Timeline

The Warcraft Universe
Over the years, Blizzard has modified the Warcraft Universe over and over. This can make it difficult to create a history for a character, especially for players invested in "keeping to the Lore." Because Blizzard "retcons" their story, this will forever be a work in progress.

There are several different timelines floating around cyberspace currently, some updated more than others, and from all different sources, such as the Warcraft RPG, official books, and older RTS game manuals. For a comparison of several timelines (partly based on Meris' work), see here. The problem is, they are all different.

This is a compilation/modification of reliable sources.

Key

 * Blizzard Lore
 * Major War
 * Earthen Ring Community Lore
 * Guild Lore
 * Character Lore
 * ( ## ) Year translated to common year (base year set arbitrarily in Orcs and Humans)

Distant Past
The Universe is created. In the millennia following the Universe's birth, the mighty Titans begin molding and shaping worlds from the Great Dark Beyond, bringing order to chaos. The titan's mightiest hero, Sargeras, serves as protector of the titans' myriad works. However, Sargeras becomes corrupted by the evil beings of the Twisting Nether and decides to undo the works of the titans. To this end, he releases and subjugates the demonic Eredar and Nathrezim races to serve as his soldiers. The eredar and nathrezim take their own servants in time, enslaving such beings as the pit lords and the fel stalkers.

Now known as the Burning Legion, Sargeras' army begins a path of destruction, destroying every world they encounter.

-147,000 (-146,406)
The mighty Titans arrive on Azeroth and create two races to reshape the world. The dwarves maintain the land; the sea giants patrol the waters.

The Old God C'Thun is defeated by the Titans, who believe him to be dead. However, C'Thun instead goes into hiding and begins making plans to conquer Azeroth when the Titans depart.

The Titans create the species of life that will inhabit Azeroth. First among them are the dragons, followed later by the trolls, humans, dwarves and others.

C'Thun creates the Qiraji to act as his army. The Qiraji are enhanced versions of the native insects of the Silithus region. [1]


 * Shadows & Light
 * More Magic and Mayhem
 * The Titans and the Shaping of the Universe
 * Sargeras and the Betrayal (Minus Eredar related events)
 * The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth

-65,000 (-64,406)
The Titans place the Well of Eternity, the source of all magic on Azeroth, in the center of the world’s single continent, Kalimdor. [2]


 * The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth

-64,000 (-63,406)
Before the Titans depart, they empower the dragons to watch over Azeroth and protect it from anything that might threaten the tranquility of the world.

The Old Gods, despite their imprisonment, are able to influence and corrupt the mind of Neltharion the Earth Warder, patron of the black dragonflight. Neltharion descends into madness, and begins plotting against the other dragon Aspects. [1]


 * Charge of the Dragonflights
 * The Waking World and the Well of Eternity

-24,969 (-24,375)
Sargeras becomes aware of the Eredar race dwelling upon the planet Argus. The eredar are extremely gifted in the magical arts, and Sargeras has a use for these skills in his Burning Legion. Sargeras approaches the three leaders of the eredar and offers them great power in exchange for their loyalty. Kil'jaeden and Archimonde accept Sargeras' offer and become great demon lords of the Burning Legion, whilst Velen escapes Argus with the aid of the ancient naaru race. Calling his followers "draenei" ("exiled ones" in the eredar tongue), Velen and his supporters begin searching for a safe haven within the Twisting Nether. [1]


 * Rise of the Horde

-15,500 (-14,906)
A race of feral, nomadic humanoids is drawn to the Well of Eternity. Known as the Kal'dorei, they are transformed by its power and become strong, wise and virtually immortal. Unbeknownst to them, their transformation and subsequent development release magic into the world. [1]

Thienal Moonshadow, Druid of the Talon, born (approximate).

-15,012 (-14,418)
Malfurion and Illidan Stormrage born.

-13,816 (-13,222)
Tyrande Whisperwind born.

-13,500 (-12,906)
The Kal'dorei begin to actively study and practice arcane magic. They bend magic to their will and use it to create beautiful cities, craft artifacts and reshape the land. Some Kal'dorei resist the lure to use the Well of Eternity's power and warn others of the dangers of abusing it. Their warnings go unheeded.

A group of upper-class Kaldorei begin to call themselves the Highborne and revel in the use of arcane magic. [1][2]

Litania Moonhaven, High Healer of Moonglade, Welltender, Grovewatcher, born (approximate).

-10,250 (9,656)
The highborne unwittingly attract the attention of the Burning Legion. Unable to physically enter Azeroth's dimension without assistance, Sargeras and his lieutenants begin to manipulate the Kaldorei nobles and Queen Azshara. [1]


 * The Well of Eternity
 * The War of the Ancients

-10,000 (9,406): War of the Ancients
 The War of the Ancients

The highborne open a portal deep within the Well of Eternity. This portal stretches between dimensions and forges a path from the Twisting Nether to Azeroth, granting Sargeras and his army entrance to the mortal world.

