Dates in Star Wars

Fans of the fictional Star Wars universe keep track of the dates of key events with a dating system (or calendar) centered around the Battle of Yavin featured in Star Wars: A New Hope. BBY stands for Before Battle of Yavin, and ABY stands for After Battle of Yavin.

A galactic standard year, based on the length of a year on Coruscant, is 368 standard days, one standard day being a day of equal length as a day on Coruscant (twenty-four hours).

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Film timeline

• Episode I: The Phantom Menace: 32 BBY
• Episode II: Attack of the Clones: 22 BBY
• Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: 19 BBY
• Episode IV: A New Hope: 0 BBY
• Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: 3 ABY
• Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: 4 ABY

Timeline of Star Wars History

Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY)

• c. 5,000,000,000 BBY - The Star Wars galaxy is formed.

• c. 100,000 BBY - The planet Coruscant is now covered entirely by city.

• c. 49,000 BBY - The Infinite Empire of the Rakata is established.

• c. 28,000 BBY - The Infinite Empire collapses after a protracted civil war.

• c. 27,500 BBY - The first human colonists land on Alderaan.

• c. 25,130 BBY - The reign of Xim the Despot begins.

• c. 25,100 BBY - Xim the Despot is killed at Vontor, ending his tyranic reign over the Tion Hegemony.

• c. 25,000 BBY - The Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order is founded. Hyperdrive is invented. Coruscant is the Republic's capital.

• c. 24,500 BBY - The first war between the Jedi begins, when some of their number are drawn to the dark side.

• c. 24,400 BBY - The dark-sided Jedi lose the war and found the Sith Empire, which remains unknown to rest of the galaxy for almost twenty thousand years.

• c. 9,990 BBY - Lightsabers are invented.

• c. 8,000 BBY - The Republic colonizes the planet Malastare. Gran colonists arrive over the following centuries and begin to displace the native Dugs.

• c. 7,000 BBY - The Hundred-Year Darkness.

• c. 5,500 BBY - The first leg of the Rimma Trade Route is established by Tapani sector merchants.

• c. 5,000 BBY - The Great Hyperspace War. Gav and Jori Daragon accidently lead the Sith Empire to the Republic. The Republic wins the following war, but Naga Sadow escapes to Yavin 4. The planet Tatooine is discovered.

• 4,250 BBY - The Vultar Cataclysm.

• 3,996 BBY - The Great Sith War. Fallen Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun lead a war against the Republic, but are defeated by the Republic and light-sided Jedi.

• 3,962 BBY - The Mandalorian Wars. The Mandalorians begin to conquer worlds in the Outer Rim. The Jedi Revan and Malak defy the Jedi Council and lead the Republic forces against the invaders.

• 3,960 BBY - The Mandalorian Wars end and Revan and Malak disappear.

• 3,958 BBY - Revan and Malak, who have been seduced by the dark side, declare war on the Republic. Only the Battle Meditation of Bastila Shan staves off certain defeat.

• c. 3,900 BBY - The planet Naboo is colonized by settlers from Grizmallt.

• c. 2,000 BBY - A rogue Jedi absconds from the order with a stolen Holocron and starts a new Sith Order that engages the Jedi for the next thousand years.

• c. 1,000 BBY - The Battle of Ruusan. The remaining Sith are exterminated at Ruusan, except Darth Bane who starts a new Sith Order, where there is only one master and one apprentice. Each Sith is renamed with a name that starts with Darth. The Senate passes the Ruusan Reformation, setting the year of the Battle of Ruusan to the year zero.

• 896 BBY - Yoda, arguably the greatest Jedi Master ever to exist, is born.

• 490 BBY - The Corporate Sector, a free-enterprise fiefdom of the galaxy, is founded to free the Senate and corporate moneymakers from each other.

• 350 BBY - The Trade Federation is founded.

• c. 200 BBY - A Wookiee named Chewbacca is born on Kashyyyk.

• 102 BBY - Count Dooku is born to an aristocratic family on Serenno. He is discovered by the Jedi, and begins his training in infancy.

• 92 BBY - Qui-Gon Jinn is born on an unknown planet. He is discovered by the Jedi, and begins his training in infancy.

• 84 BBY - Palpatine is born on the planet of Naboo.

• 72 BBY - Mace Windu is born on Haruun Kal.

• 68 BBY - Jango Fett is born on Concord Dawn.

• 58 BBY - Jango Fett is orphaned when his family of simple farmers is murdered by the Mandalorians. He is picked up by Journeyman Protector Jaster Mereel.

• 57 BBY - Obi-Wan Kenobi is born on an unknown planet. He is discovered by the Jedi, and begins his training in infancy.

