Middle-earth Timeline

Gondor

Isildur plants the seedling of the White Tree in Minas Anor in memory of his brother.

Disaster of the Gladden Fields: Isildur and his three older sons are ambushed by orcs on the banks of the Anduin River. Isildur's sons are slain and he drowns trying to swim to safety. The One Ring slips off his finger and is lost.

Rivendell (Imladris)

Elrond weds Celebrían, the daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel.

Elrond and Celebrían's daughter, Arwen, is born.

Gondor

Falastur begins the ling of the ship-kings of Gondor. The Númenorean outpost of Umbar becomes a stronghold of Gondor.

Aman / Middle-earth

The 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.

Middle-earth

Gondor 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.

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.

Angmar

The 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.

Arnor

The Witch-King invades Arnor.

Gondor

The death of King Valacar of Gondor incites civil war.

Eriador

Hobbits are given the lands north of the Brandywine River and establish the Shire.

Middle-earth

The 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.

King Tarondor moves the throne to Minas Arnor and plants another seedling of the White Tree.

Evil creatures move into a long-unguarded Mordor. Communications between Gondor and Arnor are cut off.

Gondor and Arnor resume communications and form an alliance against orcs and human invaders from the east.

Arnor

The Witch-King overruns the remaining holdings of the kingdom of Arnor. The King of Arnor, Arvedui, is believed dead.

Arnor

The 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.

Middle-Earth

The 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.

Erebor

Thrain 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.

Gondor

The Nazgûl take the city of Minas Ithil. The city is renamed Minas Morgul.

Earnur becomes King of Gondor and is challenged by the Witch-King.

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.

Middle-earth

The 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.

The Watchful Peace is over: Sauron returns to Dol Guldur with renewed vigor and begins breeding a stronger race of orcs, the uruk-hai.

The White Council meets again to combat the growing menace. Meanwhile Saruman begins to study the Rings of Power.

The Gladden Fields

The hobbit Déagol finds the Ring and is murdered by his cousin Sméagol, who is known afterwards as Gollum.

Misty Mountains / Moria

Orcs set up strongholds in the Misty Mountains. Sauron populates Moria with his foul creatures.

Gondor/Rohan

While traveling to Lórien, CelebrÍan is attacked by orcs in the Misty Mountains and receives a poisoned wound. She leaves Middle-earth.

Eorl the Young, coming to the aid of Gondor, defeats an army of Orcs and Easterlings and is given the lands which become Rohan in thanks.

Middle-earth

Dragons begin to appear in the north, harrying the dwarves.

Middle-earth

The Free Peoples (Humans, Hobbits, Dwarves, and Elves) fight great battles against invading orcs and eventually push them back.

Middle-earth

The people of Rohan retake the fortress of Isengard, which they had lost to corsairs. They invite Saruman to take up residence there.

Erebor

Smaug the Dragon descends on Erebor and expels the dwarves. Thror escapes with Thrain II and Thorin II.

Middle-earth

War 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.