CHRONOLOGY OF MIDDLE-EARTH

This chronology of Middle-earth is taken from the more
complete chronology in the appendices in The Return of
the King and from information in The Silmarillion.

FIRST AGE

Eru, the One, creates the world with the help of the Valar,
his servants, who dwell in the Blessed Realm. The elves,
dwarves, and ents are created. Morgoth, one of the Valar
who has turned evil, breeds a race of orcs.

Many of the elves are brought by the Valar to the Blessed
Realm. Morgoth steals three beautiful gems, the Silmarils,
from the elves and carries them back to Middle-earth. A
host of elves follow him to recover the jewels.

At this time, men are created. The Dunedain, a noble race
of men, join the fight against Morgoth. Earendil, who is
half man, half elf, sails to the forbidden Blessed Realm. He
asks help of the Valar, who defeat Morgoth.

SECOND AGE

0-40 The Dunedain are given the island of Numenor to
settle.

1000 Sauron, Morgoth's servant, builds a stronghold in
Mordor.

1500 Elves, deceived by Sauron, forge the Rings of Power.

1600 Sauron forges the One Ring.

1693-1700 War erupts between the elves and Sauron, In
1697, Elrond, a son of Earendil, founds Rivendell. In 1700,
Sauron is defeated.

3262-3319 Sauron succeeds in corrupting the
Numenoreans, who rebel against the Valar in 3319.
Numenor is destroyed.

3320 Elendil, who has led a few faithful Numenoreans to
Middle-earth, founds Arnor in the north and Gondor in the
south.

3429-3441 Elves and men form an alliance against Sauron,
who has reappeared. He is defeated in 3441. Elendil's son
Isildur takes Sauron's Ring.

THIRD AGE

2 Isildur is slain by orcs; Sauron's Ring is lost.

1050 Hobbits first appear. Around this time, wizards also
appear.

1409-1974 Arnor falls in a war against the ringwraiths. The
Dunedain of the North eventually become Rangers.

1975 Ringwraiths are defeated in the North.

1981 Dwarves flee Moria after a Balrog appears.

1999 Dwarf kingdom under the Lonely Mountain is
founded.

2000 Ringwraiths begin war against Gondor.

2050 Rule of stewards in Gondor begins.

2460 Sauron (the Necromancer) appears in Dol Guldor in
Mirkwood.

2463 White Council is formed. Gollum finds the Ring.
Orcs multiply in the Misty Mountains.

2770 Smaug descends on the dwarf kingdom in the Lonely
Mountain.

2890 Bilbo is born.

2931 Aragorn is born.

2941 Bilbo sets out on his adventure with the dwarves and
finds Sauron's Ring. The orcs are defeated in the Battle of
the Five Armies. Sauron is driven out of Dol Guldor by the
White Council.

2942 Bilbo returns to the Shire. Sauron returns to Mordor.

2951 Aragorn and Arwen first meet.

2957-2980 Aragorn, incognito, joins first the men of
Rohan, then the men of Gondor, in their fight against
Sauron's forces.

2968 Frodo is born.

3001 Bilbo holds a farewell birthday party.

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