Timeline

A Timeline for events in Foundation. All dates are reckoned and extrapolated from 12,067 Era Imperial, the year in which the events of "The Emperor's Peace" take place, as confirmed by the timeline in "Foundation: The Art and Making of Seasons 1 & 2".

Major events

• Circa -6,370 Era Imperial
  • Demerzel is constructed.
• Circa -3,000 Era Imperial
  • The religion of Luminism is formed.
• 0 Era Imperial
  • The Galactic Empire is formed.
• 1,102 Era Imperial
  • Demerzel walks The Spiral on the Maiden.
• Circa 7,020 Era Imperial
  • Emperor Benefoss is murdered by a robot, sparking the Robot Wars.
• 7,020 — 7,240 Era Imperial
  • The Robot Wars are fought, a series of military conflicts between robots and humans, spanning 220 years.
• Circa 7,240 Era Imperial
  • The Robot Wars end with humanity's victory. All robots (except Demerzel) were destroyed in an event remembered by the galaxy as the Great Pogrom.
  • Demerzel was taken captive and brought before Emperor Aburanis after losing a famous engagement during the Robot Wars. Aburanis dissecs her to study her robotic nature.
  • After studying her for a while, Aburanis realises that Demerzel is learning from him too and would later use that knowledge to revive her species. In order to prevent this, Aburanis separates her components in a special mechanism and leaves her awake in a secret chamber under the Imperial Palace.
• Circa 8,240 Era Imperial
  • The dynasty of Empress Hanlo begins, including her daughter Empress Ammentic, begins.
• Circa 9,067 Era Imperial
  • Thespis comes under Imperial rule. (Honored Diplomat Shae Un Shae states "We have been loyal citizens of the Imperium for 3,000 years.")
• 9,240 Era Imperial
  • The supplies of palladium on Oona's World are exhausted. The Galactic Empire abandons the planet after turning the autonomous mining machines loose on the local population.
• Circa 10,240 Era Imperial
  • The dynasty started by Empress Hanlo comes to an end.
• Circa 11,167 Era Imperial
  • The Anthor Belt Agreement is signed, establishing peace between the planets Anacreon and Thespis. (Cleon¹² states "For nine centuries, the Anthor Belt Agreement served your planets well.")
• Circa 11,240 Era Imperial
  • The Galactic Empire abandons its holdings on Ignis.
• 11,402 Era Imperial
  • Disappearance of the Imperial warship Invictus, constructed during the reign of Emperor Taurelian as the crown jewel of his fleet.
• Circa 11,567 Era Imperial
  • The Abraxas Conjecture is postulated. It would not be solved for five hundred years. (Hari Seldon states "No one else thought to use it. Not in 500 years).
• 11,630 Era Imperial
  • Cleon¹ discovers the imprisoned Demerzel in a chamber hidden in the Imperial Palace on Trantor.
• Circa 11,640 Era Imperial
  • Spacers are first genetically engineered by the Galactic Empire.
• Circa 11,686 Era Imperial
  • The Star Bridge is under construction but Cleon¹ is dying. He prepares to continue his legacy through the use of cloning himself. (The events surrounding Cleon¹ occur "400 years ago" from 12,086 EI)
• Circa 11,700 Era Imperial
  • Start of the Genetic Dynasty. (Timeline placement)
• Circa 11,700s Era Imperial
  • Cleon² sabotages the wedding of the Anacreon Great Huntress with Thespin king Throy un Thark, resulting in her death and tensions between Anacreon and Thespis.
• 11,979 Era Imperial
  • A Thespin prayer song is last sung, until the Bombing of the Star Bridge. (Honored Diplomat Shae Un Shae notes that the song "hasn’t been sung in 88 years.")
