Depends on which kind you're looking for.

The current integer Unix Timestamp (1350517005) can be retrieved like so:

SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP();

MySQL often displays timestamps as date/time strings. To get one of those, these are your basic options (from the MySQL Date & Time reference):

SELECT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP;
SELECT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP();
SELECT NOW();
Answer from Brad Koch on Stack Overflow
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MySQL
dev.mysql.com › doc › en › date-and-time-functions.html
MySQL :: MySQL 8.4 Reference Manual :: 14.7 Date and Time Functions
The CURRENT_TIMESTAMP(), ... in the current session time zone, which is available as the session value of the time_zone system variable. In addition, UNIX_TIMESTAMP() assumes that its argument is a datetime value in the session time zone. See Section 7.1.15, “MySQL Server Time ...
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MySQL
dev.mysql.com › doc › en › timestamp-initialization.html
MySQL :: MySQL 8.4 Reference Manual :: 13.2.5 Automatic Initialization and Updating for TIMESTAMP and DATETIME
TIMESTAMP or DATETIME column definitions can specify the current timestamp for both the default and auto-update values, for one but not the other, or for neither. Different columns can have different combinations of automatic properties. The following rules describe the possibilities: With both DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP and ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, the column has the current timestamp for its default value and is automatically updated to the current timestamp.
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w3resource
w3resource.com › mysql › date-and-time-functions › mysql-utc_timestamp-function.php
MySQL UTC_TIMESTAMP() function - w3resource
2 weeks ago - Example: UTC_TIMESTAMP() function in numeric format · The following statement will return the current UTC date and time in numeric format. ... mysql> SELECT UTC_TIMESTAMP()+0; +-----------------------+ | UTC_TIMESTAMP()+0 | +-----------------------+ | 20150414225635.000000 | +-----------------------+ 1 row in set (0.00 sec)
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TutorialsPoint
tutorialspoint.com › mysql › mysql_date_time_functions_current_timestamp.htm
MySQL - CURRENT_TIMESTAMP() Function
The MySQL CURRENT_TIMESTAMP() function is the synonym for NOW(). It is used to get the current date and time value local to a system.
Find elsewhere
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DB Vis
dbvis.com › thetable › mysql-now-function-get-the-current-date-and-time
MySQL NOW Function: Get the Current Date and Time
February 27, 2025 - NOW already returns a TIMESTAMP, but the equivalent CURRENT_TIMESTAMP function can be used for improved clarity. NOW returns both the date and the time. If you want only the current date, you must call the MySQL CURRENT_DATE function.
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DataCamp
datacamp.com › doc › mysql › mysql-now
MySQL NOW() Function: Usage & Examples
Learn how to use the MySQL `NOW()` function to capture current timestamps for SQL operations like data insertion, updates, and logging, ensuring accurate time tracking.
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › sql › current_timestamp-function-in-mysql
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP() function in MySQL - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - CURRENT_TIMESTAMP() function in MySQL is used to check the current date and time value. In MySQL function, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP is needed when you need to keep a record of the exact time of delivery which is helpful in improving the services and ...
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MySQL
dev.mysql.com › doc › refman › 8.4 › en › datetime.html
MySQL :: MySQL 8.4 Reference Manual :: 13.2.2 The DATE, DATETIME, and TIMESTAMP Types
The fractional part should always ... about fractional seconds support in MySQL, see Section 13.2.6, “Fractional Seconds in Time Values”. The TIMESTAMP and DATETIME data types offer automatic initialization and updating to the current date and time....
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myway SQL Manager
myway-sql.com › mysql functions › date and time functions
MySQL, MariaDB CURRENT_TIMESTAMP SQL Function, Current timestamp
March 27, 2023 - CURRENT_TIMESTAMP SQL Function in MySQL and MariaDB, Current timestamp. Description, help and SQL examples
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Quora
quora.com › How-do-you-insert-the-current-timestamp-into-MySQL
How to insert the current timestamp into MySQL - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): Use the "now()" function, or create a column with a default of CURRENT_TIMESTAMP. create table mytab (id int, rec_time timestamp default current_timestamp); insert into mytab values (1, now()); -- inserts the timestamp for "now" insert into mytab (id) values (2); -- uses th...
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PlanetScale
planetscale.com › blog › datetimes-vs-timestamps-in-mysql
Datetimes versus timestamps in MySQL — PlanetScale
June 22, 2023 - Because we're still more than a decade away from the year 2038, it's a perfectly reasonable choice to use TIMESTAMP for columns like: ... These columns are usually populated by your application. As long as these columns record the current time at which an event happened, you don't have to worry about the 2038 problem for a long time.
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MySQL Tutorial
mysqltutorial.org › home › mysql basics › mysql timestamp data type
MySQL TIMESTAMP Data Type
December 28, 2023 - Use the MySQL TIMESTAMP data type to represent date and time values. Set the DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP attribute for a TIMESTAMP column to automatically initialize the column with the current timestamp when a new row is inserted.
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MySQL
dev.mysql.com › doc › refman › 9.6 › en › timestamp-initialization.html
MySQL :: MySQL 9.6 Reference Manual :: 13.2.5 Automatic Initialization and Updating for TIMESTAMP and DATETIME
TIMESTAMP or DATETIME column definitions can specify the current timestamp for both the default and auto-update values, for one but not the other, or for neither. Different columns can have different combinations of automatic properties. The following rules describe the possibilities: With both DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP and ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, the column has the current timestamp for its default value and is automatically updated to the current timestamp.
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MySQL
dev.mysql.com › doc › refman › 9.6 › en › datetime.html
MySQL :: MySQL 9.6 Reference Manual :: 13.2.2 The DATE, DATETIME, and TIMESTAMP Types
The fractional part should always ... about fractional seconds support in MySQL, see Section 13.2.6, “Fractional Seconds in Time Values”. The TIMESTAMP and DATETIME data types offer automatic initialization and updating to the current date and time....
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Notestoself
notestoself.dev › posts › mysql-timestamp-default-update-current-timestamp
MySQL timestamp columns default to ON UPDATE CURRENT TIMESTAMP | NotesToSelf.Dev
May 18, 2021 - For example, if you create a table like this in older versions of MySQL: CREATE TABLE `foobar_table` ( `foobar_column` timestamp ) ... Note the DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP.
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SitePoint
sitepoint.com › php
MySql Timestamp to use my timezone, not the server's - PHP - SitePoint Forums | Web Development & Design Community
August 24, 2017 - I’m using INSERT queries to record data to a MySql database and to make recording the time simple I have a Timestamp with a default value of CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, that way I don’t even need think about recording the time of insertion, it just happens. But I just twigged that on the live site ...
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w3resource
w3resource.com › mysql › date-and-time-functions › mysql-current_timestamp-function.php
MySQL CURRENT_TIMESTAMP - w3resource
3 weeks ago - For ensuring data integrity, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP() helps maintain accurate records of when data changes were made. ... The following statement will return the current date and time in ‘YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS’ format. ... mysql> SELECT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP; +---------------------+ | CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | +---------------------+ | 2015-04-13 11:42:41 | +---------------------+ 1 row in set (0.00 sec)