Days before days - First Age
The Book of Lost Tales: Part I
Released October 1983
The Book of Lost Tales stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor
MIDDLE-EARTH TIMELINE
The ultimate chronological timeline for all Lord of the Rings related media
Days before days - First Age
Released October 1983
The Book of Lost Tales stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor
Days before days - First Age
Released September 1977
The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien's world
First Age
Released August 1984
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.
First Age
Released August 1985
The third volume that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien's epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.
Days before days - First Age
Released August 1986
The fourth volume that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien’s epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.
Days before days - Second Age
Released August 1987
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.
Days before days - First Age
Released September 1993
The first of two companion volumes which documents the later writing of The Silmarillion, Tolkien's epic tale of war.
First Age
Released October 1994
The second of two companion volumes which documents the later writing of The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s epic tale of war.
First Age
Released June 2017
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.
First Age
Released April 2007
The Children of Húrin tells the tragic story of Túrin and Niënor, cursed by Morgoth, and their doomed fates in Middle-earth.
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.
Not every adaptation tells the same story, so the works are split into three timelines. The Tolkien timeline holds his own books and the adaptations that follow them closely, like the BBC radio drama. The cinematic timeline is the world of the Peter Jackson films and of the games made from them. Everything else, from The Rings of Power to Ralph Bakshi's animated film, sits on the standalone timeline.
The Age buttons narrow the list to one part of the history of Arda: the days before the First Age, the First Age and the wars against Morgoth, the Second Age and the fall of Númenor, the Third Age of the Hobbit and the War of the Ring, and the Fourth Age that follows. A work that spans several Ages shows up under each of them.
Each work has its own page with a synopsis, its release date and its place in the chronology, with links to the stories that come just before and after it.
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.