How to make a timeline
- Type each event on its own line: a date, a short title and an optional description, separated by commas. Dates can be years (1969), year and month (1969-07), full dates, or BC years (44 BC).
- Choose a vertical layout for printing and phones, or horizontal for slides, and pick a colour.
- Keep "Space events by date" ticked to place events proportionally, so gaps in time are visible; untick it for evenly spaced events.
- Download the timeline as a PNG for documents and presentations, or as an SVG to edit in a design tool.
Timelines for learning and projects
Timelines turn a list of dates into a story you can see. In history they show cause and effect and how long periods really lasted; in science they trace discoveries; in literature they follow a plot or an author's life. Spacing events by date reveals what lists hide, such as long quiet periods followed by rapid change. Students can build a timeline as a revision aid or project, and teachers can make one in minutes for a classroom display.
Keep titles short and put detail in the description, which is wrapped to fit. Events too close together are nudged apart so labels do not overlap. Outside school, timelines work well for project milestones, company histories, family history and wedding or anniversary displays. Your events are saved only in this browser.
Can I use BC dates?
Yes. Write them like "44 BC" or as negative years, such as -44.
What if my dates are not numbers?
Untick "Space events by date" and events are spaced evenly in the order you list them, with your labels as written.
Which format is best for printing?
The vertical layout prints well on A4 or Letter. Use SVG for sharp results at any size.