This article discusses the fictional timeline of the Star Trek franchise. The franchise is primarily set in the future, ranging from the mid-22nd century (Star Trek: Enterprise) to the early 25th century (Star Trek: Picard), with the third season of Star Trek: Discovery jumping forward to the 32nd century; this is also the setting of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The franchise has also outlined a fictional future history of Earth prior to this, and, primarily through time travel plots, explored both past and further-future settings.
The chronology is complicated by the presence of divergent timelines within the franchise's narrative, as well as internal contradictions and retcons. The original series generally avoided assigning real-world dates to its futuristic setting, instead using the stardate system. Series from Star Trek: The Next Generation onwards defined their temporal settings in conventional form.
Series, books, and film settings This table shows each TV series and movie, its year of release or broadcast, the year it was set in according to the prevailing Okuda chronology (see below), and the stardate range for that year. The designation Enterprise-based series are the series that featured the various incarnations of the starship USS Enterprise. In universe timeline chronological order Star Trek: Enterprise (ENT), Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS), Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), and all 13 of the Star Trek feature films, including the three newest J. J. Abrams "reboot" films, or "Kelvin Timeline" based on the original series.
YearStardatesEvents2026–2053World War III2054–2079Post-atomic horror2063First Contact (1996) [primary plotline]2151–2152Enterprise season 1 (2001–2002)2152–2153Enterprise season 2 (2002–2003)2153–2154Enterprise season 3 (2003–2004)2154–2155Enterprise season 4 (2004–2005)2156–2160Earth–Romulan War2161Enterprise "These Are the Voyages..." (2005) holodeck simulation of the eventsFounding of the United Federation of Planets2245–2250The Constitution-class USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) is launched under the command of Captain Robert April and begins its first 5-year mission.2254Star Trek "The Cage" (1964)2256–22571207Klingon-Federation WarDiscovery season 1 (2017–2018)2258–2259Discovery season 2 (2018–2019)2259Strange New Worlds season 1 (2022) and season 2 (2023)Khan [primary plotline]2261Strange New Worlds season 3 (2025)2262Strange New Worlds season 4 (2026)22651000–1499Star Trek "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1965)2266–22671500–3299Star Trek season 1 (1966–1967)2267–22683300–4799Star Trek season 2 (1967–1968)2268–22694800–5999Star Trek season 3 (1968–1969)2269–22705221–5683The Animated Series season 1 (1973–1974)22706000–6146The Animated Series season 2 (1974)22737410–7599The Motion Picture (1979)22858100–8299The Wrath of Khan (1982)The Search for Spock (1984)22868300–8399The Voyage Home (1986)22878400–8499The Final Frontier (1989)22939500–9999The Undiscovered Country (1991)Generations (1994) [prologue]23241292.4Section 31 (2025)236441000–41999TNG season 1 (1987–1988)236542000–42999TNG season 2 (1988–1989)236643000–43999TNG season 3 (1989–1990)236744000–44999TNG season 4 (1990–1991)236845000–45999TNG season 5 (1991–1992)236946000–46999TNG season 6 (1992–1993)DS9 season 1 (1993)237047000–47999TNG season 7 (1993–1994)DS9 season 2 (1993–1994)237148000–48999Generations (1994)DS9 season 3 (1994–1995)Voyager season 1 (1995)237249000–49999DS9 season 4 (1995–1996)Voyager season 2 (1995–1996)237350000–50999First Contact (1996) Dominion WarDS9 season 5 (1996–1997)Voyager season 3 (1996–1997)237451000–51999Dominion WarDS9 season 6 (1997–1998)Voyager season 4 (1997–1998)237552000–52999Dominion War Insurrection (1998)DS9 season 7 (1998–1999)Voyager season 5 (1998–1999)237653000–53999Voyager season 6 (1999–2000)2377–237854000–55599Voyager season 7 (2000–2001)237956400–56899Nemesis (2002)2380–2382 Lower Decks2383–2385 Prodigy season 1 (2021), and season 2 (2024)239976000–76999 Picard season 1 (2020)240178183 Picard season 2 (2022) [main timeline] and season 3 (2023)3069–3089 The Burn, followed by the collapse of most of the United Federation of Planets3188-89Discovery season 3 (2020)3190Discovery season 4 (2021–22)3191Discovery season 5 (2024)3195Starfleet Academy season 1 (2026)
Reboot timeline YearEvents2164USS Franklin goes missing: Star Trek Beyond (2016)2233Star Trek (2009) [prologue]2233–2258Nero comics2258–2259Star Trek (2009)2259–2260Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)2263Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Timeline in order of series air dates
Chronology and events This timeline is based on the Star Trek Chronology model described below, supplemented by data from the website startrek.com. The Timeline also consists of before, between, and after those events.
Note: Many of these dates are rounded-off approximations, as the dialog from which they are derived often includes qualifiers such as "over," "more than," or "less than."
Before Common Era The Big Bang Quinn hides in the Big Bang to avoid discovery by Q.Death Wish (Star Trek: Voyager) c. 6 billion years ago The Guardian of Forever is formed. c. 4 billion years ago A humanoid civilization seeds the oceans of many planets with genetic material, which would lead to the development of humanoids on many planets.This event is the key plot point of "The Chase". c. 65 to 100 million years ago The dinosaurs (the Voth civilization) from the episode "Distant Origin" are most likely descendants of Hadrosauridae who lived in the Cretaceous period of Earth's history. c. 1 million years ago Sargon's people explore the galaxy and colonize various planets, possibly including Vulcan. c. 600,000 years ago The Tkon Empire, an interstellar state consisting of dozens of star systems in the Alpha Quadrant, becomes extinct. c. 200,000 years ago The Iconian civilization is destroyed. c. 8,000 BC The Dominion may have been founded in the Gamma Quadrant by the shapeshifting race known as the Changelings around this time, possibly in a different form than is known in the modern timeline.Weyoun states that the Dominion is approximately 10,000 years old in the seventh season episode "The Dogs of War". c. 2700 BC A group of extraterrestrial beings land on Earth and are eventually known as the Greek gods, as established in the episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?".
