Working with Unix epoch timestamps

Epoch timestamps, sometimes referred to as Unix time or POSIX time, are a common way to store datetime in an integer format. This integer represents the number of seconds elapsed from a reference point, and in the case of a Unix-based timestamp, the reference point is January 1, 1970, at midnight (00:00:00 UTC). This arbitrary date and time represent the baseline, starting at 0. So, we just increment in seconds for every second beyond that time.

Many databases, applications, and systems store dates and time in numeric format, making it mathematically easier to work with, convert, increment, decrement, and so on. Note that in the case of the Unix epoch, it is based on UTC, which stands for Universal Time Coordinated. Using UTC is a clear choice when building applications used globally, making it easier to store dates and timestamps in a standardized format. This makes it easier to work with dates and time without worrying about daylight saving or...