Jump to content
Banner by ~ Ice Princess Silky

MLP Timeline Discussion


DerpyFanatic

Recommended Posts

(edited)

Twilight makes a lot of references to pony history in the show, and since G1 is now canonically linked to G4 thanks to Tirek, I figured it would make drawing up a timeline of Equestrian and pre-Equestrian history a lot easier. This post is subject to change as new information is added, although some parts of it are based on my own theories and may not necessarily be canon (though hopefully it can still serve as a handy aide de memoire for fanfic writers). I'm also using Elder Scrolls chronology as a guide to keeping everything sorted, because it works so well.

 

And so, without further ado, I present to you...

 

The History Of Ponykind

 

Mythic Age

Celestia and Luna are born. How they get their cutie marks is not known. This is basically equine prehistory. Ponies evolve, learn to use tools and get civilization up and running.

 

Tribal Age (0 TA - 3400 TA)

Palaeopony Period (0 TA - 1050 TA)

1: Dream Valley is colonized by a mix of pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies.

57: The events of Rescue At Midnight Castle occur. This is the first contact between humans and ponies that is often pointed to by modern ponies arguing for the existence of humans.

83: The Smooze incident occurs.

371: The first documented case of the Cutie Pox is observed on an earth pony agricultural estate.

650: The Unicorn Empire is founded under the Allotropic Dynasty. Imperial mages are tasked with regulating the day-night cycle in the absence of alicorns.

801: Earth pony farming and manufacturing communities across Dream Valley are united into the Dirt Pact, which ensures collective civil defence and trade regulation.

811: Pegasus city-states are united into the Stratospheric Republic.

Mesopony Period (1051 TA - 2100 TA)

1260: Starswirl the Bearded is born.

1348: Clover the Clever is born.

1367: Clover the Clever begins magical tutelage under Starswirl the Bearded.

1986: Starswirl the Bearded disappears.

Neopony Period (2101 TA - 3400 TA)

3321: The events depicted in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant begin. Windigo activity causes a dramatic climate shift in Dream Valley.

3325: Dirt Pact farming communities attempt to pool their resources as crops begin to fail.

3332: Earth pony manufacturing grinds to a halt right across Dirt Pact territories due to lack of materiel. Ponies everywhere face mass starvation.

Commander Hurricane stages a military coup, seizing control of the Stratospheric Republic and instituting martial law.

3335: The Tribal Summit between Commander Hurricane, Princess Platinum and Chancellor Puddinghead ends in failure.

3336: The Pegasus capital of Cumulus Colossae is forcibly evacuated as temperatures plummet to lethal levels.

Earth pony factory cities are abandoned as freezing, starving earth ponies begin the exodus from Dream Valley.

Clover the Clever draws up a plan for Unicorn resettlement.

3340: The last group of ponies leaves for greener pastures. Dream Valley and its environs are now completely uninhabitable.

3341: New land is discovered, but tribal warfare causes the windigoes to follow from Dream Valley. Clover the Clever, Private Pansy and Smart Cookie unite the tribes and drive the windigoes back.

3342: Equestria is founded.

3350: Discord arrives from another plane of existence.

3355: Equestrian leadership collapses under the strain of fighting Discord's chaotic powers. Offers of surrender are ignored as the draconequus turns the world upside down. Countless ponies are enslaved and tortured under his dark reign.

3380: Celestia and Luna return to the world and plans to defeat Discord are put in motion.

3390: All attempts to defeat, destroy or even contain Discord end in failure. An expedition to the wild Everfree Forest is chartered in the hopes of finding a natural power source.

3398: After years of chasing legends, rumours and theories, Celestia and Luna discover the Tree of Harmony and extract the Elements of Harmony.

3399: After much preparation and an epic battle, the Elements of Harmony are used to seal Discord away in stone.

3400: Celestia and Luna accept the invitation of the former unicorn-earth pony-pegasus government leaders to rule as an absolute dual monarchy. The Everfree Forest is partly cleared and construction begins on both Everfree City and the Castle of The Pony Sisters. The beginning of the First Celestial Era is declared.

 

Alicorn Age

First Era, aka Pre-Classical Era

1E 36: First contact with The Crystal Empire.

