Timeline - The Distant Past (Until 1966)
15 billion years ago The universe is formed in the Big Bang, which is used by at least two members of the Q Continuum as a hiding place (VOY: "Death Wish")
4 billion years ago The first humanoid civilization explored the galaxy, but found themselves alone. They spread their genetic material throughout many planets of the galaxy, so that life would develop similar to them (TNG: "The Chase").
4 billion years ago Q and Q begin their more or less romantic involvement (VOY: "The Q and the Grey").
3.5 billion years ago On Earth, in a region later known as France, amino acids combine to the first proteins (TNG: "All Good Things").
2 billion years ago A civilization thrives on Tagus III (TNG: "Qpid").
400 million years ago
In the Devonian age, eryops, the last common ancestor of cold-blooded and warm-blooded organisms,
lives on Earth (VOY: "Distant Origin").
The episode was fantastic, but screwed up paleontological periods. Eryops actually lived in the Permian period, 300 million years ago.
100 million years ago The D'Arsay civilization launches the archive of their culture (TNG: "Masks").
65 million years ago In the Cretaceous era, hadrosaurus has become the most advanced cold-blooded organism, but is wiped out in a mass extinction (VOY: "Distant Origin").
20 million years ago Recorded Voth history in the Delta Quadrant begins (VOY: "Distant Origin").
Millions of years ago The inhabitants of Organia evolve to beings of pure energy (TOS: "Errand of Mercy").
600,000 years ago The Tkon Empire becomes extinct when their central star goes supernova during a period known to the Tkons as the Age of Makto (TNG: "The Last Outpost").
600,000 years ago Sargon's people establish colonies throughout the galaxy. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow").
Over 500,000 years ago The first civilization flourishes on Bajor (TNG: "Ensign Ro").
500,000 years ago Sargon's civilization is destroyed when the atmosphere is ripped off the planet. Very few survivors can save at least their consciousnesses in a cave deep beneath the surface. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow").
Since 500,000 years ago The planet Exo III becomes uninhabitable after the sun has begun to fade. The inhabitants resettle beneath the surface and construct androids to serve them. (TOS: "What are Little Girls Made of?").
Hundreds of thousands of years ago The population of Talos IV is largely wiped out in a war. Forced to living beneath the surface, the Talosians develop their mental powers, while neglecting their technological knowledge and skills. (TOS: "The Cage", TOS: "Menagerie").
200,000 years ago The Iconian civilization is destroyed in a large-scale orbital bombardment of their homeworld. Their interdimensional gateways have given the Iconians the possibility to bridge any distance in no time and surprise their enemies. Iconian influence is still visible in many languages, such as Dewan, Iccobar, and Dinasian (TNG: "Contagion", DS9: "To the Death").
More than 100,000 years ago The subspace network which will be later claimed by the Hirogen is constructed by an unknown race (VOY: "Message in a Bottle", "Hunters").
More than 100,000 years ago The ocean planet, later home of the Monean civilization, is created by extracting all water from a Class M planet and containing it (VOY: "Thirty Days").
50,000 years ago Horta of Janus VI begins her latest cycle of rebirth (TOS: "Devil in the Dark").
50,000 years ago Bele begins to chase Lokai, who has led a revolution on the planet of Cheron (TOS: "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield").
50,000 years ago The planet killer begins its long travel through intergalactic space (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine").
45,000 years ago Extraterrestrial visitors, known as the "Sky Spirits", visit a people on Earth who should become the indigenous inhabitants of America (VOY: "Tattoo").
Over 30,000 years ago A stone tablet is created at the place on Bajor later occupied by B'hala, prophesizing the Emissary's battle with a Pah-wraith. It will be excavated in 2374 (DS9: "The Reckoning").
30,000 years ago The Verathan civilization, originally from the Verath system in the Gamma Quadrant, reaches its height, spanning two dozen star systems (DS9: "Q-less").
25,000 years ago The site where the stone tablet would be found in 2374 is abandoned. The city of B'hala will be built on its ruins (DS9: "The Reckoning").
22,000 years ago The first of at least 947 archaeological expeditions is conducted at the ancient ruins on Tagus III (TNG: "Qpid").
22,000 years ago The TNG-Trill begin life as a joined species (TNG: "The Host").
20,000 years ago The city of B'hala on Bajor falls into oblivion until 2373 (DS9: "Rapture").
12,000 years ago An artisan on Kurl, during the Fifth Dynasty, creates small ceramic figurines, called naiskos, that embody that culture's belief that within each person is a community of individuals, each with its own desires, views, and voices (TNG: "The Chase").
