Timeline

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

This article provides an unofficial timeline of recorded important events in the Warcraft universe compiled from official timelines and all sources published by Blizzard. Blizzard has used two standards when establishing dates in various official timelines, both based on the opening of the Dark Portal.

Numbering is based on the opening of the Dark Portal, as this is the method used by the latest sources. Some sources have the opening of the Dark Portal as about 25 years before the start of World of Warcraft, and other dates state that it was about 30 years before the start of World of Warcraft. This timeline is based on the 30 year standard.

All dates are considered to be spans of time from one to the next since many events are only given vague ordering and estimated dates. Warcraft products are displayed in italics.

It should not be considered as an official timeline, but should be as accurate as, and more complete than, whatever Blizzard has provided.

Beginning of Azeroth

-147,000

• Shadows & Light begins»
• More Magic and Mayhem begins»
• The Titans and the Shaping of the Universe
• Sargeras and the Betrayal (Minus Eredar related events)
• The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth begins»

-65,000

• The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth ends«

-64,001

• Charge of the Dragonflights
• The Waking World and the Well of Eternity

-24,969

• Rise of the Horde (Past) begins»

Age of the elves

-10,250

• The Well of Eternity (Past) begins»
• The War of the Ancients begins»

-10,000

• Start of the War of the Ancients

-9,999

• The Well of Eternity (Past) ends«
• The War of the Ancients ends«
• The Demon Soul (Past)
• The Sundering (Past) begins»
• The Sundering of the World
•  [Mount Hyjal and Illidan's Gift] begins»

-9,998

•  [Mount Hyjal and Illidan's Gift] ends«
• The World Tree and the Emerald Dream
• The Sundering (Past) ends«

-7,300

•  [Exile of the High Elves] begins»
• The Sentinels and the Long Vigil
• The Founding of Quel'Thalas begins»

-6,800

•  [Exile of the High Elves] ends«

-4,000

• The Founding of Quel'Thalas ends«

Age of the mortals

-2,800

•  [Arathor and the Troll Wars]

-2,700

• The Guardians of Tirisfal

-2,500

• The Ironforge Dwarves awaken in Uldaman
• Khaz Modan is founded

-1,200

• The Seven Kingdoms

-1,000

• War of the Shifting Sands

-818

• Cycle of Hatred (Past) begins»
• The Last Guardian (Past) begins»
•  [Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt]

-370

• Last gnome royalty

-230

• War of the Three Hammers

-170

• Dwarves meet gnomes
• Gnomeregan is built

Rise of the Horde

-100

• Kil'jaeden and the Shadow Pact begins»

-46

• Rise of the Horde begins»

-45

• The Last Guardian

-40

• Kil'jaeden and the Shadow Pact ends«

-19

• Rise of the Horde ends«
• Rise of the Horde (Past) ends«

First War

0 (Year 592 by the King's Calendar)

• The Dark Portal and the Fall of Stormwind begins»

1

• The Dark Portal and the Fall of Stormwind ends«
• Warcraft: Orcs & Humans begins»
• The Last Guardian (Past) ends«
• The Last Guardian

4

• Warcraft: Orcs & Humans ends«

5

• Cycle of Hatred (Past) ends«
• Arthas: Rise of the Lich King begins
• The Alliance of Lordaeron

Second War

6

• Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
• Tides of Darkness
• World of Warcraft: Ashbringer (Past)

7

• Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal
• Beyond the Dark Portal
• The Last Guardian (Future)
• The Invasion of Draenor
• The Birth of the Lich King
• Icecrown and the Frozen Throne

8

• Day of the Dragon
• The Battle of Grim Batol
• Lethargy of the Orcs

18

• Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans
• Lord of the Clans
• The New Horde
• War of the Spider
• Kel'Thuzad and the Forming of the Scourge

20

• Of Blood and Honor
• The Alliance Splinters

Third War and the Scourge

25

• Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
• The Scourge of Lordaeron
• World of Warcraft: Ashbringer
•  [Sunwell - The Fall of Quel'Thalas]
• Archimonde's Return and the Flight to Kalimdor
• The Battle of Mount Hyjal
• The Betrayer Ascendant begins»
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne begins»

26

• Warcraft: The Roleplaying GameTemplate:Cite Template:Cite
• Rise of the Blood Elves
• Civil War in the Plaguelands
•  [The Lich King Triumphant]
• The Betrayer Ascendant ends«
• Old Hatreds - The Colonization of Kalimdor begins»
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne ends«
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (Bonus) begins»

28

• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (Bonus) ends«
• Old Hatreds - The Colonization of Kalimdor ends«

29

• Cycle of Hatred
• Manual of Monsters
• Alliance & Horde Compendium
• Magic & Mayhem
• The Well of Eternity
• The Demon Soul
• The Sundering
• Lands of Conflict begins»
• Dragon Hunt
• Shadows of Ice
• Lands of Conflict ends»
• Ghostlands

World of hostilities

30

• World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game
• Lands of Mystery
• More Magic and Mayhem ends«
• World of Warcraft begins»
• Alliance Player's Guide
• Horde Player's Guide
• Monster Guide
• Dark Factions

31

• Shadows & Light ends«
• Rise of the Horde
• World of Warcraft (Wildstorm comic)
• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade begins»
• Dragons of Outland

32

• Night of the Dragon
• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King begins»
• Arthas: Rise of the Lich King ends

• Timeline (from official site, 2007)

Timeline based on the official site (2004) timeline with added dates.

• Timeline (TBC)

Timeline of dates established in The Burning Crusade and its manual (2007)

• Timeline (PG)

Timeline and dates published in RPG "Player's Guides"; Alliance Player's Guide (2006), Horde Player's Guide (2006), and Dark Factions (2008).

• Timeline (CoH)

Timeline of dates established in Cycle of Hatred (2006).

• Timeline (WoWRPG)

Timeline published in World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game in 2005.

• Timeline (LoC)

Timeline published in Lands of Conflict in 2004

• Timeline (from official site, 2004)Timeline released on World of Warcraft Website in 2004.
• Timeline (WoWOSG)

Timeline published in the World of Warcraft Official Strategy Guide in 2004.

• Timeline (WRPG)

Timeline published in Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game in 2003.

• Timeline (RTS)

Timeline originally published by Blizzard in the Warcraft I manual (1994). Further dates established from the Warcraft II manual (1996), Beyond the Dark Portal manual, and Warcraft III manual. Also includes dates mentioned in the RTS games themselves.

• Timeline (RPG Books Chronology)

This article discusses the chronological order of books in the Warcraft RPG and World of Warcraft RPG from 2003 to present.