1E 123: First contact with the Griffon Kingdoms.

1E 521: First contact with the United Zebrican Tribes.

1E 632: Starswirl the Bearded reappears from the mysterious rift that swallowed him in 1986 TA, applies himself rigorously to magical research and becomes one of the greatest sorcerers of the Pre-Classical Era.

1E 700: The Sea Ponies mysteriously disappear.

1E 1300: Explorers making a return pilgrimage to Dream Valley report dragon settlements and the transformation of the region into a wasteland.

1E 1316: Starswirl the Bearded dies.

Second Era, aka Classical Era

2E 2250: King Sombra seizes control of the Crystal Empire.

2E 2298: King Sombra is defeated. A fail-deadly system activates, causing the Empire and its inhabitants to vanish without a trace.

2E 2300: Princess Luna transforms into Nightmare Moon and triggers The Longest Night. Princess Celestia commandeers the Elements of Harmony and banishes her sister to the moon for 1000 years.

Third Era, aka Post-Classical Era

3E 1: The Wonderbolts are founded. The ruined Everfree City is abandoned, which slowly reverts to the Everfree Forest. The newly-founded city of Canterlot becomes the new capital of Equestria.

3E 2: The first Summer Sun Celebration is held in Canterlot.

3E 723: Hoofington is founded.

3E 806: Manehattan is founded.

3E 899: Granny Smith is born in Hoofington.

3E 909: Ponyville is founded by the Apple family.

3E 911: Zap Apples are first discovered and the harvest ritual is mapped out.

3E 972: Fluttershy is born in Cloudsdale. Rarity is born in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash is born in Cloudsdale. Applejack is born in Ponyville.

3E 973: Pinkie Pie is born in Ponyville. Derpy Hooves is born in Cloudsdale. Twilight Sparkle is born in Canterlot.

3E 979: Rainbow Dash performs her first Sonic Rainboom. The Mane Six all get their cutie marks simultaneously.

3E 1001: Twilight Sparkle is sent to Ponyville, setting in motion the events that lead to the reactivation of the Elements of Harmony, the assignment of the Bearers and the defeat of Nightmare Moon.

3E 1007: The Crystal Empire reappears. Spike the Dragon recovers the Crystal Heart.

3E 1011: Twilight Sparkle becomes an alicorn.
Fourth Era (Modern Era)

4E 1: The Elements of Harmony are sacrificed to revive the Tree Of Harmony. The Harmonic Lockbox is discovered.

4E 2: Tirek escapes from Tartarus and is defeated by Princess Twilight.

Edited by DerpyFanatic
  • Brohoof 14
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fascinating timeline except there's just one problem, seasons 1-3 take place in the same year and your timeline suggests they take place over the course of 10 years. Other than that it's amazing.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was about to ask why you randomly included Derpy Hooves being born on the timeline, but then I saw your name and my question was answered...

 

This actually is pretty good, though as Sindle said there are a few problems here and there. The mane one for me is going to be the ages of the Mane Six, because that has been debated non-stop and there really isn't a good answer to it. Really, the only thing we know for sure is that Fluttershy is a year old than Pinkie, but that's where information stops. A lot of people use Fluttershy being taller in the flashback in "Cutie Mark Chronicles" as evidence that Fluttershy is older, but I don't buy that. I think it's just a height variation to be honest. Plus, imagining Pinkie Pie as the second oldest of the group seems... odd.

 

Plus, that would mean that Fluttershy was "seven" while Rainbow Dash was "four" and they were both in the same flight classes. And it would also mean that Twilight Sparkle was "three" when she took her magic test. Just seems... out of wack. But you definitely gave your best effort on that part, so I won't go too deep into it.

 

Another point of contention for me is Starswirl the Bearded being born where you have him. Now, I know we really don't know when or where he was born, but it would seem to me like he was born after Celestia and Luna already ruled over Equestria since Scorpan and Tirek came to Equestria while Celestia and Luna were the rulers and Scorpan made friends with Starswirl the Bearded. Unless you're implying that Starswirl lived for a very, very, very long time or something.

 

There's probably other things, but for the most part it looks good to me. Good job on this.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(edited)

Great job!