10,000 years ago The machine/god Vaal on Gamma Trianguli VI is built (TOS: "The Apple").
10,000 years ago A species of intelligent spacefaring organisms which form symbiotic relationships with humanoid life forms that live within their bodies, become nearly extinct. Gomtuu is the last known survivor (TNG: "Tin Man")
10,000 years ago The Q Continuum begins a new era of discovery, celebrating learning, dialog, and even humor from all across the universe (VOY: "Death Wish").
10,000 years ago The Kalandan outpost, an artificial planet, is built. Its whole population, however, is wiped out by a virus, only leaving an automated defense system (TOS: "That Which Survives").
10,000 years ago Gint, the first Grand Nagus, codifies Ferengi cultural values in a book he calls the Rules of Acquisition. (DS9: "Bar Association", "Body Parts").
10,000 years ago The first of the Orbs is discovered by the Bajorans in the sky above their planet. Over the next ten millennia, a total of nine of these extraordinary objects will be found, inspiring revelations that shaped Bajoran theology (DS9: "Emissary").
Thousands of years ago According to Klingon mythology, Kortar, the first Klingon, destroys the gods who created him (DS9: "Homefront", VOY: "Barge of the Dead").
6,000 years ago Landru of Beta III creates a powerful computer system to guide and protect his people after his death (TOS: "Return of the Archons").
6,000 years ago Unknown aliens take several humans from Earth to be raised on a distant planet, to prevent Earth from destroying itself. Gary Seven will be one of their descendants (TOS: "Assignment: Earth").
6,000 years ago An ice age on Sigma Draconis VI splits the population into two halves: the advanced but unintelligible female Eymorg and the primitive male Morg (TOS: "Spock's Brain").
5,000 years ago Vulcans begin with the mental suppression of emotions (VOY: "Random Thoughts").
5,000 years ago Earth is visited by aliens who settle in the Mediterranean area and demand to be worshipped as gods (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")
5,000 years ago The planet Sarpeidon experiences an ice age, in which Spock and McCoy have to survive for a short time, together with Zarabeth who has been exiled to this time (TOS: "All Our Yesterdays").
4,000 to 3,000 B.C. The Aldeans build a cloaking shield around their planet (TNG: "When the Bough Breaks).
3834 B.C. The immortal Flint is born in Mesopotamia on Earth. He will be known under several different names, including Merlin, Leonardo da Vinci, and Johannes Brahms (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah").
Around 2600 B.C. The pyramids of Giza are being built, witnessed by anthropologists from the year 2769 (ENT: "Cold Front").
2500 B.C. The star known as Sahndara goes nova, and a number of inhabitants of the star system manage to escape (TOS: "Plato's Stepchildren").
Around 850 B.C. The Vulcan monastery of P'Jem is built (ENT: "The Andorian Incident").
630 B.C. Bajoran prophet Trakor encounters the Orb of Change for the first time (DS9: "Destiny").
400 to 200 B.C. Survivors from Sahndara spend some time on Earth, where their leader, Parmen, becomes a great admirer of the philosopher Plato. After leaving Earth, they settle on a planet they name Platonius, where they begin to develop telekinetic abilities (TOS: "Plato's Stepchildren").
Prior to 250 Spock's ancestors adopt a ceremonial ground that remains in their family at least until the 23rd century (TOS: "Amok Time").
Around 250 The inhabitants of Vulcan engage in terrible and destructive wars, a result of the violent passions and emotions that govern the Vulcan people. It is a savage time, even by Earth standards. Myths from this period describe a terrifying weapon of war called the Stone of Gol, that kills with the power of the mind (TOS: "Balance of Terror", "Amok Time", "All Our Yesterdays", TNG: "Gambit").
Surak leads the Vulcan people on a path of peace and logic. His writings are
collected in an artifact called Kir'Shara. His katra will be preserved in a
special vessel (TOS: "Amok
Time", "The Savage Curtain", "Star Trek II", TNG:
"Gambit", ENT: "The Forge", "The Awakening",
In ENT: "The Forge", "The Awakening" and "Kir'Shara" the time of Surak is consistently set 1800 years before the episode. It is also shown that the devastating wars on Vulcan took place during Surak's lifetime. We may ignore the (by Vulcan standards) small inaccuracy of +/- 50 years. The date 100 years would exactly coincide with the supposed departure of the Romulans from the planet, but the latter must have happened later.
Around 250 The society on planet 892-IV evolves on a path similar to that of Earth and develops a culture similar to Earth's ancient Rome, a remarkable example of Hodgkins' Law of parallel planet development (TOS: "Bread and Circuses").
