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»

-16,000

• War between Aqir and Trolls

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.

-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«
• War of the Satyr

-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 Game
• 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»
  • 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
• Alliance Player's Guide
• Horde Player's Guide
• Monster Guide
• Dark Factions

31

• Shadows & Light ends«
• Rise of the Horde ends
• World of Warcraft (Wildstorm comic) begins»
• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade begins»
• 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 latter create settlements in Outland.
  • A Legion counterattack fails. The Portal is closed.
  • 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.
  • Black Temple: Illidan killed 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 Dragons of Outland
  • Tyrygosa seems to heal Malygos's insanity.

32

• Night of the Dragon
• Nexus War
• War against the Lich King starts
  • Zombie Infestation
  • The Scourge begin regular attacks on Stormwind City and Orgrimmar
  • World of Warcraft (Wildstorm 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
  • Battle at Icecrown Citadel
  • Fall of the Lich King
• The Black Dragonflight invades the Ruby Sanctum
• Gnomes retake Gnomeregan's surface
• Trolls retake Echo Isles
• Gilneas civil war
• Stormrage
• War against the Nightmare

Post-apocalyptic Azeroth

33

• The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm
• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm begins»
  • Invasion of Gilneas