But what really bothers me, like @Sindle said, I believe the events from seasons 1 to 4 take place in the same year.

Edited by Blobulle
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was about to ask why you randomly included Derpy Hooves being born on the timeline, but then I saw your name and my question was answered...

:muffins:  How could I neglect best pony?

 

This actually is pretty good, though as Sindle said there are a few problems here and there. The mane one for me is going to be the ages of the Mane Six, because that has been debated non-stop and there really isn't a good answer to it. Really, the only thing we know for sure is that Fluttershy is a year old than Pinkie, but that's where information stops. A lot of people use Fluttershy being taller in the flashback in "Cutie Mark Chronicles" as evidence that Fluttershy is older, but I don't buy that. I think it's just a height variation to be honest. Plus, imagining Pinkie Pie as the second oldest of the group seems... odd.

 

Plus, that would mean that Fluttershy was "seven" while Rainbow Dash was "four" and they were both in the same flight classes. And it would also mean that Twilight Sparkle was "three" when she took her magic test. Just seems... out of wack. But you definitely gave your best effort on that part, so I won't go too deep into it.

Damn, I just noticed that. I based the ages on my belief that Twi is the youngest of the bunch, but now I can see the discrepancies involved there. Maybe Dash and Flutters are the same age, then? Twilight and Pinkie can share the same birth year.

 

 

Another point of contention for me is Starswirl the Bearded being born where you have him. Now, I know we really don't know when or where he was born, but it would seem to me like he was born after Celestia and Luna already ruled over Equestria since Scorpan and Tirek came to Equestria while Celestia and Luna were the rulers and Scorpan made friends with Starswirl the Bearded. Unless you're implying that Starswirl lived for a very, very, very long time or something.

The problem with resolving that is the fact that Clover the Clever claimed to be Starswirl's protegée. However, the Hearth's Warming pageant doesn't explain the absence of Celestia and Luna (it is explicitly stated that the Unicorn Empire controlled the sun and moon), which raises the possibility that Tirek and Scorpan visited Equestria before it was settled by the Dream Valley refugees. How Starswirl got involved would be a matter of pure conjecture at this point. Of course, you could always handwave it with things like magical stasis or pocket dimensions. :P

 

There's probably other things, but for the most part it looks good to me. Good job on this.

I appreciate your input. The more people have to add to this thread, the more detailed and accurate the timeline can be.

Great job!

But what really bothers me, like @Sindle said, I believe the events from seasons 1 to 4 take place in the same year.

 

Reddit disagrees with that assertion: http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/1ro4qq/timeline_of_mlpfim/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@@DerpyFanatic, good point about Clover the Clever being Starswirl the Bearded's apprentice. It makes me think how close together all of these events are supposed to have happened...

 

Granny Smith is supposedly hundreds of years old, so maybe Starswirl ended up living even longer than that thanks to magic or something and that's how he befriended Scorpan. Celestia and Luna were either around when the tribes were or Starswirl was alive during the whole migration of the tribes to Equestria and lived for a very long time.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have a source for this? It would help me get an idea of how long Equestrian ponies can potentially live.

 

Winter Wrap-Up: Twilight Sparkle: No Spike, Ponyville was started by Earth ponies, so for hundreds of years they've never used magic to clean up winter. It's traditional.

 

Family Appreciation Day: Granny Smith: And before we knew it, we had ourselves a nice little town, bustling with all kinds of ponies. And that is how Ponyville was founded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Winter Wrap-Up: Twilight Sparkle: No Spike, Ponyville was started by Earth ponies, so for hundreds of years they've never used magic to clean up winter. It's traditional. Family Appreciation Day: Granny Smith: And before we knew it, we had ourselves a nice little town, bustling with all kinds of ponies. And that is how Ponyville was founded.
Yeah, the brony analyst Silver Quill pointed this inconsistency out a while back actually and came up with the best headcannon ever (to solve what is likely a major "oops" on the part of the writers). Granny Smith is a Highlander!
  • Brohoof 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm, okay. Maybe I could add another two centuries to Granny's birth and Ponyville's founding? Still, though, I'm tempted to either give Starswirl a later birth date or shove him into a time warp or something. Let's say I moved his birth year up to 3200 TA, that would make him 135 years old at the time of the Tribal Summit. However, that would require explaining why he simply wasn't there to advise Princess Platinum or even sort out the windigoes himself. Either he was off somewhere doing something completely unrelated and didn't know about the climate shift in Dream Valley, or (more likely) he had died some time prior to the Neopony Period, leaving Clover to carry on his legacy and research while serving as Princess Platinum's grand vizier.

