Timeline-temp

Years of the Lamps

All dates in this section are approximate

Years of the Lamps
Valian Year	Event
Ainulindalë: The Valar, Maiar, and Melkor enter Eä.
1–1499	The First War and the Marring of Arda.
1500	Tulkas enters Eä and Melkor flees.
1900	The completion of Arda. The Valar create the Two Lamps and settle at Almaren. Beginning of the Spring of Arda.
3400	Tulkas weds Nessa. Melkor secretly returns to Arda, raises the Iron Mountains and delves Utumno, and partly blights the Spring of Arda.
3450	Melkor overthrows the Two Lamps. Almaren is destroyed. End of the Spring of Arda.
3450–3500	The Valar raise the Pelóri and settle in Aman. The Two Trees are grown in Valinor.

Years of the Trees

All dates in this section are approximate

Years of the Trees
Valian Year	Event
1–999	Eagles created by Manwë, Dwarves conceived by Aulë, Ents created by Yavanna.
1000	Varda begins kindling new stars.
1050	Melian travels to Beleriand. Varda kindles the Sickle of the Valar. The Elves awaken at Cuiviénen.
1080	Melkor discovers the Elves.
1085	Oromë discovers the Elves. The first breeding of Orcs.
1086	Oromë returns to Valinor to announce the Elves have awaken.
1090	Beginning of the Battle of the Powers. The Valar conquer Angband.
1092	The Valar lay siege to Utumno.
1099	The Valar destroy Utumno. Melkor is chained with Angainor.
1100	Melkor is sentenced to three Ages (300 VY) spent chained in the Halls of Mandos.
1101	The Valar summon the Elves to Aman.
1102	Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë are brought to Valinor as ambassadors.
1104	The ambassadors return and convince the Elves to follow them to Valinor.
1105	The Great Journey begins. The First Sundering as the Avari separate from the Eldar.
1115	The Eldar reach the Misty Mountains. The Second Sundering as the Nandor forsake the march.
1125	The Vanyar and Noldor enter Beleriand.
1128	The Teleri enter Beleriand.
1130	Elwë falls in love with Melian and enters a trance.
1132	The Third Sundering as the Vanyar and Noldor are brought to Aman while the Teleri are left behind.
1133	The Vanyar and Noldor arrive in Aman. The Valar carve the Calacirya. Tirion founded.
1140	Tirion completed. The Mindon Eldaliéva built. Some Vanyar remove to Valmar.
1142	Yavanna gives the White Tree Galathilion to the Noldor.
1149	Ulmo returns to Middle-earth to bring the Teleri to Aman, but Ossë persuades some to remain. They become the Sindar. Founding of the Havens of the Falas.
1151	The Teleri are brought to Aman but remain on Tol Eressëa.
1152	Elwë awakes from his trance and becomes King of the Sindar as Elu Thingol. The Sindar flourish.
1161	Ossë teaches the Teleri the art of shipbuilding. The Teleri come to Aman and are called the Falmari.
1162	Founding of the haven of Alqualondë.
1165	The last of the Vanyar leave Tirion.
1179	Birth of Fëanor. Rúmil devises the Sarati.
1190	Birth of Fingolfin.
c.1200	Birth of Lúthien.
1230	Birth of Finarfin.
1250	Fëanor improves Rúmil's letters and creates the Tengwar script. The Dwarves enter Beleriand and settle in the Blue Mountains.
1280	Finarfin weds Eärwen.
1300	Menegroth constructed.
1350	The Green-elves enter Beleriand under Denethor. Daeron divises the Cirth.
1400	Melkor is released from bondage.
1410	Manwë gives Melkor freedom within Valinor. Melkor befriends the Noldor.
1449	Fëanor begins constructing the Silmarils.
1450	Fëanor completes the Silmarils.
1450–1490	Melkor raises dissension among the Noldor.
1490	Fëanor, deceived by Melkor, threatens Fingolfin, and is banished from Tirion. Melkor vanishes from Valinor.
1492	Melkor is rebuffed by Fëanor at Formenos. He leaves Valinor to find Ungoliant.
1495	The Darkening of Valinor and the End of the Noontide. Melkor and Ungoliant poison the Two Trees. The Long Night begins. Melkor kills Finwë and steals the Silmarils. Fëanor names Melkor as Morgoth Bauglir. Morgoth and Ungoliant quarrel at Lammoth and Ungoliant flees. Morgoth rebuilds Angband and raises Thangorodrim. The Revolt of the Noldor leads to the First Kinslaying at Alqualondë.
1496	The Doom of Mandos. Finarfin returns to Tirion.
1497	Morgoth invades Beleriand. First Battle of the Wars of Beleriand. Death of Denethor. The Girdle of Melian is raised. Fëanor and some of the Noldor sail to Middle-earth and burn the ships at Losgar. Death of Amras. Dagor-nuin-Giliath ("Battle Under the Stars"), death of Fëanor, Maedhros captured.
1498	Maedhros imprisoned upon Thangorodrim.
1500	The Host of Noldor cross the Helcaraxë under Fingolfin.