• 11,987 Era Imperial
  • Orlio is born. (Master Orlio began "cleaning the Mural when I was 12")
• 11,999 Era Imperial
  • Master Orlio begins working for the Galactic Empire at the age of twelve, cleaning the Mural of Souls. (Master Orlio states that he was worked for the Galactic Empire for "sixty-eight privileged years")
• Circa 12,032 Era Imperial
  • Hugo Crast is born on Thespis.
• 12,040 Era Imperial
  • A bottle of Locris wine, which would later come into the possession of Hober Mallow, is bottled.
• 12,043 — 12,047 Era Imperial
  • Hari Seldon and Yanna Seldon create the Prime Radiant.
  • Yanna Seldon and her unborn child are killed by Dr. Tadj, who is later murdered by Hari Seldon.
  • Hari Seldon accepts imperial offer and arrives at Streeling University on Trantor.
• 12,050 Era Imperial
  • The Zeonian Rebellion occurs.
• 12,060s Era Imperial
  • Gaal Dornick becomes an acolyte of the Seer Church under Seer Dominie, though she was unhappy with her position.
  • Instructor Arren Sorn is arrested by acolytes of the Seer Church for breaking into the abandoned university on Synnax. Later he is executed for his heresy by attaching weights (including his books) and drowning him in the ocean. His illegal materials are recovered by Gaal Dornick after he had been drowned. Gaal began to secretly learn mathematics, in which she expressed an extensive talent. She abandones her position in the Seer Church.
  • Hari Seldon reaches the conclusion that the Galactic Empire is doomed and will suffer an inevitable fall within 500 years, followed by a period of 30,000 years of endless wars and barbarism. Hari sets out to soften the fall by creating the Foundation, an organization that would seek to safeguard civilization and human knowledge, hoping that this would reduce the dark age to a mere 1,000 years before a new order can arise.
  • Psychohistorical predictions of Hari Seldon come to the attention of the Genetic Dynasty, who worry that Hari Seldon is a revolutionary who seeks to undermine faith in the Galactic Empire.
• 12,060 Era Imperial
  • Cleon¹³ is born.
• 12,066 Era Imperial
  • Thespis detects a rogue asteroid believed to be from the Anthor Belt and began mining the palladium, tithing ten percent to the Empire. Anacreon believes that Thespis acted in bad faith and against the Anthor Belt Agreement. (Emperor Cleon¹² states "Last year, Thespis identified a rogue asteroid, which they believe drifted from the area governed by the agreement.")
• 12,067 Era Imperial
  • The situation in the Anthor Belt erupts into violence, resulting in the deaths of Imperial appraisers. (Aftermath shown in "The Emperor's Peace")
  • Gaal Dornick has her prayer stones removed and leaves Synnax after solving the Abraxas Conjecture and winning a math contest organized by Hari Seldon in the hopes of finding someone who can confirm his predictions about the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire. (Events seen in "The Emperor's Peace")
  • Hari Seldon and Gaal Dornick are arrested and tried for treason and conspiracy to destabilize the Galactic Empire. (Events seen in "The Emperor's Peace")
  • Destruction of the Star Bridge and the orbital platform by terrorists. The debris and orbital tether falls on the planet, resulting in approximately 100 million casualties. (Events seen in "The Emperor's Peace")
  • In the aftermath of both the tribunal and the terrorist attack, Hari Seldon and his followers are exiled to Terminus. (Events seen in "The Emperor's Peace")
  • The Galactic Empire razes Anacreon and Thespis and executes the delegations from those planets. (Events seen in "Preparing to Live")
• 12,068 Era Imperial
  • 8/8: Raych Foss murders Hari Seldon at his request aboard the Deliverance. (Events seen in "Preparing to Live")
  • Gaal Dornick is ejected from the Deliverance in an escape pod by Raych Foss. (Events seen in "Preparing to Live")
  • Raych Foss executed for the murder of Hari Seldon.
• 12,072 Era Imperial / 1 Foundation Era
  • Deliverance arrives at Terminus.
  • 12/11: Deliverance is decommissioned by scuttling it on the surface of Terminus.
