Timeline (RDM)

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Timelines of the Battlestar Galactica series


This article attempts to plot the events illustrated or mentioned in the history and prehistory of the Twelve Colonies in the Re-imagined Series.

All dates use the day of the Fall of the Twelve Colonies as the central time marker for all events in the series. Items that occur before the Fall are marked as "BCH", or "Before Cylon holocaust". Given the few and somewhat contradictory dates about the Colonials' ancient history and the exodus from Kobol, that part of the timeline is speculative.

Ancient History[edit]

  • Over 17,000 years BCH: A supernova creates the Ionian nebula
  • ca. 4,000 years BCH: The Thirteenth Tribe reportedly leaves Kobol and builds the Temple of Hopes on another planet [1] This contradicts Ellen Tigh's statement that the temple was built 3,000 years ago. (No Exit)
  • ca. 3,600 years BCH: Pythia records her prophecies. Aside from reports of the landing on Earth and drawings of temples there, this book describes "the exile and rebirth of the human race" and a "dying leader" not making it to a "promised land," though how long before her writings that such events took place is not revealed.
  • ca. 3,000 years BCH: A beacon is left at the Lion's Head Nebula, later marking the way to Earth. At some undated point, someone travels from Earth to Kobol, passing on information about Earth, including a map of its night sky [2]
  • Unknown: The 13th colony grows and breeds, and abandons the technology of "organic memory transfer" or downloading.
  • ca. 2,000 years BCH: (The order of events on Kobol and the 13th colony is uncertain.)
    • The Final Five are born on the 13th colony. Ellen Tigh's father is named John.
    • The Final Five work together in a research lab. They redevelop downloading technology.
    • The Final Five prepare a resurrection ship and leave it in orbit.
    • The remaining Twelve Tribes leave Kobol [1]
    • Lord of Kobol "Athena" kills herself in despair over this. A tomb is built for her containing a 3-D projection showing Earth and its Zodiac. The projection is activated by the Arrow of Apollo, which travels with the twelve tribes.
    • Earth is left a nuclear wasteland. Copies of the Final Five die in a nuclear attack, and are recreated on board their orbiting ship.
    • The Final Five begin a sublight journey back to Kobol to find the twelve tribes.
  • (Unknown) The Final Five arrive at the Temple of Hopes and modify it to be the Temple of Five.
  • (Unknown) The Final Five arrive at Kobol, learn the fate of the twelve tribes and head to the colonies via sublight.
  • 2,000 years to 52 years BCH: The Twelve Colonies grow and prosper. Each colony acts as a sovereign nation, complete with inter-colonial wars

Recent Colonial History[edit]

  • At least 200 years BCH: Humans develop an immunity to the virus causing Lymphocytic encephalitis (A Measure of Salvation) [3]
  • 69 years BCH: Saul Tigh supposedly born (defined by deleted scene in "Valley of Darkness" concerning the Brenik) This is actually a false memory planted by Cavil.
  • 64 years BCH: William Adama born in Qualai, Caprica (Hero)
  • 55 - 52 years BCH: Somewhere during this time, the Cylons are built to aid in hard labor and warfare (Miniseries)
  • 52 years BCH: Cylon revolt starts the first Cylon War (Colonial Day)
  • 52 years BCH: Articles of Colonization signed (Colonial Day, RDM, April 11, 2005)
  • 51 years BCH: Colonial ship Brenik is lost after a boarding action by Cylon Centurions (Valley of Darkness, deleted scene)
  • ca. 50 years BCH: Battlestar Galactica enters service
  • 42 years BCH: William Adama begins his service in the Colonial Fleet as a Viper pilot, near the end of the Cylon War ("Hero", Razor Flashbacks)
  • 40 years BCH:
    • Cylons begin experiments constructing human-cylon Hybrids
    • Final Five arrive in their sublight ship with war underway.
    • Final Five meet the local Cylons and negotiate an end to the war if the Final Five will give them biological bodies.
    • Operation Raptor Talon conducted by the Colonial Fleet. Battlestar Columbia destroyed (Razor Flashbacks)
    • Armistice ends the Cylon War. Cylons exile themselves from the Twelve Colonies (Miniseries)
    • William Adama mustered out of the Colonial Fleet ("Scattered", Adama's dossier)
    • Final Five create John, Cylon #1 and raise him as a boy for a time, taking him to some beach.
  • 37 BCH: William Adama enlists as merchant marine and serves aboard inter-colony freighters ("Scattered", Adama's dossier)
  • (Unknown): John matures and assists Final Five in creation of initial copies of 7 other humanoid Cylon models. Resurrection system built based on Final Five technology.
  • (Unknown): Secret base known as "the Colony" established, where Final Five equipment is stored. Existence known only to John and the Final Five.
  • ca. 30 BCH:
    • John interferes with duplication multiple copies of of Daniel. His destruction is more permanent than a boxing.
    • Final Five suffocated by John. New bodies are created with false memories. Saul Tigh introduced to colonies as military officer with false history of fighting in war.
    • Ellen Tigh presumably introduced shortly thereafter, with others coming later.
  • ca. 28 BCH:
    • Galen Tyrol supposedly born [4] This is actually a false memory planted by Cavil.
    • First meeting between William Adama and Saul Tigh ("Scattered", "Torn") [5]
  • ca. 27 BCH: William and Carolanne Adama meet and marry [6]
  • ca. 26 BCH: Lee Adama born [6]
  • ca. 24 BCH: Zak Adama born [6]
  • 23 years BCH: William Adama reinstated in the Colonial Fleet at the rank of captain and is assigned to the battlestar Universal [7] ("Scattered" deleted scene, Adama's dossier)
  • 21 years BCH: Saul Tigh reinstated in the Colonial Fleet at the rank of captain by now-Major Adama (Scattered) [8]
  • 20 years BCH:
  • 17 BCH: William Adama assigned to the battlestar Atlantia, where he makes his 1000th Viper landing (Adama's dossier, "Act of Contrition")
  • 13 years BCH: William Adama assigned as executive officer to the new battlestar Columbia (Adama's dossier)
  • 11 years BCH: Laura Roslin begins her career in politics (Litmus)
  • ca. 10 years BCH: Galen Tyrol enlists in the Colonial Fleet as a non-commissioned officer (Miniseries)
  • 9 years BCH: William Adama promoted to commander and assigned as commander of the battlestar Valkyrie (Adama's dossier, "Hero")
  • 7 years BCH: Saul and Ellen Tigh marry again ("Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I", deleted scene)
  • 6 years BCH: William Adama leads an aborted covert intelligence mission aboard Valkyrie. Daniel Novacek is shot down and captured by the Cylons. Adama and Tigh are subsequently assigned to Galactica (Adama's dossier, "Hero") [9]
  • 5 years BCH:
  • 4 years BCH:
  • 3 years BCH: Felix Gaeta assigned to Galactica (Miniseries)
  • 2 years BCH:
  • 1 Year BCH:
    • Last time William and Carolanne Adama speak (Miniseries)
    • Carolanne Adama gets engaged (Miniseries)
    • Anastasia Dualla last visits her home (Final Cut)