 

Yeah, the brony analyst Silver Quill pointed this inconsistency out a while back actually and came up with the best headcannon ever (to solve what is likely a major "oops" on the part of the writers). Granny Smith is a Highlander!

 

LOL. In any case, Equestrian ponies seem to be remarkably long-lived. I'll happily leave the third era dates where they are now, unless someone else comes up with something better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When Tirek is talked about by Celestia it would indicate he came from an alternate world of sorts ( G1 world? ) as his brother returned to that. The fact that a Human dimension is now cannon I feel corroborates, this interpretation. So I would not include G1 events in a timeline of Equestrian history. I applaud the effort to make the two timelines fit though.

Also, we really don't know how long ponies live as exact ages haven't been discussed in the show before.

And before the two sisters entered the scene, it sounds like Unicorns had always used their magic to govern the heavens, as Pegasi govern the weather. So the three fold division of ponies into clans would seem to be the norm until the reign of Discord.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@@DerpyFanatic,

 

Wow. After reading your introduction I was about to comment on how including a G1 villain doesn't automatically connect the 1st and 4th Generations .. but then I read the timeline.

 

Canon or not, I have to hand it to you. You created a pretty sophisticated historical cliffs notes. Bravo.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When Tirek is talked about by Celestia it would indicate he came from an alternate world of sorts ( G1 world? ) as his brother returned to that. The fact that a Human dimension is now cannon I feel corroborates, this interpretation. So I would not include G1 events in a timeline of Equestrian history. I applaud the effort to make the two timelines fit though.

Also, we really don't know how long ponies live as exact ages haven't been discussed in the show before.

And before the two sisters entered the scene, it sounds like Unicorns had always used their magic to govern the heavens, as Pegasi govern the weather. So the three fold division of ponies into clans would seem to be the norm until the reign of Discord.

 

But what about Megan from G1? If humans are canon, logically one could see Rescue at Midnight Castle as the official first contact, but it happened so long ago that most ponies see it as a myth, which is why Twilight didn't recognize humans when she saw them (or became one herself). The exodus from Dream Valley would mean leaving the portal to Earth behind along with everything else and not finding another one until Sunset Shimmer went rogue in the Third Era.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

But what about Megan from G1? If humans are canon, logically one could see Rescue at Midnight Castle as the official first contact, but it happened so long ago that most ponies see it as a myth, which is why Twilight didn't recognize humans when she saw them (or became one herself). The exodus from Dream Valley would mean leaving the portal to Earth behind along with everything else and not finding another one until Sunset Shimmer went rogue in the Third Era.
Possible, but highly speculative at the moment. Also, one would have to come the conclusion that time in Equestria and time the human world ( since Megan was from the "present" from the standpoint of when G1 aired ), something akin to over 1000 years equals 30 human years. But in Equestria Girls that doesn't seem to be the case at all, as time seems to be relatively in sync with both worlds.

Also, given that the creation of the world of and the show itself FiM was with the thought that it should be way different than the previous generation of MLP; I find the writers, even at this point, trying to tie G1 and G4 as the same world improbable from that fact alone.

But going back to the main issue, unless Megan from G1 was from Ancient times, I don't see how merging G1 and G4 into one world as possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(edited)

Pretty interesting to read, but I have some questions.

 

it mentions Tirek escaping from Tartarus, but it never mentions him and Scorpan coming to equestria in the first place. It would have to have happened after Celestia and Luna's return, but before Starswirl's death. Did you just not find a place in the timeline for it yet?

 

Also, if Rescue At Midnight Castle is canon, how was Tirek still alive to invade Equestria in the first place. The storybook flashback is clearly not a Rescue At Midnight Castle due to a multitude of different reasons, including Equestria not existing yet, Starswirl, the Alicorn Sisters, ect... If the rainbow of light didn't destroy Tirek, then what did it do to him and how did he return to infiltrate Equestria all those years later?