• 52 BBY - Palpatine is elected to the Galactic Senate as Senator of Naboo.

• 46 BBY - Padmé Amidala is born to Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie on Naboo.

• 44 BBY - The Stark Hyperspace War (no relation to The Great Hyperspace War.)

• 41 BBY - Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force, is born to a slave named Shmi Skywalker.

• 40 BBY - Finis Valorum is elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.

• 39 BBY - Shmi and Anakin Skywalker come to live on Tatooine when they are purchased by Gardulla the Hutt. However, the Hutt ultimately loses her prize to a junk dealer named Watto.

• 35 BBY - The Great Resynchronization occurs, in an attempt to harmonise different Galactic calendars.

• 34 BBY - The Mandalorians are destroyed by a Jedi taskforce led by Count Dooku. Jango Fett is the only survivor.

• 32 BBY - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
  • Anakin Skywalker is discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn on the planet Tatooine. After Jinn?s death, Skywalker begins training to be a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi.
  • The Battle of Naboo takes place when the Trade Federation, under the influence of Darth Sidious, blockades, and eventually invades, Naboo to protest a shipping tax. Queen Amidala fights back when the Galactic Senate refuses to act and unites her people with the Gungans and together they sucessfully overturn the Federation, despite the Naboo and Gungans mutual dislike for each other. In the battle, Qui-Gon Jinn is killed by Darth Maul, who, in turn, is killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Daultay Dofine is killed when the Droid Control Ship is destroyed.
  • The droid R2-D2 distinguishes himself by saving Amidala's ship when it was running the blockade. On Tatooine, R2-D2 meets his future counterpart of C-3PO.
  • Following the Naboo crisis, Senator Palpatine of Naboo is elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, replacing Finis Valorum.
• 32 BBY - Count Dooku leaves the Jedi Order and disappears, secretly joining Darth Sidious.
• 32 BBY - clone army is created on Kamino in secret, supposedly commissioned by Jedi Master Syfo-Dyas. The source of the clones, a bounty hunter called Jango Fett demands, in addition to his considerable pay, an unaltered clone for himself, whom he raises as a son and names Boba.

• 29 BBY - Raith Sienar presents the original concept for the Death Star to Wilhuff Tarkin. Han Solo is born on Corellia.

• 24 BBY - Count Dooku reappears and alleges that the Republic has become too corrupt and pushes for citizens to break from the Republic and form a new government of their own.

• 22 BBY - Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
  • Anakin Skywalker returns to his homeworld of Tatooine and meets his step brother Owen Lars. C-3PO is reunited with R2-D2.
  • Shmi Skywalker is killed by Tusken Raiders, driving Anakin Skywalker towards the dark side of the Force.
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers that Nute Gunray has been attempting to orchestrate Padmé Amidala's death in revenge for foiling his plans ten years before and that Count Dooku's Confederacy of Independent Systems is preparing for war.
  • Palpatine is given "emergency powers" by the Senate and adopts the clone army grown on Kamino to fight the Confederacy.
  • The Clone Wars begin with the Battle of Geonosis. Mace Windu kills Jango Fett in the fighting and Boba is left an orphan.
  • Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala fall in love and marry in secret on Naboo.

• 22 BBY - Aayla Secura and Ylenic It'kla track down a Techno Union scientist on Corellia.

• 19 BBY - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
  • The Clone Wars end, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine creates the Galactic Empire with himself as Emperor, and Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side, and becomes Darth Vader, Palpatine's ruthless second-in-command.
  • The Great Jedi Purge is orchestrated by Vader and almost all Jedi are hunted down and killed.
  • Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa are born to Padmé Amidala. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who survives the purge, leaves Luke with Anakin's step brother Owen Lars and Leia with Bail Organa, so they cannot be discovered by the Empire. The first resistance to Imperial rule comes up. All these events at least set the stage for the Galactic Civil War.

• 5 BBY - Han Solo, now in a military academy, saves Chewbacca, now a slave, and is subsequently drummed out of the Imperial Navy. Chewbacca pledges a life-debt to Han Solo and remains his partner for the next three decades.

• 1 BBY - The Rebel Alliance takes shape.

• 0 BBY - Star Wars: A New Hope
  • The Imperial Senate is disbanded, giving Palpatine absolute power.
  • The Imperial Stormtroopers kill Owen and Beru Lars.
  • The Death Star destroys Alderaan and Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed by Darth Vader, but his spirit lives on.
  • The Battle of Yavin. Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star, before it can destroy the Rebel base on Yavin 4 with the assistance of Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi?s spirit. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo join the Rebel Alliance. Grand Moff Tarkin dies in the destruction of the Death Star.

