Timeline

Age:	Date (when available):	Place:	Event:
Before the Ages of the Lamps:			The Creation of Arda
The Ages of the Lamps:		Middle-Earth	The creation of the two Lamps
		Almaren	The creation of the dwelling place of the Valar
		The North of Middle-Earth	Melkor re-enters Middle-Earth
		Middle-Earth	Melkor destroys the Lamps
Between the Ages of the Lamps and the Ages of the Trees:		Aman	The Valar move to Aman, essentially abandoning Middle-Earth
		Aman	The Valar build Valimar and raise the Pelori
The Ages of the Trees:		Aman	The Two Trees, Telperion and Laurelin grow and start to put out light
		Aman	Aule creates the race of Dwarves
		Aman	Varda begins to create new and brighter stars, including the Valacirca, The Sickle as a warning to Melkor
		Middle-Earth	The Elves awaken
		Middle-Earth	The Valar make war on Melkor and take him prisoner to Valimar
		Middle-Earth and Aman	The three leaders of the Elves travel to Aman as ambassadors
		Middle-Earth	The Elves begin the journey to Aman
		Middle-Earth and Aman	The Noldor and the Vanyar travel over the Sea
		Middle-Earth	Elwe, the leader of the Teleri is lost in the woods and meets Melian the Maia.
		Middle-Earth and Aman	Many of the Teleri take Elwe's brother as their leader and travel over the Sea though they choose to remain on the island, later called Tol Eressa, within sight of Aman. The others continue searching for Elwe. They become the Sindar
		Aman	The Noldor build the city Tirion
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Luthien, the daughter of Elwe (Thingol) and Melian
		Aman	The Noldor discover the gems of the Earth
		Aman	The Teleri learn the art of ship-building
		Aman	Feanor learns how to make gems
		Aman	Melkor is given the freedom of Valimar
		Aman	Feanor makes the Silmarils
		Aman and Avathar	Melkor meets Ungoliant and returns to Valinor in a time of festival
		Aman	Melkor stabs the Two Trees and Ungoliant sucks them dry, poisoning them so they die
		Aman	Melkor steals the Silmarils and many other gems and Finwe is slain
Between the Ages of the Trees and the First Age of the Sun		Aman	Feanor and his sons swear an oath to recover the Silmarils
		Aman	The Noldor set out
		Aman	Ungoliant receives all the lesser gems that were stolen
		Aman	The Doom of the Noldor is spoken. Feanor and his sons continue in spite of it
		Aman	The Noldor reach the Helcaraxe
		Aman	Laurelin bears a single fruit of gold and Telperion a flower of silver then both die
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Sons of Feanor reach Middle-Earth
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Dagor-nuin-Giliath (Battle under the Stars) is fought, and the Elves are victorious, though Feanor is slain
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Maedhros is taken by Morgoth and held captive
		Middle-Earth and Aman	The Rising of the Moon, the flower of Teleperion
The First Age of the Sun		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Awakening of Men
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Host of Fingolfin arrives on the shores of Middle-Earth with the Rising of the Sun
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Fingon, the son of Fingolfin, frees Maedhros from the torment upon Thangorodrim, where he had been hanging by one hand. This deed heals the rift between the Sons of Feanor and of the host of Fingolfin
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Caranthir, son of Feanor, meets the Dwarves, the first of the Noldor to do so
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Finrod finds and builds the fortress Narogthrond
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Turgon finds the valley of Tumladen
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Dagor Aglareb (the Glorious Battle) is fought and the Elves are victorious
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Turgon begins the building of Gondolin (as it was known in the Sindarin tongue)
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Glaurung, the first of the Uruloki, Fire-Drakes, is first seen in battle
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Long Peace, lasting nearly two hundred years
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Finrod meets Men of the house of Beor, and teaches them in the Elven-tongue
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame is fought. Against the Elves were Glaurung, balrogs and orcs
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Barahir, one of the Edain, rescues Finrod Fegalund from the orcs during the Dagor Bragollach.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Fingolfin challenges Morgoth to single combat. This was the only time that Morgoth ever actually fought in combat. Fingolfin wounded Morgoth seven times before he himself was killed. Fingolfn's body was rescued by Thorondor who in the process scarred Morgoth's face with his talons
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Sauron captures Minas Tirith, the watchtower of Finrod. It is after called Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Swarthy Men enter Beleriand. Many of them were in the service of Morgoth
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Hurin and Huor are taken to Gondolin by eagles
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	A year later, Hurin and Huor are returned to their people by the eagles
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Beren, escaping betrayal entered Doriath, the first of the Atani to do so. There he met Luthien, the daughter of Thingol and they fell in love
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Beren departs Doriath, on the quest of a Silmaril
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Beren enters Narogthrond
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	With the help of Finrod Felagund, Beren makes it as far as Tol-in-Guarhoth, with his aid, where they are captured, Luthien coming after, frees Beren, though Finrod had been killed. Together they gain a Silmaril. At the gates of Angband, Carcharoth, the greatest of the werewolves ever to live, bit off Beren's hand containing the Silmaril. Beren and Luthien return to Doriath.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Carcharoth, driven mad by the pain of the Silmaril, ravages Doriath. He is killed by Huan, though both Huan and Bereb are mortally wounded. Luthien chooses to die and to follow Beren from the world.