The Burning Legion pours into Azeroth, led by two of Sargeras' most powerful lieutenants: Archimonde the Defiler and Mannoroth the Destructor. The demons savagely assault the unprepared Kaldorei civilization, attempting to drain Azeroth of its innate magic. [1]

-9,999 (9,405)
Malfurion, Illidan and Tyrande approach the reclusive demigod Cenarius and request assistance.

Cenarius hears their pleas and calls the ancient dragonflights to defend Azeroth.

Under the pretense of assisting in the war against the Legion, Neltharion convinces the other dragon flights to channel a portion of their powers into a magical device of his own creation: the Demon Soul. The resulting artifact is immensely powerful, and Neltharion has ulterior motives for its potency. The Old Gods also hope to use Neltharion and the Demon Soul to escape their prison.

As Queen Azshara and her perverted highborne work to bring Sargeras himself into Azeroth, Malfurion's forces storm the queen's palace and destroy the Well of Eternity.

The Old Gods, through Neltharion, attempt to use the power of the Demon Soul to free themselves from their Titan prison. The destruction of the Well ends this attempt, however.

The Well's implosion releases a massive shockwave. With Sargeras' link to Azeroth destroyed, the Burning Legion is expelled from the world and hurled back into the Twisting Nether.

The seas rush in to fill the void left by the Well's destruction and permanently split Kalimdor into several smaller continents. A furious, unending storm of elemental energy rages above the spot where the Well of Eternity once stood. It becomes known as the Maelstrom. [1]


 * The Demon Soul
 * The Sundering
 * The Sundering of the World
 * Mount Hyjal and Illidan's Gift

-9,998 (9,404)
Illidan secretly creates a new Well of Eternity using water that he had stolen from original Well during Malfurion's battle with the highborne. Malfurion is enraged when he finds out and locks his brother away in an underground prison beneath Mount Hyjal.

Three of the most powerful dragons - Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, Ysera the Dreamer and Nozdormu the Timeless - endow enchantments upon the Kaldorei in order to keep the race strong should the Legion return. Alexstrasza places a magical acorn into the new Well of Eternity, from which the mighty World Tree Nordrassil ("Crown of the Heavens") grows. Nordrassil will shield and protect the new Well of Eternity from the Legion's attention. Ysera connects the World Tree to her Emerald Dream and forms a pact with the Kaldorei druids. In exchange for spending their years hibernating and wandering the Dream, the druids will be given power over nature. Nozdormu places an enchantment on Nordrassil that makes the Kaldorei immortal so long as the tree stands. [1]


 * The World Tree and the Emerald Dream

-9,900 (9,306)
The surviving Kaldorei, now known as night elves, abandon the use of arcane magic. They seclude themselves near Mount Hyjal and the World Tree and begin practicing a safer form of divine nature magic. [1]

-7,300 (-6,706)
Unwilling to give up its precious magics, a small band of highborne night elves is exiled from Kalimdor. The remaining Kaldorei weave a powerful enchantment and seal the borders of Ashenvale Forest in a protective mist.


 * Exile of the High Elves
 * The Sentinels and the Long Vigil
 * The Founding of Quel'Thalas

-6,800 (-6,206)
Traveling to the eastern lands, the exiled highborne found the kingdom of Quel'Thalas and begin to refer to themselves as high elves. The high elves are continually besieged by the native troll war bands.

-3,900 (-3,306)
The High Elves create a new source of arcane magical energy from one of Illidan's vials of water from the original Well of Eternity. They call it the Sunwell. [1]

Asmodoues Stormsong born (approx).

-2,800 (-2,206)
The human tribes band together in the face of frequent raids by the forest trolls and form Arathor, the first human nation. The high elves are also hard-pressed by the Zul'Aman forest trolls and enter into an alliance with Arathor, teaching humans the ways of arcane magic in exchange for military aid. [1]


 * Arathor and the Troll Wars

-2,700 (-2,106)
Due to the humans' reckless use of arcane magic, agents of the Burning Legion find their way back into the world. The Order of Tirisfal is founded by human and high elf mages. The powerful Guardians of Tirisfal are charged with fighting a secret war against the agents of the Legion, unbeknownst to the general populace. [1]


 * The Guardians of Tirisfal

-2,500 (-1,996)
The Ironforge dwarves awaken in the underground, Titan-created city of Uldaman. Unaware of their heritage, they call their new civilization Khaz Modan. [2]

-1,200 (-606)
Arathor splinters into seven kingdoms: Stromgarde, Lordaeron, Alterac, Dalaran, Kul Tiras, Gilneas and Stormwind.


 * The Seven Kingdoms

-1000 (-406): War of the Shifting Sands
War of the Shifting Sands

War erupts when C'Thun's Qiraji and silithid attempt to drive the night elves from Silithus, and succeed in doing so when the Qiraji general Rajaxx brutally murders the son of the night elf commander, Fandral Staghelm.

