Timeline

All items are established facts derived from the games themselves, except for those labelled "inferred", which are events that the original author has inferred, based on information taken directly from the games.

year	source	event
1950s		First man in space, controlled nuclear fission, transistor, start of the nuclear arms race.
1960s		First man on Moon, commercial fission power, integrated circuits, computers.
1970s		Probes in solar system.
1980s		End of first nuclear arms race.
1990s		First serious environmental problems on Earth, controlled nuclear fusion.
2000s		First (minor) armed conflict between a nation and a "multi-national" corporation.
2010s		First serious population problems on Earth.
2020s		First international environmental protection enforcement agency, first commercial space station.
2030s		Major energy crisis, fossil fuel restrictions, religious unrest, first baby born off Earth.
2040s		World War III. Huge technological advancements, huge loss of life, dreadful environmental damage.
2050s		War gradually abandoned due to popular rebellions. Commercial fusion power.
2060s		Rebuilding. Dominance of corporations increased.
2070s		First man on Mars, first permanent Moon base.
2080s		Manned exploration of solar system, orbital cities around Earth, first interstellar probes launched.
2090s		First permanent Mars base, heavy industry on Moon.
2100s		Discovery of fossils on Mars base, "hyperspace" discovered, humans throughout solar system.
2110s		Arrival of message from first interstellar probe to Alpha Centauri system. First pictures taken of an extra-solar planet in the Lagrange point on the two main stars.
2120s		Presence of life on Tau Ceti 3 detected, first armed conflict in space over rights in the asteroid belt.
2130s		Hyperspace capable probes sent to all nearby systems.
2140s		Manned space craft sent to Tau Ceti.
2150s		Colony established on Tau Ceti 3. Major corporations sending first private colony ships.
2160s		The race for the stars. Enormous production effort to produce ships, and mass exodus started.
2170s		First attempt to terraform Mars started.
2180s		Life on Delta Parvonis discovered and made extinct in same year from bacteriological infection.
2190s		Discovery of life on Beta Hydri 4, Altair 5. Human colonials spreading out of control.
2200s		Earth environmental recovery program started, terraforming of Mars abandoned.
2220s		Extinctions on Tau Ceti 3 increasing. Earth threatens to send a police force if nothing is done about it.
2230s		Ultimatum sent to Tau Ceti ignored
2240s		First interstellar battle, formation of the Federation. Founder members: Earth, Tau Ceti, Delta Pavonis, Altair, Beta Hydri.
2260s		Spread of Federation influence.
2270s		Second attempt to terraform Mars started.
2280s		Discovery of first non-human relic in space. Origin still unknown in 3200.
2290s		First man "outside" on Mars (ie breathing unaided) on completion of terraforming.
2300s		Remaining indigenous life on Tau Ceti 3 preserved in special enclosures.
2310s		News of elimination of a reputedly sentient race on Achenar 6d by private colonists causes outrage in the Federation. Achenar refuses to join Federation, many terra-forming projects started.
2320s		Federation sends war fleet to Achenar. Resulting enormous space battle won by Achenar.
2330s		Spread of Empire from Achenar to surrounding worlds. War between Empire and Federation.
	inferred	The first Space Dredgers are built as a means of providing heavy industrial capability on the front lines of the war.
2340s		Continuing battles between Federation and Empire.
2350s		Sirius corporation founded, grows rich supplying the war fleets.
2380s		Treaty signed between Empire and Federation. The Cold War begins...
2400	inferred	Galactic Cooperative of Worlds is formed as an arbitrating body to maintain the peace between the Federation and Empire as well as the independent systems. It is given a very large budget through equal contributions from the Federation and Empire as well as contributions from other multi-world political entities. This budget is used primarily to produce adequate police forces and a well-armed navy which would come to the aid of any system threatened with invasion by another system. An era of peace begins to settle over the populated galaxy, though there is still much tension between the Federation and Empire.
2700		Python class star cruiser is produced by Whatt and Pritney ShipConstruct of Inera.
2762		Viper class heavy fighter is produced by Faulcon Manspace of Reorte and becomes the standard GalCop Police ship. The design is sent to all shipyards on medium to high technology worlds for immediate mass production.
