2
1. A UNIX timestamp
2. not directly - however, there is a MySQL function that can be used - UNIX_TIMESTAMP("date_variable") - but if you already have that database dump, I don't know how you can add the function call to each date unless you do some processing of the to-be-imported data in PHP before inserting in the database.
"When you can flatten entire cities at a whim, a tendency towards quiet reflection and seeing-things-from-the-other-fellow's-point-of-view is seldom necessary."
Cusix Software