 

Scorpan seems to be the thing that really destroys any attempt at continuity between the gens. Not only would Scorpan have to have been Tirek's brother without anyone mentioning it in G1, but he returned to being a human prince at the end of the special. For this to work:

 

- A human prince would have to be Tirek's brother

 

- Tirek transforms him into a monster, and threatens him into servitude

 

-He betrays Tirek and helps the ponies defeat him, causing him to become human again

 

-Over a thousand years pass, Tirek has returned. Scorpan is somehow a monster again and has rejoined Tirek.

 

-Scorpan chooses ponies over Tirek again and betrays him again, keeps his monster form and just leaves

 

Scorpan being a monster and Tirek's loyal brother seems to directly contradict the G1 version of Scorpan, unless you can come up with some convincing answers to resolve these issues.

Edited by EquineWhoDoesStuff
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The simplest answer:

 

G1 was all a dream.

 

Alternate answer:

 

Scorpan's human prince form was actually Flash Sentry's ancestor and all of G1 actually took place in the world of Equestria Girls, where humans eventually took over and magic creatures died out.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're bucking right that's what I'm saying!

 

CURSE YOU FLASH SEEEENTRY AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY LINE!

 

*Despicable Waifu Stealer Snip*

 

Oh dear, I think I'm going to abandon this train of thought before I derail the entire thread. Waifu stealing is a dangerous and wicked art, talking about them only stirs the Waifu stealers from their watery slumber in the halls of Waifu'lyeh.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty interesting to read, but I have some questions.

 

it mentions Tirek escaping from Tartarus, but it never mentions him and Scorpan coming to equestria in the first place. It would have to have happened after Celestia and Luna's return, but before Starswirl's death. Did you just not find a place in the timeline for it yet?

 

Also, if Rescue At Midnight Castle is canon, how was Tirek still alive to invade Equestria in the first place. The storybook flashback is clearly not a Rescue At Midnight Castle due to a multitude of different reasons, including Equestria not existing yet, Starswirl, the Alicorn Sisters, ect... If the rainbow of light didn't destroy Tirek, then what did it do to him and how did he return to infiltrate Equestria all those years later?

 

Scorpan seems to be the thing that really destroys any attempt at continuity between the gens. Not only would Scorpan have to have been Tirek's brother without anyone mentioning it in G1, but he returned to being a human prince at the end of the special. For this to work:

 

- A human prince would have to be Tirek's brother

 

- Tirek transforms him into a monster, and threatens him into servitude

 

-He betrays Tirek and helps the ponies defeat him, causing him to become human again

 

-Over a thousand years pass, Tirek has returned. Scorpan is somehow a monster again and has rejoined Tirek.

 

-Scorpan chooses ponies over Tirek again and betrays him again, keeps his monster form and just leaves

 

Scorpan being a monster and Tirek's loyal brother seems to directly contradict the G1 version of Scorpan, unless you can come up with some convincing answers to resolve these issues.

 

 

This is exactly what I haven't figured out yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is exactly what I haven't figured out yet.

 

Ah, the joys of untangling multi-generation plot lines with vague connections... I bet there are a thousand hardcore Legend of Zelda timeline crunchers who would wail their ghostly wail with you in empathy!

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(edited)

Winter Wrap-Up: Twilight Sparkle: No Spike, Ponyville was started by Earth ponies, so for hundreds of years they've never used magic to clean up winter. It's traditional.

 

Family Appreciation Day: Granny Smith: And before we knew it, we had ourselves a nice little town, bustling with all kinds of ponies. And that is how Ponyville was founded.

O__O

I hope it's a continuity error.

Granny Smith being over 100 years old? Please no :(

Edited by Blobulle
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really great job! Brohoof for you! I'm not sure I agree with everything, but a awesome effort.

 

My main issues are with the sisters in that I still think they were born Unicorns and ascended to Alicorns. I'm also convinced the writers have no idea where to place Star Swril or how he fits into the pony history. I'm also unclear why people think the last four seasons are really one year. I've always felt that each season is more or less a part of one year.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Join the herd!

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...