The First Age

The First Age
Year	Yén	Event
1	334	The Sun rises in the West. Men awaken at Hildórien. Fingolfin enters Mithrim. The Orcs flee to Angband. Fingon rescues Maedhros. Fingolfin is named High King of the Noldor. The Sun changes direction.
21		The Feast of Mereth Aderthad (CONFLICT).
51		Ulmo appears to Finrod and Turgon in a dream. Finrod learns of the Caves of Narog and begins to build Nargothrond, which is completed before Gondolin.
52		Ulmo reveals Tumladen to Turgon (CONFLICT).
c.60		Dagor Aglareb ("The Glorious Battle"). The Siege of Angband begins. Finrod builds Minas Tirith on Tol Sirion.
c.70		Thingol forbids the Sindar to speak Quenya (CONFLICT).
104	335	The completion of Gondolin (CONFLICT).
c.160		Orcs attack Hithlum from Lammoth.
c.260	336	Glaurung is defeated in Ard-galen. The Long Peace begins.
c.262		Bëor born east of the Blue Mountains.
c.304		Aredhel leaves Gondolin (CONFLICT).
c.306		Maeglin is born (CONFLICT).
c.310		Finrod encounters the Edain in Ossiriand.
c.311		Bëor enters the service of Finrod.
c.330		Aredhel and Maeglin enter Gondolin. Death of Aredhel and Eöl (CONFLICT).
c.355		Death of Bëor the Old.
c.365		Bereg of the First House returns to Eriador.
c.370		Haleth brings the Haladin to the Forest of Brethil.
389	337	Birth of Hador (CONFLICT).
c.425		The House of Hador settles in Dor-lómin.
c.441		Birth of Húrin.
444		Birth of Huor.
455		(winter) Dagor Bragollach ("Battle of Sudden Flame"); death of Hador. Fingolfin is killed in the duel against Morgoth at the gates of Angband. End of the Siege of Angband and the Long Peace. Fingon becomes High King of the Noldor.
457		Sauron captures Tol Sirion and turns it into Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Beleg and Halmir hold the Crossings of Teiglin. Húrin and Huor spend a year in Gondolin. The Easterlings enter Beleriand.
460		(autumn) Death of Barahir and the outlaws of Dorthonion. Beren remains in Dorthonion.
462		Orcs assault Hithlum from the north and east; Galdor slain.
464		(winter) Beren flees Dorthonion.
465		(summer) Túrin is born (CONFLICT). Beren first sees Lúthien.
466		(spring) Lúthien returns Beren's love. (summer) Beren is brought to Menegroth and undertakes the Quest for the Silmaril. (autumn) Beren in Nargothrond.
467–468		The Quest for the Silmaril. Death of Finrod. Huan slays Draugluin. Tol Sirion cleansed and Sauron flees to Taur-nu-Fuin. Beren and Lúthien recover a Silmaril. Carcharoth bites off Beren's hand, which holds the Silmaril. The Hunting of the Wolf leads to the death of Huan and Carcharoth. First death of Beren and Lúthien.
c.470		Beren and Lúthien return to live in Tol Galen. Dior is born.
473		The Year of Lamentation. The Union of Maedhros and the Nirnaeth Arnoediad ("Battle of Unnumbered Tears") (CONFLICT). Death of Fingon and Huor, capture of Húrin and Gwindor. Túrin is sent to Doriath. Tuor and Nienor (CONFLICT) are born. Turgon becomes High King of the Noldor.
474		Fall of the Havens of the Falas. Círdan retreats to the Isle of Balar and builds the Havens of Sirion.
482–485		Túrin and Beleg defend the marches of Doriath.
485		Death of Saeros. Túrin flees Doriath and becomes an outlaw (CONFLICT).
486		Beleg finds Túrin. Túrin settles at Amon Rûdh.
487		Beleg and Túrin in Dor-Cúarthol. Amon Rûdh betrayed. Beleg and Gwindor free Túrin; death of Beleg. Túrin comes to Nargothrond.
490		Tuor enslaved by Lorgan (CONFLICT).
492		Tuor escapes and becomes an outlaw in Mithrim.
496		Defeat of the Haladin. Glaurung invades West Beleriand. The Battle of Tumhalad and Sack of Nargothrond (CONFLICT). Death of Orodreth, Gwindor, and Finduilas. Túrin ensnared by Glaurung. Tuor comes to Nevrast and Gondolin.
497		Túrin in Brethil.
500		Túrin and Níniel wed (CONFLICT).
501		Death of Glaurung, Nienor, Brandir, and Túrin (CONFLICT).
502		Húrin released from Thangorodrim. Death of Morwen. Húrin brings the Nauglamír to King Thingol, who instructs to Dwarves to set the Silmaril in the necklace.
503		Wedding of Tuor and Idril. Death of Húrin.
504		(spring) Birth of Eärendil
c.505		Death of King Thingol. The Dwarves sack Menegroth.
c.505		Beren recovers the Nauglamír.
c.509		Second death of Beren and Lúthien. The sons of Fëanor lead the Sack of Doriath causing the Second Kinslaying and the death of Dior and Nimloth. Elwing flees to the Havens of Sirion with the Silmaril.
511		(midsummer) Fall of Gondolin (CONFLICT). Death of Ecthelion, Gothmog, Turgon, Maeglin, and Glorfindel. Tuor, Idril, and Eärendil flee to the Havens of Sirion. Gil-galad named High King of the Noldor.
c.525		Tuor and Idril sail West. Eärendil becomes lord of the people of the Havens and marries Elwing. Elrond and Elros are born.
c.529	338	The Third Kinslaying. Death of Amrod. Elwing casts herself with the Silmaril into the Great Sea, but is changed into a bird by the Vala Ulmo.
c.530		Eärendil and Elwing sail in search of Valinor.
c.533		Eärendil uses the Silmaril to find Valinor and petition for aid.
c.580–83		The War of Wrath.
c.583		The Great Battle (CONFLICT). Ancalagon's fall destroys Thangorodrim. Morgoth is utterly defeated and cast into the Void. Loss of the last two Silmarils. Death of Maedhros. The Breaking of Beleriand.