Events of the Miniseries[edit]

Season 1[edit]

See Timeline - Season 1 (RDM)

Season 2[edit]

See Timeline - Season 2 (RDM)

Season 3[edit]

See Timeline - Season 3 (RDM)

Season 4[edit]

See Timeline - Season 4 (RDM)

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tyrol says that "Our initial radiocarbon dating suggests that the temple's at least 4,000 years old, which lines up with the exodus of the Thirteenth Tribe." (The Eye of Jupiter). This is the oldest date noted in the series's timeline, but also conflicts with the prior date of Pythia and her works as described by Elosha in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I", where she states that the exodus of all 13 tribes occurred approximately 2,000 years ago.
  2. Adama says that "According to Cottle, the virus was an exact match to one reported over 3000 years ago, right around the time that the 13th colony left Kobol." (A Measure of Salvation). This contradicts the two other dates of 2,000 and 4,000 years. While the dating uncertain, it is the only clue to the beacon's age. That someone traveled back to Kobol is speculation, but an explanation for how Earth's sky could be displayed there. If true, it is still unknown on which of these two voyages the beacon was left behind.
  3. Doctor Cottle notes the time as "a couple hundred years ago", which is an indeterminate amount of time, but likely less than four or five hundred years.
  4. At the time of the Cylon attack, Tyrol has "ten years experience" (Miniseries), and has "served on battlestars since I was 18" (Resistance). This puts his birth in approximately 28 BCH, allowing for a few years leeway with the first comment.
  5. The podcast for "Scattered" places their meeting "twenty years ago". In "Torn", Adama states that he has known Tigh for 30 years. Furthermore, Adama's dossier places his reinstatement into the Colonial Fleet at 23 BCH. Battlestar Wiki choses to use the more consistent dates.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 This date is assumed as follows: Zak died 2 BCH. Since he graduated from some kind of military academy, he would at least 22 years old, following real world models. On a photograph of William Adama with his sons, Lee seems to be about two years older than Zak. Adama and his wife probably met not long before Lee's birth.
  7. This information comes from a prop used in the episode "Scattered".
  8. The time between Adama's and Tigh's reinstatement is not specified on screen. The February/March issue of Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine gives it as two years: "Adama reenlisted with the service and Tigh spent two years drinking before Adama pulled strings to get him back into service."
  9. While dialogue from "Hero" places these events at 1 BCH, this contradicts previously established dates about the time Adama and others served on Galactica. See Hero#Analysis for a detailed explanation why Battlestar Wiki chooses to treat this as a continuity error and change the date.
  10. Since Adama states that Tyrol has been under his commander for "over five years", this might also be one year earlier.