  • Construction of the Terminus City is commenced.
• 12,080s Era Imperial / 10s Foundation Era
  • Salvor talks with her father while stargazing and learns the adage "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent".
• 12,086 Era Imperial / 15 Foundation Era (19 years after the Bombing of the Star Bridge)
  • The remains of the Trantor Station are destroyed as a final gift for Cleon¹¹ from his brothers. (Events seen in "The Mathematician's Ghost")
  • Cleon¹¹ ascends as Brother Darkness, while Cleon¹² becomes Brother Dusk and Cleon¹³ becomes Brother Day. Cleon¹⁴ is born and becomes Brother Dawn. (Events seen in "The Mathematician's Ghost")
• 12,092 Era Imperial / 21 Foundation Era
  • Poly Verisof is born on Terminus.
• 12,102 Era Imperial / 31 Foundation Era (17 years after the ascension of Cleon¹¹)
  • Gaal Dornick reaches the Raven and soon departs in a cryo pod for Synnax.
  • Poly Verisof attempts to reach the Vault but is rendered unconscious by the null field. He is rescued by Warden Salvor Hardin. (Events seen in "The Emperor's Peace")
  • Death of Proxima Opal, leader of the Luminist religion, triggers a succession crisis (predicted by Hari Seldon years before) as the expected succession of Zephyr Gilat was contested by Zephyr Halima who wants to return to the old doctrine, considered a heresy by the Galactic Empire. Cleon¹³ walks The Spiral to support Zephyr Gilat's bid for leadership.
  • The First Crisis occurs:
    • Anacreon attacks Terminus on orders of the Great Huntress Phara Keaen. Colonists in Terminus City are massacred by Anacreon forces in a brutal attack. Phara Keaen plans to use the Foundation and its resources to repair the ancient warship Invictus and ram it into the Imperial Palace on Trantor.
    • Warden Salvor Hardin, along with space trader Hugo Crast and mayor of Terminus City Abbas Hardin, attacks Anacreon frigates landed near the city in an attempt to thwart Phara Keaen's plans. All frigates are destroyed in a huge explosion, but Abbas Hardin dies in battle.
    • Phara Keaen's forces (along with prisoners from Foundation) successfully board the Invictus. However their plans go awry as Salvor Hardin escapes with the Foundation's director Lewis Pirrene. The Invictus is transported back to Terminus.
    • Hugo Crast contacts the Thespin Republic in an attempt to liberate the Foundation. Thespis sends several ships to intercept the Invictus.
    • As all sides of the conflict gather on Terminus, the Vault opens for the first time ever and Hari Seldon emerges. He reveals that Anacreon and Thespis were deceived into their animosity by Cleon²: fearing an alliance between Anacreon and Thespis, he arranged for his shadowmaster to frame Thespin King Throy un Thark for the murder of his bride, the Great Huntress of that time. He also admits that Foundation was created to replace the Galactic Empire after its fall.
    • After learning of her origins, Salvor Hardin departs Terminus for Synnax, in search of Gaal Dornick
  • Cleon¹⁴ is killed by Demerzel after his genetic differences are discovered. Shortly after the Galactic Empire discovers that an underground movement corrupted the Genetic Dynasty some time ago.
• Circa 12,140 Era Imperial / 39 Foundation Era
  • The Galactic Empire abandons Siwenna.
• 12,200 Era Imperial / 99 Foundation Era
  • The Galactic Empire cedes control of the Outer Reach. Ducem Barr continues to send tight-beam messages from Siwenna but receives no answer.
• 12,210 Era Imperial / 109 Foundation Era
  • As a member of the Gossamer Court, Rue Corintha is bedded by Emperor Cleon¹⁶. Her selection as his concubine leads her to return to Cloud Dominion rich, celebrated, and on the political ladder.
• 12,225 Era Imperial / 124 Foundation Era
  • Hober Mallow comes into possession of a bottle of rare vintage Locris wine.
