Can TIMESTAMP store dates before 1970?

No, TIMESTAMP supports dates starting from 1970-01-01 00:00:01 UTC due to its Unix epoch-based storage.

Does DATETIME convert timezones automatically?

No, DATETIME stores the date and time as-is without timezone conversion.

What is the maximum value for the TIME data type?

The TIME data type supports values up to 838:59:59, allowing storage of durations longer than 24 hours.

Topic 3118 min readStructured Tutorial

MySQL Date and Time Data Types Explained

Quick Answer

MySQL provides several date and time data types such as DATE, DATETIME, TIMESTAMP, TIME, and YEAR to store temporal values. Each type serves different purposes, like storing dates only, date and time combined, or durations. Choosing the right type ensures accurate data storage and efficient queries.

Learning Objectives

Identify the different date and time data types in MySQL.
Understand the storage format and range of each date/time type.
Learn when to use each date/time type in database design.

Introduction

Working with dates and times is essential in many database applications.

MySQL provides specialized data types to store and manipulate temporal data efficiently.

Accurate date and time storage is key to reliable data management.

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Author

RPATechnology Team

Last Updated

June 2026

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Data Type	Storage Size	Format	Range	Use Case
DATE	3 bytes	'YYYY-MM-DD'	1000-01-01 to 9999-12-31	Store dates without time
DATETIME	8 bytes	'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS'	1000-01-01 00:00:00 to 9999-12-31 23:59:59	Store date and time, no timezone
TIMESTAMP	4 bytes	'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS'	1970-01-01 00:00:01 UTC to 2038-01-19 03:14:07 UTC	Store UTC date/time with timezone conversion
TIME	3 bytes	'HH:MM:SS'	-838:59:59 to 838:59:59	Store time of day or durations
YEAR	1 byte	'YYYY'	1901 to 2155	Store year values

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Introduction

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Overview of MySQL Date and Time Types

Detailed Explanation of Each Type

DATE Type

DATETIME Type

TIMESTAMP Type

TIME Type

YEAR Type

Examples of Using Date and Time Types

Practical Example

Examples

Best Practices

Common Mistakes

Hands-on Exercise

Define a Table with Date and Time Columns

Interview Questions

What is the difference between DATETIME and TIMESTAMP in MySQL?

When should you use the TIME data type?

What is the storage size of the DATE data type in MySQL?

MCQ Quiz

1. Which MySQL data type would you use to store a date without any time information?

2. What is the main difference between the DATETIME and TIMESTAMP data types in MySQL?

3. Which MySQL data type can store negative time values and durations?

4. What is the storage size of the YEAR data type in MySQL and what range of years does it support?

5. Why might you choose TIMESTAMP over DATETIME for recording event times in a global application?

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

Can TIMESTAMP store dates before 1970?

Does DATETIME convert timezones automatically?

What is the maximum value for the TIME data type?

Summary

Best Practices

CREATE Database

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