		Aman	For the first and only time, Mandos is moved to pity by the power of Luthien's song. Both Luthien and Beren are granted a second mortal life.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. In this battle was Hurin captured, and Fingon, the High King of the Noldor, died
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Turin, the son of Hurin, is sent to Doriath to be fostered by Thingol
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Turin joins an outlaw band
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Tuor, escaping out of Hithlum comes to Nevrast where Ulmo speaks to him and bids him go to Gondolin. He is aided by an elf from Gondolin, Voronwe. Eventually they make it to the gates.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Beleg finds Turin and eventually joins them on Amon Rudh where they were later betrayed by Mim the Dwarf. Turin was captured by orcs. Beleg finds and frees Turin, though Turin mistakes him for an Orc and slays him
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Tuor marries Idril, the daughter of Turgon
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Earendil, the son of Tuor and Idril is born in Gondolin.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Eventually Turin is enspelled by Glaurung, as is his sister Nienor
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Gondolin is destroyed. Many survivors, including Tuor, Earendil and Idril, escape to the north
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Unknowing, Turin marries his sister, who was at that time called Niniel
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Turin slays Glaurung, and the dragon-spell falls from his mind. Niniel find him and Glaurung, dying tells her who he is and who she is. In horror and despair she throws herself off a cliff, and Turin falls upon his sword and dies.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Morgoth frees Hurin
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	Earendil marries Elwing, the granddaughter of Beren and Luthien
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	After an attack on the Havens of Sirion by the surviving sons of Feanor, led Earendil to attempt to sail into the West to beg for aid.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth and Aman	With Elwing and the Silmaril, Earendil was finally successful in his search for Aman. Earendil is set in the sky with the Silmaril as a star, later known as Earendil the Evening star. Elwing resides on the northwest coast of Aman.
		Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Valar aid in the destruction of Morgoth. In the process, Beleriand was destroyed. Morgoth was thrust beyond the Gates of Night never to return.
		Aman and Beleriand, Middle-Earth	The Elves are summoned to return to Aman and the Edain are given an island nigh to Aman as a reward. The Edain set sail, following Earendil the Evening Star
The Second Age of the Sun	Year 32	Numenor	Elros became the first king of Numenor, under the name Tar-Minyatur
	Year 442	Numenor	Elros lays down his life of his own free will
	Around the year 500	Middle-Earth	Sauron begins to make himself known
	Around the year 600	Middle-Earth	Numenorean ships land again in Middle-Earth
	Year 883	Numenor and Middle-Earth	Tar-Meneldur resigns the sceptre to Tar-Aldarion, his son. It is first known that Sauron was stirring again
	Around the year 1000	Middle-Earth	Sauron begins to build Barad-dur
	Around the year 1500	Eregion, Middle-Earth	The Elven-Smiths, with the aid and instruction of Sauron begin to forge the Rings of Power
	Around the year 1600	Mordor, Middle-Earth	Sauron forges the One Ring and finishes the building of Barad-dur
	Between the years 3102 and 3177	Numenor	The Eldar are forbidden to land in Numenor, and the Elven-tongues are forbidden
	Around the year 2251	Middle-Earth	The Nazgul first appear
	Year 3177	Numenor	Tar-Palantir takes the throne and prophesied that when the White Tree died, so too would the line of the Kings of Numenor
	Year 3255	Numenor	The last king of Numenor, Ar-Pharazon the Golden, takes the throne.
	Year 3262	Numenor	Ar-Pharazon takes Sauron hostage to Numenor.
	Year 3319	Numenor and Aman	Ar-Pharazon under the council of Sauron, breaks the ban and sails to Aman to claim it. Eru changes the shape and fate of the World, in the process removing Aman and destroying Numenor. Only nine ships escape. These were the ships belonging to Elendil, Isildur and Anarion
	Year 3320	Middle-Earth	Foundation of the Realms in Exile, Arnor and Gondor. The High King of both was Elendil. Joint rule of Gondor was given to Isildur and Anarion
	Year 3429	Gondor and Mordor, Middle-Earth	Sauron attacks Gondor, prompting the Last Alliance
	Year 3440	Mordor, Middle-Earth	Anarion was slain by a falling boulder from the walls of Barad-Dur
	Year 3441	Mordor, Middle-Earth	Elendil and Gil-Galad are slain on the slopes of Orodruin. Isildur cuts the One Ring off of Sauron's hand and claims it for himself.
