MIDDLE-EARTH TIMELINE
October 1983 / In-Universe period : First Age
The Book of Lost Tales stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor
September 1977 / In-Universe period : First Age
The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien's world
August 1984 / In-Universe period : First Age
The second of a two-book set that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien’s epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.
August 1985 / In-Universe period : First Age
The third volume that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien's epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.
August 1986 / In-Universe period : First Age
The fourth volume that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien’s epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.
August 1987 / In-Universe period : First Age - Second Age
The fifth volume of the History of Middle-earth, containing the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien’s epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.
September 1993 / In-Universe period : First Age
The first of two companion volumes which documents the later writing of The Silmarillion, Tolkien's epic tale of war.
October 1994 / In-Universe period : First Age
The second of two companion volumes which documents the later writing of The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s epic tale of war.
April 2007 / In-Universe period : First Age
The Children of Húrin tells the tragic story of Túrin and Nienor, cursed by Morgoth, and their doomed fates in Middle-earth
May 2017 / In-Universe period : First Age
The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Every Middle-earth story on one timeline: Tolkien's books, Peter Jackson's films, The Rings of Power, the animated films, the video games, the BBC radio drama and the stage musical. Sort them by in-universe date, by release date or alphabetically, and filter by media type.
Looking for something specific? See the Lord of the Rings watch order, the Tolkien books reading order, the games in chronological order, or where The Hunt for Gollum fits. You can also try to draw Frodo's road to Mordor.
The First Age tales (The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, The Fall of Gondolin) come first, then the Second Age (The Fall of Númenor, The Rings of Power). The Third Age follows with The War of the Rohirrim, The Hobbit and finally The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit takes place in the year 2941 of the Third Age. Frodo leaves Bag End in 3018, 77 years later.
Both. Each entry is placed at the in-universe date of its own story, and the films, series and games that do not follow Tolkien closely are grouped on a separate standalone timeline.