Around 360 Dissenters who don't agree with Surak's principles of logic have left Vulcan. They settle on various planets, including Calder II, Dessica II, Draken IV, Yadalla Prime and Barradas III, the latter being the home of the Debrune civilization. They will later be known as the Romulans (TOS: "Balance of Terror", "The Enterprise Incident", TNG: "Unification", "Gambit").
Around 370 The humanoid Vidiian Sodality in the Delta Quadrant falls victim to a deadly viral disease, the phage, which consumes their bodies. The Vidiians survive only by harvesting organs from non-Vidiians to replace their own tissues (VOY: "The Phage").
Around 372 The Founders, weary of being hunted and killed by non-shapeshifters, found the Dominion which should become a vast interstellar empire (DS9: "To the Death").
Around 770 The Metron who appeared to Captain Kirk and the Gorn captain is born (TOS: "Arena").
Prior to 870 The people of Kaelon II introduce the custom of the Resolution, a ceremony in which individuals commit suicide at the age of 60 to avoid being a burden to their society (TNG: "Half a Life").
Around 870 A war breaks out on Solais IV, which will last until the 24th century (TNG: "Loud as a Whisper").
Kahless defeats the tyrant Molor and unites the Klingons. He fights
with his brother Morath for twelve days and nights, when Morath has brought dishonor to his family. Kahless creates the first bat'leth. At the end of his
life, he points to a star in the sky and tells his people to look for him there.
(TNG: "Reunion"., "Birthright", "Rightful Heir",
DS9: "The Sword of Kahless").
The statement from "Rightful Heir" is that the Klingons have been waiting for the return of Kahless for 15 centuries. On the other hand, in DS9: "Soldiers of the Empire", Worf makes this logbook entry: "Rotarran Combat Log: The fifty-third day in the year of Kahless 999. We have reached the Cardassian border and begun our search for
the B'Moth." Maybe the 1500 years refer to human years, while Klingon years are 50% longer.
The Vissians develop warp drive (ENT: "Cogenitor").
This was said to have been "nearly a thousand years" prior to the episode (2152).
Around 1300 All life on Zetar is destroyed in a cataclysm. A number of inhabitants survive as energy patterns (TOS: "The Lights of Zetar").
Around 1300 The civilization on the planet Golana vanishes (DS9: "Time's Orphan").
1367 To solve their environment and overpopulation problems, the inhabitants of Ventax III are said to agree to a pact with a supernatural being called Ardra who would return in 2367 to enslave the planet (TNG: "Devil's Due").
Around 1368 The sun of the planet Kataan goes nova. Prior to that a probe is launched to preserve the memory of the civilization (TNG: "Inner Light").
Around 1371 A group of humanoid space travelers are stranded in the Gamma Quadrant, on an interdimensional planet they call Meridian (DS9: "Meridian").
Around 1371 A group of explorers from another galaxy, the Nacene, visit the Ocampa homeworld in the Delta Quadrant where their technology causes an ecological disaster, leaving the planet as a desert. Two of the Nacene stay behind to take care of the Ocampa (VOY: "Caretaker").
Around 1372 The Klingon homeworld is raided by race called the Hur'q who steal the Sword of Kahless (DS9: "The Sword of Kahless").
Around 1372 The hedonistic festival of Rumarie ceases to be observed on Vulcan (VOY: "Meld").
1484 The Vaadwaur homeworld is destroyed in a massive orbital bombardment. Only a few hundred Vaadwaur survive in cryogenic chambers beneath the surface (VOY: "Dragon's Teeth").
Centuries ago The inhabitants of Thasus still have bodies of solid matter, but slowly evolve to forms of pure energy (TOS: "Charlie X").
Centuries ago The ruling family of the Ramatis star system is discovered to lack the gene required for the sense of hearing. A system is developed where a "chorus" of interpreters both hear and speak for members of the ruling family (TNG: "Loud as a Whisper").
Centuries ago The people of Ardana build a magnificent city, Stratos, in the clouds (TOS: "The Cloud-Minders").
Centuries ago A civil war breaks out on Daled IV. The planet that rotates only once per year, so that one hemisphere is in perpetual light and the other in eternal darkness, which has lead to the evolution of two very different species (TNG: "The Dauphin").
Centuries ago The T'Lani and Kellerun people declare war on each other. (DS9: "Armageddon Game").
Around 1570 The Skrreean people, living in the Gamma Quadrant, are enslaved by the T-Rogorans, who will force the Skrreeans to live as laborers and servants for centuries (DS9: "Sanctuary").
1647 A man named Ronin is born in Glasgow on Earth who will become the host of an anaphasic lifeform (TNG: "Sub Rosa").
1666 Isaac Newton formulates his Laws of Motion, inspired by a member of the Q Continuum who has caused an apple to fall on Newton's head (VOY: "Death Wish").