1st millennium of the Common Era c. 4th century AD The Vulcan Time of Awakening. In the midst of horrific wars on Vulcan, the philosopher Surak leads his people, teaching them to embrace logic and suppress all emotion.The seventh-season TNG episode "Gambit" says this was around 2,000 years before. Those who refuse to follow Surak leave the Vulcan system and eventually colonize Romulus. ("Awakening" (ENT), "Balance of Terror" (TOS)) The Dominion may have been founded in the Gamma Quadrant by the shapeshifting race known as the Changelings (Founders) around this time.Weyoun says the Dominion is 2,000 years old in the fourth-season DS9 episode "To the Death". Possibly this was a time of change or reform for the Dominion, transforming it from a previous incarnation into the version seen in the series. c. 9th century Kahless the Unforgettable unites the Klingons by defeating the tyrant Molor in battle, and provides his people with teachings based on a philosophy of honor.The sixth-season TNG episode "Rightful Heir" said this event was 1,500 years ago)
Pre-20th century c. 1505 The Borg are known to exist in the Delta Quadrant, 900 years prior to Voyager landing on the planet as referenced by the Vaadwaur "Dragon's Teeth" (VOY). c. 1570 The ancient Bajorans use solar sail ships to explore their star system, and one may have reached Cardassia.800 years before the third-season DS9 episode "Explorers" 18th century The Suliban homeworld becomes uninhabitable ("Detained" (ENT)). The Preservers transport various Native Americans to a faraway planet.The Chronology dates this by the culture seen in the episode which features the transplant, The Paradise Syndrome c. 1864 The Skagarans abduct humans for use as slaves in their colony world (as referred to in Enterprise Season 3: "North Star"). c. 1871 The Cardassian Union is established.Gul Dukat says this happens five centuries before the third-season DS9 episode Defiant 1888 August 31: Jack the Ripper's first victim is found murdered and mutilated in East London (as referred to in Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2: "Wolf in the Fold"). c. 1893 "Time's Arrow" (TNG).
20th century 1918 World War I ends with 15–22 million dead ("Bread and Circuses (TOS)"). 1930 Social activist Edith Keeler dies in a traffic accident in New York. In an alternate timeline where she lives, she becomes the leader of a peace movement that indirectly leads to Nazi Germany winning World War II. ("The City on the Edge of Forever" (TOS)). 1937 Several hundred humans are secretly abducted by an alien race known as the Briori and brought to the Delta Quadrant. Eight are cryogenically frozen, including long-lost pilot Amelia Earhart ("The 37's" (VOY)). 1944 (alternate timeline) In an alternate timeline caused by incursions from the Temporal Cold War of the 27th-31st centuries, Nazi Germany wins World War II with the help of an alien species called the Na'kuhl. The crew of the starship Enterprise (NX-01), arriving here from 2153, defeat the Na'kuhl, end the Temporal Cold War and return to their own time. ("Storm Front" (ENT)) 1945 World War II ends with 70–85 million dead ("Bread and Circuses (TOS)"). The United Nations is established in San Francisco but its headquarters move to New York City. 1947 Three Ferengi (Quark, Rom, and Nog) crash land in the New Mexico desert, and are held by the U.S. government at a secret base for scientific study ("Little Green Men" (DS9)). 1957 A Vulcan scout ship visits Earth, according to a story told by T'Pol (presumably a true story as T'Pol examines a purse which was portrayed as used by her great-great-grandmother during the story; see episode entry) ("Carbon Creek" (ENT)). 1967 Captain Braxton's 29th century Federation timeship Aeon crashlands on Earth ("Future's End" (Voyager)). 1968 "Assignment: Earth" (TOS) past events. 1969 "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (TOS) past events. 1986 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home past events. Two humpback whales are brought forward in time to 2286 in order to repopulate their species after it became extinct. 1992 The Eugenics Wars (WWIII) begin.Dates are given in dialogue in "Space Seed" At the height of his influence, the genetically augmented tyrant Khan Noonien Singh is said to be the absolute ruler of more than one-quarter of Earth's population. (WWIII is retconned to be in the 2050s by TNGs Encounter at Farpoint and Star Trek First Contact and to being a conflict separate from the Eugenics Wars; SNWs "Strange New World" retcons it to taking place in the 21st century, prior to WWIII.) 1996 The Eugenics Wars end. After Khan's defeat, he and a group of about 80 or 90 Augments steal the sleeper ship SS Botany Bay and leave the Solar System. ("Space Seed" (TOS)) "Future's End" (VOY). 1999 Voyager 6 is launched.The Chronology speculates on the year, noting that Star Trek: The Motion Picture does not give an exact figure. However the movie itself does state that Voyager 6 "was launched more than three hundred years ago." 2000 The past events of "11:59" (VOY).
21st century 2002 The interstellar probe Nomad is launched.The Chronology speculates on the year, noting the episode "The Changeling" does not give an exact figure. However, the episode does have Kirk ask "Wasn't there a probe called Nomad launched in the early 2000s?" 2004 The past events of "Carpenter Street" (ENT). 2009 The first successful Earth-Saturn probe takes place.The Chronology speculates on the year, noting the episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" does not give an exact year. 2012