2852		Gecko is produced by the Ace & Faber HullWorks of Lerelace.
2855		Cobra Mk 1, produced by Paynou, Prossett and Salem shipyards of Zaonce, introduces revolutionary Prossett drive which alters the course of ship engine design all over the known galaxy.
2856		Anaconda class freighter is produced by RimLiner Galactic of Barnard's Star. It is hailed as the largest freighter class built to date and remains so until the late 3100s. Orbital Shuttle is produced by Saud-Kruger Astro Design of Achenar. It steadily begins phasing out the old Transporter as the standard surface-to-orbit cargo and passenger carrier.
2878		Asp Mk. II is produced by GalCop Shipworks, Eta Cassiopeia and becomes the standard GalCop Navy patrol and combat craft.
2900	inferred	After a series of peace talks, the Empire and Federation decide to form a special joint task force whose "official" purpose is research and development of spacecraft and space living technology. It is given the name Intergalactic Naval Research Arm, or INRA for short.
2914		Adder produced by illicit Outworld Workshop. (Actually, the ship was an INRA design, but this information was considered Top Secret until 3290 - inferred).
2982		Sidewinder scout ship designed by Faulcon de Lacy Shipworks and produced by Spalder and Starblaze corporation of Eta Cassiopeia to satisfy GalCop Navy's need for a fast and manoeuvrable forward reconnaissance craft. The design immediately becomes very popular with space pirates.
3017		Boa class star cruiser produced by Gerege Federation Space Works, Gerege.
3027		Krait class fighter is produced by Faulcon deLacy Shipworks, Inines.
3028		Moray 'Starboat' is produced by Marine Trench, Co., Earth.
3050	inferred	First reported contact with insectoid alien race known as the Thargoids ends in hostility.
3055	inferred	The Thargoid invasion officially begins. Massive fleets of Thargoid warships carrying remote controlled fighters ruthlessly cut a swathe into occupied human territory, encroaching on a cluster of stars centred around Alioth. GalCop Navy is mobilized to respond.
3100		Cobra Mk 3 is produced by Cowell & MgRath Shipyards of Lave. Fer-de-Lance Lightspeeder is produced by Zorgon Petterson Group. It becomes a favourite with bounty hunters, but becomes outlawed in the late 3100s due to its overuse by pirates.
3100	inferred	The GalCop Navy manages to beat the Thargoid invasion back, a battle line is drawn, centred on sector 9,9. The Thargoids begin sending small reconnaissance fleets behind the battle line and deep into Human territory to survey various systems for later conquest and to raid commercial shipping.
3101		Worm class landing craft is produced by Sirius Corporation of Sol to provide a means for larger ships to off-load passengers and cargo without the need of an orbital station.
3110		Mamba class fighter designed as a racing craft by the illicit Reorte Ship Federation. The design is standardized and mass produced by Radlett and Rayburn Shipyards of Reorte and is later outlawed by the GalCop due to its lack of sufficient safety features.
3123	inferred	Galactic Cooperative is reduced in its power to that of an interstellar police force due to its failure to repel the Thargoid invasion. Existence of the INRA is officially announced by the Federation and Empire and the INRA Attack Wing is created. Citizens of both superpowers are encouraged to enlist to help stave off the invasion. GalCop becomes known as the Interpol and it finds itself under much scrutiny by the Federation and Empire.
3127	inferred	Federation and Empire officially reject authority of Interpol and form their own police forces. Interpol is relegated to policing non-aligned systems and smaller confederacies.
3145		The Imperial Courier is produced by the Gutamaya Corporation of Achenar.
3147		The Imperial Trader is produced by the Gutamaya Corporation of Achenar. The Osprey attack fighter is produced by the Imperial Shipyards at Vequess.
3166		The Tiger Trader is produced by the Core Industrial Corporation of Sol.
3179		The Puma Clipper is produced by the Gupta Industrial Corporation of Alpha Centauri.
3182		The Lion class heavy trader is produced by the Gupta Industrial Corporation of Alpha Centauri.
3185		The Panther Clipper is produced by the Gupta Industrial Corporation of Alpha Centauri. It is the largest privately-owned freighter ever produced to date and remains so until the release of the Quest class ship.
