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-09 19:44:58Z

0

try myDate = new Date(1420243200000);

From the documentation https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date

Call the constructor new Date(value);. Where value is "Integer value representing the number of milliseconds since 1 January 1970 00:00:00 UTC (Unix Epoch)."

answered Sep 9, 2015 at 19:44

MarkW

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