The Third Age of the Sun	Year 2	Gondor, Middle-Earth	Isildur was marching north along the banks of the Anduin and was ambushed by orcs. He was betrayed by the Ring to his death, trying to swim the River
	Year 241	Rivendell (Imladris), Middle-Earth	Arwen, daughter of Elrond, is born
	Around the year 1000	Middle-Earth	The Istari are sent to Middle-Earth from the Undying Lands
	Around the year 1100	Middle-Earth	It was discovered by the Istari, that an evil power had made its home within Greenwood the Great, in the stronghold Dol Guldur. It was thought to be one of the Nazgul
	Around the year 1300	Angmar and Middle-Earth	The Nazgul reappear and the chief of them goes north to Angmar. He is known afterwards as the Witch-King of Angmar
	Year 1601	Eriador, Middle-Earth	Hobbits were given lands north of the Brandywine
	Year 1636	Middle-Earth	The Great Plague spread throughout Middle-Earth. The King of Gondor and his family died. At this time it was that many parts of Eriador became desolate
	Year 1975	Arnor, Middle-Earth	The last king, Arvedui dies, and the heirlooms are given into the keeping of Elrond
	Year 1976	Arnor, Middle-Earth	The line of the Chieftains of Arnor begins with Aranarth
	Year 1999	Erebor, Middle-Earth	Thrain I founds the Kingdom Under the Mountain
	Year 2002	Gondor, Middle-Earth	The Nazgul take Minas Ithil and it is renamed Minas Morgul
	Year 2050	Gondor, Middle-Earth	Earnur rides to the challenge of the Witch-king. He never returns and the line of the kings of Gondor falls. Gondor is after ruled by the Stewards
	Year 2060	Greenwood the Great, Middle-Earth	The power in Dol Guldur grows. It is feared by the Istari that it might be Sauron
	Around the year 2463	The Gladden Fields, Middle-Earth	Deagol finds the Ring and is murdered by Smeagol, who is after known as Gollum
	Year 2510	Gondor/Rohan, Middle-Earth	Eorl the Young given the lands which later are known as Rohan
	Year 2770	Erebor, Middle-Earth	Smaug settles on the Lonely Mountain. At this time Dale was destroyed
	Year 2850	Dol Guldur, Middle-Earth	Gandalf the Grey discovers that the power in Dol Guldur is Sauron. While there he recovers the map and key from Thrain II
	Year 2890, September 22	The Shire, Middle-Earth	Bilbo Baggins is born
	Year 2931, March 1	Arnor, Middle-Earth	Aragorn II born
	Year 2941	The Shire and Erebor, Middle-Earth	Bilbo joins the Quest for Erebor. Fore more information, see his book, The Hobbit. The White Council agrees to attack Sauron
	Year 2942	Erebor and the Shire, Middle-Earth	Bilbo returns to the Shire
	Year 2951	Mordor, Middle-Earth	Sauron returns to Mordor and declares himself again
	Year 2953	Middle-Earth	Saruman begins to spy on Gandalf, and to lie to the White Council in its last meeting
	Year 2968	The Shire, Middle-Earth	Frodo Baggins is born
	Year 2989	Erebor and Moria, Middle-Earth	Balin leaves the Lonely Mountain to colonize Moria
	Year 2994	Moria, Middle-Earth	Balin is killed and the colony fails, with all the dwarves being killed
	Year 3001, September 22	The Shire, Middle-Earth	Bilbo gives his farewell feast on his 111th birthday, Frodo is given the Ring
	Year 3017	Mordor and the Dead Marshes, Middle-Earth	Gollum is released from Mordor, and Aragorn captures him in the Dead Marshes
	Year 3018	Middle-Earth	The beginning of the War of the Ring
	Year 3018	Erebor, Middle-Earth	Battle in Dale
	Year 3019	Middle-Earth	The War of the Ring ends in March.
	Year 3021, September 29	The Grey Havens, Middle-Earth	Bilbo and Frodo depart over the Sea, into the West with the Keepers of the Three Rings
The Fourth Age of the Sun	Year 10	The Shire, Middle-Earth	Merriadoc Brandybuck became Master of Buckland
	Year 12	The Shire, Middle-Earth	Peregrin Took became the Thain of the Shire
	Year 60	The Shire and the Grey Haven, Middle-Earth	Sam's wife Rose dies and Sam is reported to have sailed into the West
	Year 62	The Shire, Rohan, and Gondor, Middle-Earth	Merry and Pippin left the Shire for Rohan at the request of Eomer, then the King of Rohan. After his death in the same year, the two went to Gondor where they died a few years later
	Year 120, March 1	Gondor, Middle-Earth	Aragorn laid down his life of his own free will, and died. In the same year, Legolas sailed into the West in a ship of his own construction. It is reported that Gimli went with him.