3189		The Constrictor medium trader is produced by the Vega Line Corporation.
3193	inferred	Thargoid invasion halted by INRA's introduction of a Mycoid virus into the Thargoids' living machinery. The Thargoids vanish from human space entirely and Humanity begins a period of re-colonization and revitalization.
3195		The Eagle Long Range Fighter Mk 1 is produced by Faulcon deLacy shipyards, Reorte.
3199		The Eagle Long Range Fighter Mk 2 is produced by the Federal Military Shipyards at Eta Cassiopeia. The Eagle Long Range Fighter Mk 3 is produced by the Gutamaya Corporation of Achenar a few months after the Mk 2 is released, ultimately fixing problems caused by the Mk 2.
3200		Frontier: Elite II begins.
3219		The Tiercel class light freighter is produced by the Core Industrial Corporation of Sol.
3228		The Skeet class star cruiser is produced by Whatt and Pritney ShipConstruct of Inera.
3230		Alioth uprising. The system, which had been subjected to many battles between the Empire and Federation was freed in a massed insurrection against both sets of invaders. The Alliance of Independent Systems is formed. Oltiqu is renamed Gateway as it joins the new Alliance.
	inferred	Argent Amalgamated Aerodynamics (Inc.) is formed by Meredith Argent and Mic Turner and based on the newly-renamed world of Argent's Claim. The company immediately announces its position as "The Official Alliance Shipbuilder." Construction begins on the soon-to-be-famous New Rossyth shipyards.
3231		The Harrier class medium fighter is produced by the Perez Corporation of UV Ceti.
	inferred	The Argent Amalgamated Aerodynamics Inc.'s (AAAI) New Rossyth shipyards are completed. The new facility utilizes state-of-the-art technology and immediately begins producing its own ships.
3234		The Gyr class medium fighter is produced by the Core Industrial Corporation of Sol.
3236	inferred	Alioth system economy stabilizes due to business interests taking up residence on the system's three terraformed worlds. The New Rossyth Shipyards reach an incredible production record, which is unsurpassed by any other shipyard in the known galaxy.
3237		The Mantis class transport is produced by AAAI of Alioth. The Harris class heavy fighter is produced by the Perez Corporation of UV Ceti. The Wyvern class light explorer is produced by the AAAI of Alioth.
3240		The Lanner class heavy trader is produced by the Core Industrial Corporation of Sol.
3245		The Griffin is produced by AAAI of Alioth.
3247		The Lanner Mk. II heavy trader is produced by the Core Industrial Corporation of Sol. The Merlin class medium fighter is produced by the Perez Corporation of UV Ceti. The Spar class medium fighter is produced by the Perez Corporation of UV Ceti.
3248		The Imperial Explorer is produced by Gutamaya Corporation of Achenar. The Viper Mk 2 is produced by Faulcon deLacy of Inera.
3250		Frontier: First Encounters begins. The Osprey Attack Fighter is produced by the Gutamaya Corporation of Achenar. Valhalla Liberation Army commander Dentara Rast is assassinated. Mic Turner of AAAI fame completes his design of a brand new type of starship called the Quest class. New Rossyth Shipyards begin laying the groundwork for this new vessel.
3251		New Rossyth rebuilds prototype Class 4 Military Drive and mounts it on the prototype Quest class ship, the Turner's Quest. The Quest class starship is officially announced and becomes the largest privately owned vessel ever produced.
3252		The second Quest class ship, named Argent's Quest is laid down at New Rossyth Shipyards. Another INRA attack on a secret asteroid base in the Alioth system results in the theft of a vaccine to the Mycoid Virus with which the Thargoids were infected in order to bring about a victory for Humankind over the Thargoid invasion.
3253		An official peace between Independent Alliance and Thargoids is established when the captured vaccine to the INRA's mycoid virus is stolen from a secret INRA research base and delivered by the crew of the Argent's Quest to the Thargoid home system of Miacke. The first Thargoid warship ever to be flown by a human arrives in Alliance space.
3255		Relations between Thargoids and Humanity become more amicable as both species begin exchanges of technological and cultural ideas.