How to count the days since a date
- 1
Pick the date
Choose the day something happened: a start date, an anniversary, a quit date or a historical event.
- 2
See the count
The total days since appear instantly, along with years, months and days, weeks, weekdays and hours.
- 3
Save it
Copy the link and bookmark it. The count updates automatically every day.
How “days since” is counted
The calculator subtracts the past date from today. The start date is day 0 and the count rises by one at midnight each day. That's how anniversaries and streak apps usually count: one day after you start, it has been 1 day.
How to count days since a date by hand
For recent dates, count the days left in the starting month, add the full months in between, then add today's day of the month. For dates years ago, it's quicker to work in whole years: 365 days per year, plus one for every February 29 you've passed.
Leap days passed: February 29, 2020 and February 29, 2024 = 2
Total: 2,192 days
Years since, in days
How many days are in a span of whole years, depending on the leap days it covers:
| Years since | Days | Weeks (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 365 or 366 | 52 |
| 2 years | 730 or 731 | 104 |
| 3 years | 1,095 or 1,096 | 156 |
| 5 years | 1,826 or 1,827 | 261 |
| 10 years | 3,652 or 3,653 | 522 |
| 15 years | 5,478 or 5,479 | 783 |
| 20 years | 7,305 | 1,044 |
| 25 years | 9,131 or 9,132 | 1,304 |
| 30 years | 10,957 or 10,958 | 1,565 |
| 40 years | 14,610 | 2,087 |
| 50 years | 18,262 or 18,263 | 2,609 |
Days from well-known dates to January 1, 2027
A fixed reference point makes these easy to compare. The live calculator above always counts to today.
| From | Days to Jan 1, 2027 | Years (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2000 | 9,862 | 27.0 |
| January 1, 2010 | 6,209 | 17.0 |
| January 1, 2020 | 2,557 | 7.0 |
| March 11, 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic declared) | 2,487 | 6.8 |
| September 11, 2001 | 9,243 | 25.3 |
| June 29, 2007 (first iPhone) | 7,126 | 19.5 |
| July 20, 1969 (Moon landing) | 20,984 | 57.5 |
Hours, minutes and seconds since
The calculator works in whole days, which is what most people mean by “how long has it been”. For a rough figure in smaller units, multiply: each day is 24 hours, 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. If you need an exact time-since figure, down to the second, use the Countdown Timer: set a past date and time and it counts up from that moment.
Tracking a streak
Days-since counters are popular for habits and recovery: days sober, days smoke-free, days since your last cigarette, workout streaks or days without a social media app. Bookmark your result link and the count is always up to date when you open it. There's no account and nothing is stored, so your start date stays private on your device.
Recovery programs and apps don't all count the same way. Some count the first full day as day 1, which is one more than this calculator shows. If you're matching a chip or app, add one day if needed.
Wedding anniversaries and their traditional gifts
One of the most common uses for a days-since counter is a relationship or wedding. These are the traditional anniversary themes used in the US and UK:
| Anniversary | Traditional theme | About this many days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | 365 |
| 2nd | Cotton | 730 |
| 3rd | Leather | 1,096 |
| 5th | Wood | 1,826 |
| 10th | Tin | 3,652 |
| 15th | Crystal | 5,479 |
| 20th | China | 7,305 |
| 25th | Silver | 9,131 |
| 30th | Pearl | 10,957 |
| 40th | Ruby | 14,610 |
| 50th | Gold | 18,262 |
| 60th | Diamond | 21,915 |
Some couples also celebrate day milestones, like 1,000 days together (about 2 years and 9 months) or 10,000 days (about 27 years and 4 months), which rarely line up with a calendar anniversary.
Days since in Excel and Google Sheets
Put the past date in cell A1 and use =TODAY()-A1. The cell updates every day the sheet is opened. Format it as a number, not a date. For years and months, use =DATEDIF(A1, TODAY(), "y") and =DATEDIF(A1, TODAY(), "ym").
What people count
Relationships
Days since you met, started dating or got married, and when your 1,000th day together falls.
Health and recovery
Days sober, smoke-free or since an injury, surgery or last workout.
Work and life
Days since you started a job, moved home, launched a business or graduated.
History
How long ago major events happened, like the Moon landing or the start of the pandemic.
Days since the start of each year
Live counts up to today:
Days since famous events
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| COVID-19 was declared a pandemic | 2020-03-11 |
| 9/11 | 2001-09-11 |
| The first iPhone went on sale | 2007-06-29 |
| The Moon landing | 1969-07-20 |
| The fall of the Berlin Wall | 1989-11-09 |
| D-Day | 1944-06-06 |
| The attack on Pearl Harbor | 1941-12-07 |
| The Titanic sank | 1912-04-15 |
| The Declaration of Independence | 1776-07-04 |
Looking ahead instead of back? Try the Countdown Timer or the Christmas countdown.