How to make a timeline
- Enter one event per row with a date and a title. Years alone (1969) and month names (Jul 20 1969) are accepted.
- For periods such as an era or a project phase, add an end date.
- Optionally add details and a category to color events.
- Choose a horizontal (to scale) or vertical list layout, and a date format.
- Download your timeline.
Data format
| Column | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Date | Required |
| End date (optional) | Date | Optional |
| Event | Text | Required |
| Details (optional) | Text | Optional |
| Category (optional) | Text | Optional |
Up to 150 rows. One row per event. Add an End date to draw a period (such as a war or a project phase) instead of a single point. Years alone (e.g. 1969) and month names (e.g. Jul 20 1969) are accepted. Rows can be in any order.
Customization options
- Horizontal layout to scale with automatic label stacking above and below the axis.
- Vertical list layout for many events or long titles.
- Periods drawn as bars along the axis.
- Category colors, date label formats and label width.
- Optional details text under each title.
Downloading and exporting
- PNG: best for slides, documents and the web. It supports transparent backgrounds, and you can choose standard, 2×, 4× or slide-sized (1920 × 1080) output.
- JPEG: a smaller file with a solid background.
- SVG: a true vector file. It stays sharp at any size and can be edited in Illustrator, Inkscape or Figma.
- PDF: vector PDF sized to the chart, A4 or US Letter. If your labels use characters outside the standard PDF fonts (for example Chinese, Arabic or emoji), the PDF uses a high-resolution image instead and tells you.
- CSV and .json: your data, or the whole chart with its settings, to re-open later.
When to use a timeline
- History lessons and biographies.
- Company milestones, product release histories and project retrospectives.
- Any story told through dated events.
When to choose a different chart
- You are planning future work with durations and progress. Use the Gantt chart maker.
- You are tracking a measured value over time. Use a line graph.
Common mistakes to avoid
Even spacing that misleads
In the vertical list, events are evenly spaced, so a 1-year gap looks the same as a 30-year gap. The layout is labelled as “not to scale”; use the horizontal layout when gaps matter.
Crowded labels
Many events close together can overlap even after stacking. The chart tells you when this happens. Try the vertical layout, a narrower label width or a taller chart.
Missing context
A timeline is clearer with categories (for example politics vs. technology) and a subtitle stating the period covered.
Practical examples
Space exploration
From Sputnik (1957) to the James Webb Space Telescope (2021), with the Space Shuttle era as a period.
Company history
Founding, funding rounds, product launches and acquisitions, colored by type.
Personal CV
Education and jobs as periods, with awards as point events.
Choosing between horizontal and vertical timelines
The horizontal layout places each event at its true position in time. Clusters and gaps are visible, which makes it ideal when the spacing is part of the story. Labels are assigned to levels above and below the axis using a greedy algorithm that picks the first free level.
The vertical layout lists events in date order with even spacing. It fits many events and long titles, and suits a printed handout or a mobile screen, but it does not show the durations between events.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter just a year?
Yes. “1969” is treated as January 1, 1969. Choose the “Year” date format so only the year is shown.
Can I show a period instead of a single date?
Yes. Fill in End date and the event becomes a bar along the axis.
Do events need to be in order?
No. They are sorted by date automatically.
How many events can I add?
Up to 150. For more than about 20, the vertical layout is easier to read.
Can I use BC/BCE dates?
Not currently. Years from 1 to 9999 are supported.
Your data stays private
Charts are drawn by your browser. Your data isn’t uploaded to our servers; it is kept only in this browser’s storage, for autosave and saved charts, until you clear it. See our privacy policy.