Timeline (unofficial)

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 source. 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 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)
• World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 begins»
• 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

-25,000

• Sargeras arrival on Argus. Promised the Eredar Leaders godlike powers but Velen had a vision about the Eredar transforming into unspeakable Demons
• Velen and his Draenei fled Argus

-24,969

• Rise of the Horde (Past) begins»

-16,000

• War between Aqir and Trolls
• First War between Earthen and Iron Dwarves

Age of the elves

-14,000

• The first Night Elves or "Kaldorei" appear and found their civilization upon the banks of the Well of Eternity

-13,500

• The Kaldorei begin to actively study and practice arcane magic. They bend magic to their will and use it to build beautiful cities, craft artifacts and reshape the land. Some Kaldorei resist the lure to use the Well of Eternity’s power and warn others of the dangers of abusing it. Their warnings go unheeded.

• A group of upper-class Kaldorei begin to refer to themselves as the Highborne and revel in the use of magic.

-11,900

• Zandalari Invasion

-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«
• War of the Satyr
• Curse of the Worgen (Past) begins»

-9,400

• World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 ends»

-9,000

• The World Tree and the Emerald Dream begins»
• The Sundering (Past) ends«

-7,300

• Exile of the High Elves begins»
• The Sentinels and the Long Vigil

-6,800

• The Founding of Quel'Thalas begins»
• Exile of the High Elves ends«

-5,000

• Draenei appears on Draenor ^{(W2Man 61)}

-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

• Ironforge - the Awakening of the Dwarves

-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 (Year 222 by the King's Calendar)

• Last Gnome royalty

-230 (Year 362 by the King's Calendar)

• War of the Three Hammers

-170 (Year 422 by the King's Calendar)

• Dwarves meet Gnomes
• Gnomeregan is built

Rise of the Horde

-100 (Year 492 by the King's Calendar)

• Kil'jaeden and the Shadow Pact begins»
• The invincible Manta is slain with an arrow with three drops of a volatile black liquid, saving Azeroth from total annihilation

-46 (Year 546 by the King's Calendar)

• Rise of the Horde begins»
• Garrosh Hellscream arrives slightly before these events after engaging in time travel from timeline A, creating timeline B
• Blood River War
• Warcraft: Durotan

-45 (Year 547 by the King's Calendar)

• The Last Guardian

-40 (Year 552 by the King's Calendar)

• Kil'jaeden and the Shadow Pact ends«

-19 (Year 573 by the King's Calendar)

• Rise of the Horde ends«
• Rise of the Horde (Past) ends«
• Unbroken begins»

-18 (Year 574 by the King's Calendar)

• Unbroken ends«

First War

0 (Year 592 by the King's Calendar)

• The Dark Portal and the Fall of Stormwind begins»

1 (Year 593 by the King's Calendar)

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

4 (Year 596 by the King's Calendar)

• Warcraft: Orcs & Humans ends«

5 (Year 597 by the King's Calendar)

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

Second War

6 (Year 598 by the King's Calendar)

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

7 (Year 599 by the King's Calendar)

• 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 (Year 600 by the King's Calendar)

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

18 (Year 610 by the King's Calendar)

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

20 (Year 612 by the King's Calendar)

• Of Blood and Honor
• The Alliance Splinters
• Genn Greymane: Lord of His Pack (Past) begins»

In Between the Second and Third Wars

23 (Year 615 by the King's Calendar)

• The events of Escape from Durnholde Keep take place.

Third War and the Scourge

25 (Year 617 by the King's Calendar)

• Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
• The Scourge of Lordaeron
• World of Warcraft: Ashbringer
• Sunwell - The Fall of Quel'Thalas
• Sylvanas Windrunner: Edge of Night" (Past) begins»
• Archimonde's Return and the Flight to Kalimdor
• Trogg invasion in Gnomeregan
• The Battle of Mount Hyjal
• The Betrayer Ascendant begins»
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne begins»

26 (Year 618 by the King's Calendar)

• Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game
• Rise of the Blood Elves
• Civil War in the Plaguelands
• The Lich King Triumphant
• The Betrayer Ascendant ends«
• Sylvanas Windrunner: Edge of Night" (Past) ends»
• Old Hatreds - The Colonization of Kalimdor begins»
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne ends«
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (Bonus) begins»

28 (Year 620 by the King's Calendar)

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

29 (Year 621 by the King's Calendar)

• 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

Rise of the Qiraji

30 (Year 622 by the King's Calendar)

• World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game
• Lands of Mystery
• More Magic and Mayhem ends«
• World of Warcraft begins»
  • Battles break out in Warsong Gulch and Alterac Valley
  • Assault on Blackwing Lair
  • Zul'Gurub
  • Dragons of Nightmare
  • The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj are reopened.
  • Naxxramas appears over Stratholme
  • World of Warcraft: Ashbringer
• Alliance Player's Guide
• Horde Player's Guide
• Monster Guide
• Dark Factions

32 (Year 624 by the King's Calendar)

• Shadows & Light ends«
• Rise of the Horde ends
• World of Warcraft (Wildstorm comic)

Siege of Outland

• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade begins»
  • Blood elves under Kael'thas capture Tempest Keep. The Exodar escapes, ending up on Azeroth. With the power of the Keep's naaru, M'uru, the Blood Knights gain new powers.
• War in Outland
  • The Dark Portal Opens under the command of Lord Kazzak. His forces are defeated by the Argent Dawn and Alliance and Horde forces.
  • The Legion leads a counterattack against the Alliance and Horde on the Stair of Destiny which fails.
  • The Alliance and Horde then rendezvous with the stranded Alliance forces and the uncorrupted Horde who were left on Outland after the Dark Portal was destroyed over 20 years earlier.
  • Project at Firewing Point.
  • World of Warcraft: Illidan.
  • The Black Temple: Illidan killed/captured at the hands of Akama, Maiev and the Ashtongue Deathsworns.
  • Battle of Zul'Aman: Zul'jin killed.
  • Kael'thas and his felblood minions took M'uru to the Sunwell Plateau. Lady Liadrin's Blood Knights joined the Shattered Sun Offensive, along with the Aldor and Scryer factions.
    • Fury of the Sunwell: Kael'thas attempted to summon Kil'jaeden, but was defeated.
    • The essence of the dying Naaru M'uru reignites the Sunwell!
    • Kael'Thas is finally killed in Magisters' Terrace
• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade ends«
• The Dragons of Outland
  • Tyrygosa seems to heal Malygos's insanity.
• World of Warcraft: The Comic begins»

War against the Scourge

34 (Year 626 by the King's Calendar)

• War against the Lich King starts
  • The Lich King awakens and leaves the Frozen Throne
    • Sindragosa is awoken
  • Zombie Infestation
  • The Scourge begin regular attacks on Stormwind City and Orgrimmar
• Battle for Light's Hope Chapel
• Night of the Dragon
• Nexus War begins»
• The Fall of Naxxramas
• Lor'themar Theron: In the Shadow of the Sun
• Nexus War ends»
• World of Warcraft: The Comic ends»
• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King begins»
• Arthas: Rise of the Lich King ends«
• Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate
• Battle for the Undercity
• Broken Front
• Secrets of Ulduar
  • Defeat of Algalon the Observer
• The Argent Tournament
• Battle at the Isle of Conquest

36 (Year 628 by the King's Calendar)

• Battle at Icecrown Citadel
• Fall of the Lich King
• Sylvanas Windrunner: Edge of Night" begins»
• The Black Dragonflight invades the Ruby Sanctum
• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King ends«
• Gnomes retake Gnomeregan's surface
  • Gelbin Mekkatorque: Cut Short
• Trolls retake Echo Isles
• Gilneas civil war
• Stormrage

Post-apocalyptic Azeroth

39 (Five years after the start of Wrath of the Lich King, three years since Arthas' death. Year 631 by the King's Calendar)

