Middle-earth Timeline
![Updated by an Infoplease Editor on July 22, 2020](/themes/ip/images/info-circle.png)
From the creation of Middle-earth to the War of the Ring
by Laura Hayes |
The appearance of Hobbits, a ring is found, the return of Sauron.
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The Ages | ||||||
Lamps / Trees | First | Second | Third | War of the Ring | ||
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Third Age of the Sun | |
2 | GondorIsildur plants the seedling of the White Tree in Minas Anor in memory of his brother. |
100 | Rivendell (Imladris)Elrond weds Celebrían, the daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel. |
241 | Elrond and Celebrían's daughter, Arwen, is born. |
830 | GondorFalastur begins the ling of the ship-kings of Gondor. The Númenorean outpost of Umbar becomes a stronghold of Gondor. |
ca 1000 | Aman / Middle-earthThe Istari (Wizards) are sent to Middle-earth from the Undying Lands. Chief among them are CurunÍr, "the Man of Skill", known by men as Saruman, and Mithrandir, "the Grey Pilgrim", known by men as Gandalf. |
ca 1050 | Middle-earthGondor reaches the height of its power. A blight falls on Greenwood which is thereafter called "Mirkwood." A "necromancer" is rumoured to have taken up residence in the forest. The first group of Hobbits, the Harfoots, come to Eriador. |
1100 | The Wise—the Istari and the chief Eldar— convene the first White Council upon discovering that an evil power has made a home at Dol Guldur. They believe that the "Necromancer" is one of the Nazgûl. |
ca 1300 | AngmarThe Nazgûl reappear and their chief goes north to Angmar in the Misty Mountains. He becomes the Witch-King of Angmar. Orcs increase in the Misty Mountains and attack the dwarves. More hobbits move Westward. |
1409 | ArnorThe Witch-King invades Arnor. |
1432-47 | GondorThe death of King Valacar of Gondor incites civil war. |
1601 | EriadorHobbits are given the lands north of the Brandywine River and establish the Shire. |
1636 | Middle-earthThe Great Plague spreads throughout Middle-earth. The King of Gondor and his family die. Many parts of Eriador become desolate. The White Tree planted by Isildur dies. |
1640 | King Tarondor moves the throne to Minas Arnor and plants another seedling of the White Tree. |
1700 | Evil creatures move into a long-unguarded Mordor. Communications between Gondor and Arnor are cut off. |
1940 | Gondor and Arnor resume communications and form an alliance against orcs and human invaders from the east. |
1974 | ArnorThe Witch-King overruns the remaining holdings of the kingdom of Arnor. The King of Arnor, Arvedui, is believed dead. |
1975 | ArnorThe Witch-King is defeated at the Battle of Fornost and vanishes. King Arvedui is rescued, but then lost at sea. The kingdom lost, Arvedui's son Aranarth takes the title of Chieftain of the Dúnedain (descendants of the Númenoreans). He gives the heirlooms of Arnor to Elrond for safekeeping. |
1980 | Middle-EarthThe Witch-King comes to Mordor and gathers the rest of the Nazgûl. A Balrog appears in Khazad-dûm and slays Durin IV, king of the dwarves. |
1999 | EreborThrain I leads the dwarves out of Khazad-dûm and founds the Kingdom Under the Mountain at Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, far east of the Misty Mountains. |
2002 | GondorThe Nazgûl take the city of Minas Ithil. The city is renamed Minas Morgul. |
2043 | Earnur becomes King of Gondor and is challenged by the Witch-King. |
2050 | King Earnur rides to the challenge of the Witch-King and never returns. Gondor is from this time on ruled by stewards who await their king's return. |
2060-2463 | Middle-earthThe evil power in Dol Guldur grows, the White Council fears it is Sauron. Gandalf goes to investigate. Sauron retreats and hides in the east. The Nazgûl remain quiet in Minas Morgul and the Watchful Peace begins. |
2460-63 | The Watchful Peace is over: Sauron returns to Dol Guldur with renewed vigor and begins breeding a stronger race of orcs, the uruk-hai. |
2463 | The Gladden FieldsThe hobbit Déagol finds the Ring and is murdered by his cousin Sméagol, who is known afterwards as Gollum. |
2463 | Misty Mountains / MoriaOrcs set up strongholds in the Misty Mountains. Sauron populates Moria with his foul creatures. |
2510 | Gondor/RohanWhile traveling to Lórien, CelebrÍan is attacked by orcs in the Misty Mountains and receives a poisoned wound. She leaves Middle-earth. |
2510 | Middle-earthDragons begin to appear in the north, harrying the dwarves. |
2740-59 | Middle-earthThe Free Peoples (Humans, Hobbits, Dwarves, and Elves) fight great battles against invading orcs and eventually push them back. |
2759 | Middle-earthThe people of Rohan retake the fortress of Isengard, which they had lost to corsairs. They invite Saruman to take up residence there. |
2770 | EreborSmaug the Dragon descends on Erebor and expels the dwarves. Thror escapes with Thrain II and Thorin II. |
2793-99 | Middle-earthWar of Dwarves and Orcs: after Thror is slain by an orc in Moria, the dwarves exact vengeance. The Misty Mountains are made safe again for nearly a century and a half. |
Next: The War of the Ring |