Make a Timeline
Enter events with dates – the timeline sorts them chronologically, picks the scale (days, months or years) and places the labels without overlaps. Ready to print or save as an image.
How it is calculated
How to make a timeline
- Optionally enter a heading.
- For each event enter a date and a text and press “Add”. For periods (an era or a construction phase) also fill in “until” – the timeline then draws a bar.
- Events are sorted chronologically. In the list below you can change date, text and colour at any time.
- Save as PNG for slides, reports or Word, as SVG for lossless scaling, or print it directly.
On your first visit a small example is filled in; “Start over” clears the timeline.
Date format and BC
Dates follow the year–month–day order of ISO 8601 as the W3C describes it for the web: 1989, 1989-11 or 1989-11-09. A minus sign means “before Christ”: -44 is 44 BC. There is no year 0 in this count – 1 BC to AD 1 is one year – and the timeline converts positions accordingly.
Automatic scale
Depending on the span, the axis is labelled in years (in steps such as 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100 …), months or days. Labels alternate above and below the axis and move into further rows whenever they would overlap.
Privacy and limits
The timeline is stored only in your browser (localStorage) and never uploaded. To use it on another device, save it as a file. Very long texts are shortened in the image; with hundreds of events the image gets very wide – split them into several timelines instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a timeline for free?
Enter events with dates and the timeline appears right below. Save it as PNG or SVG or print it – no sign-up and no software needed.
Can I use the timeline in PowerPoint or Word?
Yes. “Save PNG” creates an image you can insert into PowerPoint, Word or Google Slides. The SVG file can be enlarged without losing quality.
How do I enter BC dates?
With a minus sign: -44 means 44 BC, -3000 means 3000 BC. The axis then shows “BC”.
Can I show periods instead of single dates?
Yes. Also fill in the “until” field. The period appears as a coloured bar between start and end.
Are my entries saved?
Yes, locally in your browser – the timeline is still there next time. Nothing is uploaded; use “Save as file” for other devices.
Sources and legal basis
- W3C – Date and Time Formats (Profil von ISO 8601: JJJJ, JJJJ-MM, JJJJ-MM-TT)
- W3C – Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 2
- MDN Web Docs – HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob() (PNG-Export)
- MDN Web Docs – Window: localStorage
As of:
Related tools
- Gantt Chart MakerFree online Gantt chart maker: tasks with start and end dates, dependencies, week numbers and weekends. Export as PNG, SVG or CSV for Excel. No sign-up.
- Create a Family TreeCreate a family tree online: add people with parents and partners and generations are arranged automatically. Export as PNG, SVG or GEDCOM, or print it.
- Date CalculatorCount the days between two dates, add or subtract days, weeks, months or years, and add business days with public holidays for your country.
- Countdown to a DateFree countdown to any date: days, hours, minutes and seconds left until your event, live and updating every second – shareable as a link or embed.
- Age CalculatorCalculate your exact age from your date of birth in years, months and days, in total days, weeks and months – plus the countdown to your next birthday.
- Citation Generator for APA, MLA, Harvard and ISO 690Create reference list entries and in-text citations in APA 7, MLA 9, Harvard (Cite Them Right) and DIN ISO 690 for books, articles, web pages and chapters.