• The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm
• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm begins»
• The Shattering, Deathwing returns to Azeroth
  • Sylvanas Windrunner: Edge of Night ends»
  • Baine Bloodhoof: As Our Fathers Before Us
  • Velen: Prophet's Lesson
  • Varian Wrynn: Blood of Our Fathers
  • Invasion of Gilneas
  • Curse of the Worgen ends«
  • Genn Greymane: Lord of His Pack ends«
  • Gilneas rejoins the Alliance
  • Wolfheart
  • Second battle of Mount Hyjal
  • Island at Vashj'ir appears
  • Conflict breaks out at Tol Barad
• Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects
• Charge of the Aspects
• Zandalar Island is destroyed and the Trolls try to retake their lands
• Ragnaros tries to burn down Nordrassil but is defeated
• Hour of Twilight was stopped by Thrall and the Dragon Aspects. Deathwing is defeated
• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ends«

After the Cataclysm ended

• The Dragon Aspects give up their immortality
• Wrathion is the only Black dragon left; To his knowledge
• Dawn of the Aspects
• Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
• World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria begins»
• Garrosh Hellscream assaults and releases the Mana Bomb, destroying Theramore
• Horde and Alliance discover the once mist-cloaked Pandaria
• War breaks out in Pandaria, Jaina Proudmoore purges the Sunreavers from Dalaran
• The Zandalar tribe resurrects the Thunder King

41 (2 "Dragon"-years after The Cataclysm. Year 633 by the King's Calendar)

• Sunreaver Onslaught, Kirin Tor Offensive, and Shado-Pan Assault end the attempted emergence of Zandalari troll and Mogu Empire
  • Lei Shen is killed.
• Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde
• Darkspear Rebellion begins»
• Siege of Orgrimmar
  • Garrosh Hellscream is defeated by the combined forces of the Alliance and the Horde and imprisoned.
• Warchief Garrosh Hellscream is replaced by Vol'Jin.
• Varian tells Vol'Jin he is willing to end the Horde and Alliance war.
• War Crimes

Warlords of Draenor

• World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria ends.»
• World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor begins.»
• Garrosh Hellscream escapes his imprisonment with the help of a time agent and travels back to Draenor, thus creating an alternate timeline, intent on stopping the Horde drinking the blood of Mannoroth and creating his own Iron Horde.
• A portal into Draenor's past opens, allowing citizens of Azeroth to travel there.
• A past version of Draenor is re-created.
• World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor ends.»
  • Gul'dan arrives on Azeroth

The Legion Returns to Azeroth

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43 (10 years after Illidan's "death", 4 years since the end of the Cataclysm, Year 635 by the King's Calendar)

• The Burning Legion returns to Azeroth and the Broken Isles are rediscovered.
• World of Warcraft: Legion begins.»
• Khadgar takes control of the Kirin Tor and moves  Dalaran over the Broken Isles (primarily nearer to the Broken Shore.
• The Emerald Nightmare encroaches into Azeroth.
• Adventurers seek the Pillars of Creation in an attempt to turn the tide.
• Suramar City's defensive shield falters as adventurers rediscover the city once thought destroyed.

The Legion defeated and Sargeras banished

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• World of Warcraft: Legion ends.»

External enemies defeated, the factions focus on each other

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• The Horde builds forces in Ashenvale and begins their advance into Darkshore.
•  Varok Saurfang unwittingly delivers a near fatal, dishonorable blow to  Archdruid Malfurion as he duels  Warchief Sylvanas.
• Warchief Sylvanas pushes into Darkshore and reaches the shore nearest Teldrassil.
• The fire bombardment of Teldrassil begins and the Alliance tries to evacuate.
• The Alliance under  King Anduin and  Genn Greymane plan and begin a counterstrike on the Ruins of Lordaeron.
• The siege of the ruins and Undercity begins as the Horde evacuates, seemingly expecting the attack.
• In an effort to slow the Alliance, Sylvanas uses the Blight multiple times, but fails to stop the fall of Undercity and Varok Saurfang is captured.
• Both forces leave the area as the ruins are now flooded with Blight.
• World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth begins.»

Future?

 This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials.*

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• Velen: Prophet's Lesson (Future)
• End Time or The final return of the Old Gods.
• World of Warcraft ends.«

See also

• Current Timeline