However, the Qiraji forces are unable to expand beyond Silithus, even after the defeat of the night elf army. Whether this is due to interference by the Titans or a deliberate plan by C'Thun, the Un'Goro crater remains free of the Qiraji.

The four uncorrupted dragonflights counterattack and, with the aid of the night elves, manage to seal the Qiraji within their capital city of Ahn'Qiraj through the use of powerful magic. The resulting Scarab Wall ends the War of the Shifting Sands in a stalemate, until such time as the mortal races are able to open the wall and defeat C'Thun's forces once and for all. [1]
 * War of the Shifting Sands

-818 (-224)
The current Guardian of Tirisfal, Aegwynn, learns of a growing demonic presence on the frozen continent of Northrend. With the aid of the dragons, Aegwynn tracks the demons down and defeats them.

Sargeras himself appears and challenges Aegwynn. Although she easily slays his physical form, Sargeras' spirit secretly enters Aegwynn's body and hibernates inside her.

Aegwynn seals Sargeras' carcass in a hidden tomb and buries it deep beneath the Great Sea. [1]


 * Cycle of Hatred
 * The Last Guardian
 * Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt

-594 (0)
Unknown.

-500 (94)
Sargeras' second in command, Kil'jaeden the Deceiver, discovers another world ripe for conquest. The world is Draenor, homeland of the shamanistic orcs and the peaceful Draenei. [1]

-370 (224)
Last of the Gnomish monarchy. [3]

-230 (364): War of the Three Hammers
War of the Three Hammers

The three dwarf factions of Azeroth fight the legendary War of the Three Hammers. While the war initially begins to determine control of Ironforge, it quickly becomes a vicious battle for survival as the Bronzebeard and Wildhammer clans ally to defeat the treacherous Dark Iron clan. However, the final act of the Dark Iron leaders results in the summoning of Ragnaros, an ancient fire elemental who quickly subjugates the remaining Dark Iron dwarves and carves out a base of power in the newly-formed Blackrock Depths. So catastrophic is Ragnaros' arrival that a large portion of the Redridge Mountains is destroyed, becoming the Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge. [1]


 * War of the Three Hammers

-200 (394)
Muradin Bronzebeard born.

The first recorded interaction between gnomes and dwarves occurred 200 (approx) years prior to The Burning Crusade. As the story goes, a dwarven explorer came across a small gnomish village. He was shocked to discover that while dwarves had just discovered gunpowder, the gnomes already had a fully automated village with such novelties as mechanical chickens. Contact between the two races grew, and soon, they became quick allies, and the dwarves allowed the gnomes to build their capital city, Gnomeregan in the foothills of Dun Morogh, near the capital, Ironforge.

-100 (494)
Kil'jaeden, aware of the Draenei's presence on the orc world, contacts Ner'zhul, one of the most powerful orc shamans. Through quiet manipulations, Kil'jaeden starts to spread violence and savagery throughout the orc race as part of his plan to destroy the Draenei. [1]


 * Kil'jaeden and the Shadow Pact

-78 (516)
Cairne Bloodhoof born.

-50 (544)
Anduin Lothar of Stormwind born.

The future Archmage Antonidas born.

-46
Ner’zhul’s eyes open to the damage done to his race, and he cuts contact with Kil’jaeden.[1] Kil'jaeden quickly replaces him with Ner'zhul's most powerful apprentice, Gul'dan. [2]


 * Rise of the Horde

-45 (551)
Gul'dan gathers the most powerful shaman in the orc clans and teaches them how to communicate with spirits in the Twisting Nether. A pact is formed between Gul'dan's followers and the dark forces of Kil'jaeden. Together, they create the Shadow Council.

The Shadow Council infiltrates the highest political ranks within each of the orc clans.[1]

Aegwynn decides to bear a child and make it the new Guardian of Tirisfal. Sargeras’ hibernating spirit quietly infects her unborn son.[2]


 * The Last Guardian

-44 (550)
Medivh born.

-43 (551)
Uther Lightbringer born.

-41 (553)
Gul'dan teaches the dark arts of demon magic to other orcs, turning shaman into warlocks and training them in necromancy.

-40 (554)
The Shadow Council manipulates the clans into forming a single, unified Horde. Gul'dan coerces its leaders into outlawing shamanism and installing his warlocks as key advisors.

Kil'jaeden dispatches Mannoroth to Draenor in order to bind the orcs to his will. Chieftains from each of the twelve orc clans are tempted by his promise of power and drink from Mannoroth's blood, ensnaring themselves in the curse of bloodlust and initiating a slow corruption of their entire race. [1]


 * Kil'jaeden and the Shadow Pact

MORE COMING SOON...

=References=

=Links=
 * Official Blizzard Timeline "Note: Certain parts of the History section are outdated and may therefore conflict with other pieces of lore or stories. We plan on updating this section in the future to bring it up to date."