After the Battle of Yavin (ABY)

• 3 ABY - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
  • The Battle of Hoth. The Empire discovers the Alliance's secret base on Hoth and launches a successful attack on the Rebel Base, with many Rebel casulties.
  • Luke Skywalker discovers Yoda on Dagobah, but halts his training and promises to return.
  • Boba Fett captures Han Solo to take him to Jabba the Hutt after Solo is frozen in carbonite on Cloud City. Lando Calrissian joins the Alliance.
  • Darth Vader reveals to Luke Skywalker that he is his father, but Luke is uncertain whether it is true or not.

• 3 ABY - Prince Xizor is killed by Darth Vader and Black Sun collapses.

• 4 ABY - Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
  • Han Solo is rescued from Jabba the Hutt and Jabba is killed by Leia Organa. Boba Fett is imprisoned in the sarlacc, but survives.
  • Yoda dies and Luke Skywalker discovers that he is truly the son of Darth Vader and that Leia Organa is his sister. He passes this information on to her.
  • The Battle of Endor. Lando Calrissian, Wedge Antilles and Nien Nunb destroy the second Death Star, virtually ending the Galactic Civil War. The Empire as the galaxy knows it is brought to an end and begins to tear itself apart through warlordism. Admiral Piett dies when the Executor crashes into the Death Star.
  • Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker is turned back to the light side of the Force by the efforts of Luke Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker destroys Palpatine, saving his son's life, and dies on the light side of the Force.

• 4 ABY - The Truce at Bakura. The Rebel Alliance becomes the Alliance of Free Planets and recruits systems across the galaxy for the reformation of the Republic, starting with Bakura where there is the first ceasefire between Alliance and Imperial forces, though only so they could unite to drive away the Ssi-ruuk.

• 5 ABY - The New Republic is established. Luke Skywalker retires from the military. Ysanne Isard applies backstabbing maneuvers to overtake the Empire and rule as empress.

• 7 ABY - The Bacta War. The New Republic takes Coruscant back from what remains of the Empire. Ysanne Isard leaves an artficial virius behind on Coruscant to take the sweetness out of the New Republic's victory. The New Republic secures the needed bacta from Thyferra to eliminate the plague. Isard fakes her death and disappears.

• 8 ABY - Leia Organa marries Han Solo. Prince Isolder allies the Hapes Consortium with the New Republic and Imperial warlord Zsinj dies.

• 9 ABY - Jacen and Jaina Solo are born to Leia Organa and Han Solo. Grand Admiral Thrawn's attempt to destroy the New Republic and restore dignity to the Galactic Empire fails. Obi-Wan Kenobi's spirit moves on. The Noghri switch sides between the Empire and the New Republic when they discovered the Empire had been manipulating them and polluting their world.

• 10 ABY - Palpatine is reborn in a clone body and turn Luke Skywalker to the dark side, but Luke returns to the light side and kills Palpatine with Leia and destroyes Emperor`s flagship Eclipse. Emperor returns again, but Empatajayos Brand destroy his is life-force. Brand dies and Palpatine is ultimately death. R2D2 destroy Eclipse II and the Galaxy Gun, causing destruction of Imperial Fleet of Palpatine and planet Byss, where cloning machines of Palpatine locating. Anakin Solo is born to Leia Organa and Han Solo.

• 11 ABY - Luke Skywalker establishes a Jedi academy on Yavin 4.

• 19 ABY - Luke Skywalker marries Mara Jade. The New Republic and the last fragment of the Empire sign a peace treaty ending all legalized conflict between the Empire and the New Republic.

• 23 ABY - Jacen and Jaina Solo, now Jedi at Luke Skywalker's academy, fight aganist the Second Imperium, which attempts to disrupt the peace between the New Republic and "Imperial Remnant," as it had become known, and restart the Galactic Civil War.

• 24 ABY - The "Diversity Alliance," an extremist anti-human organisation, is defeated by the New Republic.

• 25 ABY - The Yuuzhan Vong invade the galaxy and Chewbacca dies at Vector Prime. The New Republic Historical Council sets the year of the Battle of Yavin to the year zero, adopting the current date system.

• 26 ABY - Ben Skywalker is born to Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade.

• 27 ABY - The Yuuzhan Vong conquer Coruscant and the New Republic ceases to exist. Anakin Solo dies.

• 30 ABY - Coruscant is liberated from the Yuuzhan Vong. Zonama Sekot forges a peace accord between the Galactic Alliance and the Yuuzhan Vong. The war ends after five years.