• Circa 12,230s Era Imperial / 130s Foundation Era
  • Almost the entire Cloud Dominion royal family is killed in a zeppelin accident. Only the youngest daughter Sareth¹ survives the crash. She was soon crowned Queen of the Cloud Dominion despite her lack of leadership experience.
• 12,236 Era Imperial / 135 Foundation Era
  • Bel Riose disobeys the orders of Emperor Cleon¹⁷ at the Lemul Cluster and is imprisoned on the planet Lepsis. Bel Riose is told his husband, Glawen Curr, has been executed. In fact, it was ruse perpetrated by the Empire as part of Riose's punishment.
• Circa 12,240 Era Imperial / 139 Foundation Era
  • Queen of the Cloud Dominion Sareth¹ and Emperor of the Galactic Empire Cleon¹⁷ (Day) negotiate a potential wedding arrangement.
• 12,240 Era Imperial / 139 Foundation Era
  • Gaal Dornick arrives at Synnax and meets Salvor Hardin, who was also in cryosleep and crashed on the planet some decades earlier. They discover that Hary Seldon's plans for Foundation is veering off course.
  • Assassination attempt on Emperor Cleon¹⁷ is conducted by the Blind Angels on Trantor. Despite severe injuries Cleon¹⁷ survives.
  • Kray Dorwin's body is recovered after a century in space, and the truth of the events on Terminus are revealed to the Galactic Empire.
  • The Second Crisis occurs:
    • The Vault on Terminus opens and requests Hober Mallow's presence.
    • Terminus is destroyed by the Superluminal Armada on orders of Emperor Cleon¹⁷. However all jumpships of the Imperial fleet, along with it's flagship the Shining Destiny, are destroyed shortly after thanks to the Spacers sabotage brokered by Hober Mellow.
    • Spacers uprising against the Galactic Empire succeeds, depriving the latter of its means to travel on space-folding ships.
    • Genetic Dynasty is in shambles, as all three brothers are either killed or on the run. Demerzel is forced to decant exponents of all three of them, for the first time ever.
    • Sareth¹ leaves Trantor, escaping arrest and Demerzel's attempts to frame her for assassination attempt on Cleon¹⁷.
    • Foundation survives the destruction of Terminus and abandons it.
  • The Second Foundation is founded on Ignis.
• 12,241 Era Imperial / 140 Foundation Era
  • After a year of teaching the Mentalics, Hari Seldon and Gaal Dornick go into cryosleep on Ignis.
• Circa 12,390s Era Imperial / 290s Foundation Era
  • The Mule rises to power with the intention of conquering the entire galaxy. He is searching for the Second Foundation and its founders, Gaal Dornick and Hari Seldon, believing that they're the last things standing in his way.
• 12,392 Era Imperial / 291 Foundation Era
  • The Mule feels the arrival of Gaal Dornick in his time period during his search for the Second Foundation.
• Circa 12,570s Era Imperial / 500s Foundation Era
  • According to Hari Seldon's psychohistorical predictions, by this time the Galactic Empire will fall, plunging the entire galaxy into chaos of violent wars and barbarism. (Hari Seldon claims that "Trantor and the Galactic Empire will lie in ruins within five centuries.")
• Circa 13,070s Era Imperial / 1000s Foundation Era
  • According to Hari Seldon's psychohistorical predictions, by this time the period of endless wars and barbarism would end with the formation of the Second Galactic Empire, if the Foundation succeeds. (Hari Seldon says that the known galaxy would be "in the dark for a thousand years.")
• Circa 42,000s Era Imperial / 41,900s Foundation Era
  • According to Hari Seldon's psychohistorical predictions, by this time the period of endless wars and barbarism would end with the formation of the Second Galactic Empire, if the Foundation fails or nothing was done about the imminent fall of the First Galactic Empire. (After advocate Xylas asks Hari Seldon about how long the period of barbarism will last, his answer is "thirty thousand years, advocate.")