Around 1669 Guinan's father is born (TNG: "Rascals").
1692 Xavier Maribona-Picard, an ancestor of Jean-Luc Picard, takes part in the suppression of the Pueblo Revolt of Native Americans (TNG: "Journey's End").
18th century A group of alien anthropologists known as the Preservers relocate American Indians to another planet to preserve them from extinction (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome").
Prior to 1770 Sandrine's Bar opens in Marseille, France (VOY: "The Cloud").
Around 1770 The war between Eminiar VII and Vendikar begins. To avoid the mutual destruction of their civilizations, the two parties later agree on computer simulated attacks upon which the calculated victims are to report to disintegration chambers (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon").
Around 1770 The two moons of Peliar Zel are colonized and will subsequently engage in hostilities that last until the 24th century (TNG: "The Host").
Around 1770 Hundreds of condemned criminals from the star system Ux-Mal are imprisoned on a moon of the planet Mab-Bu VI, where their consciousnesses will separate from their bodies some unknown time later (TNG: "Power Play").
After spending around 1500 years to rebuild their society, Vulcans build first
starships to explore the stars (ENT: "The Forge").
Actually, 1500 years after Surak would be rather around 1750. On the other hand, going exactly with the dates from "The Forge" would give us 1850. Since it was never meant to be an accurate statement, taking the average seems appropriate.
1821 Writer John Keats dies in Rome on Earth. Much of his work has been inspired by a non-corporeal entity called Onaya (DS9: "The Muse").
Around 1850 The Suliban homeworld becomes uninhabitable. As nomads, Suliban begin to settle down in many other star systems (ENT: "Detained").
Around 1850 The last of several wars between the Denobulans and Antarans takes place, leaving 20 million Antarans dead and leading to centuries of mistrust and hatred (ENT: "The Breach").
1864 A member of the Q Continuum rescues the injured Thaddius "Ironboots" Riker from a battlefield in the American Civil War (VOY: "Death Wish").
Around 1865 Humans are abducted from Earth by the Skagarians (ENT: "North Star").
Around 1871 The Cardassian Union is formed (DS9: "Defiant").
Prior to 1890 Guinan settles on Earth, concealing her alien origin (TNG: "Time's Arrow").
1893 Devidians from the 24th century steal neural energy from inhabitants of San Francisco. Data accidentally time travels to the year 1893 too, followed by several of the Enterprise-D crew who successfully prevent the Devidians from further actions in Earth's past. They also meet Guinan and Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain (TNG: "Time's Arrow").
1902 Union leader Sean Aloysius O'Brien is murdered a week before the end of a coal miner's strike in Pennsylvania (DS9: "Bar Association").
1920's On the search for Sisko, Bashir and Dax, Kira and O'Brien materialize in San Francisco for a brief moment (DS9: "Past Tense").
1930 Edith Keeler dies in a road accident. In an alternative timeline McCoy avoids her death. Edith Keeler's pacifism enables Germany to win the Second World War, and Earth history from then is completely altered (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever").
1932 Seven women are killed in Shanghai, China by an entity previously known as "Jack the Ripper" and later known as "Redjac" (TOS: "Wolf in the Fold").
1934 The first short story featuring fictional detective Dixon Hill is published in Amazing Detective Stories
Magazine (TNG: "The Big Good-Bye").
1936 Another Dixon Hill detective story, The Long Dark Tunnel, is published in Amazing Detective Stories Magazine (TNG: "The Big Good-Bye").
1937 Over 300 humans, including aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan who disappear over the Pacific Ocean, are abducted by an alien race called the Briori to the Delta Quadrant. Later, a revolt of the humans succeeds, but the ship that could have taken them home is destroyed (VOY: "The 37's").
1947 In July of this year, a Ferengi shuttle crashes near Roswell, New Mexico. The passengers are taken prisoners by the US military, but they manage to escape. Official government records deny the existence of the aliens and their spacecraft (DS9: "Little Green Men").
1957 While observing the launch of Sputnik, a Vulcan ship crashes on Earth, costing one fatality. The survivors are eventually retrieved by another Vulcan ship, but one of them, Mestral, decides to stay on Earth where he will live the rest of his life unnoticed (ENT: "Carbon Creek").
Around 1966 Scientists on Miri's planet begin a "life prolongation project," creating a virus intended to halt the aging process. The project is a disaster and results in the deaths of all the adults on the planet. The children survive, aging at a reduced rate, although the virus causes their death upon entering puberty (TOS: "Miri").