Commentary

The actual lengths of Valian Ages and Years is in great dispute. In the Annals of Aman (1958) Tolkien said the original intent of the Valar was to make the Sun and the Moon so that ten solar years (SY) was one Valian Year (VY). However, this was no so, and it ended up that it was slightly less than ten. The breakdown was such that 958.2 SY = 100 VY = 1 Age.

However, in an essay titled "Aman", which was probably an introduction to Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, written only one year later, Tolkien made it clear that a Valian Year was the aging of all things in Arda, or 144 solar years. This would coincide with what was written in Appendix D to The Lord of the Rings, which it is said that elves have more time allotted to them, and their "year" (1 yén) is 144 solar years.

However, Tolkien's entire chronology since some of his earliest writings has had a timeline based on approximately 1000 SY = 100 VY = 1 Age. It is unlikely he would suddenly dispose of all that one year after having created an elaborate chronology.

I have found it to be like this, though: 144 / 9.582 = approx. 15

9.582 x 15 = 143.73, leading me to believe a yén is really 143.73 SY. This is reinforced by the fact that Tolkien wrote that the original intent of the Valar concerning the length of a solar year was disturbed.

143.73 x 365.25 (days in a year) = approx. 52,497 days in a yen. (the additional fraction isn't important)

52,497 / 350 (what Tolkien says was the original intent for days in a year) = 149.99, or 150 SY in a yen as the Valar's original intent.

Because the intended number of SY per yén came out not only to be a whole number, but a multiple of ten, I believe that this displays two different modes of reckoning time. The Valar, according to Aman, perceived the aging of Arda occured over intervals of one yén, what would become 143.73 solar years (original intent of 150). In my opinion, they then, for convenience, made their "Valian Year" 1/15 part of a yén. An "age" simply became 100 Valian Years, leaving a yén having no direct relation to an age. In the following chronology, I give the Valian Years and the yéni during which an event took place, as to show the natural aging of Arda.

last update: 28-Dec-99

N.B. - before the rising of the sun, all years given = 9.582 solar years