Dates in Harry Potter

Fans have created a timeline of the Harry Potter series from one shred of information in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. At Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party in that book, his death is stated to have been on October 31, 1492 (though in chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Nearly Headless Nick states that he has been dead for Nearly 400 years, it is assumed that this is an error on the part of the author). Since the celebration was commemorating the five-hundredth anniversary of Nick's death, this seems to suggest that the scene takes place on October 31, 1992.

Timeline of the Harry Potter Series

Events

• 382 BC - Ollivander's goes into business making magic wands.
• c. AD 962 - Primitive broomsticks are first used for transport.
• c. 1000 - Hogwarts is founded by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin petitions to only enroll pure-bloods and, in disgust, leaves the school, but not before building the Chamber of Secrets.
• c. 1294 - The Triwizard Tournament is established. It will later be discontinued (date unknown) when the death toll mounts too high.
• 1473 - First Quidditch World Cup is played, during which all 700 Quidditch fouls are committed.
• c. 1891 - Albus Dumbledore begins his first year of teaching at Hogwarts.
• c. 1926 - Shortly before his birth, Tom Riddle's Muggle father leaves his wife (a witch) and she dies giving birth to her son. Riddle is raised in an orphanage.
• c. 1937 - Tom Riddle starts at Hogwarts.
• c. 1940 - Rubeus Hagrid starts at Hogwarts.
• 1943 - Riddle opens the Chamber of Secrets, killing a girl who will later become Moaning Myrtle, and frames Rubeus Hagrid for the attacks.
• 1943 - Riddle murders his father and paternal grandparents and frames his uncle, Morfin Gaunt for the murders.
• 1945 - Dumbledore defeats the dark wizard Grindelwald.
• c. Dec. 1956 - Minerva McGonagall begins at Hogwarts.
• c. 1960 - Riddle murders Hepzibah Smith, stealing artifacts of Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin.
• c. 1970 - Riddle resurfaces, calling himself "Lord Voldemort," and begins his quest for power and immortality.
• 1971 - James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Severus Snape begin attending Hogwarts.
• c. 1979 - Sybill Trelawney predicts Voldemort's downfall.
• 1981 - Voldemort kills James and Lily Potter on October 31 but is later defeated by Harry. Harry is left with a lightning-shaped scar and is sent to live with the Dursleys. Sirius Black is arrested for the murder of Peter Pettigrew on November 1.
• 1991 - Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger start at Hogwarts.
• 1992 - Harry foils Voldemort's plans to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Ginny Weasley opens the Chamber of Secrets under the influence of Tom Riddle's diary.
• 1993 - Harry saves Ginny and defeats the memory of Tom Riddle, destroying Voldemort's first Horcrux in the process. Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban.
• 1994 - Professor Trelawney makes her second prediction. Harry learns of Sirius' true colours and Peter Pettigrew escapes. Voldemort murders Frank Bryce. The Triwizard Tournament is held for the first time in over a century.
• 1995 - With the aid of Pettigrew, Voldemort is restored to full power.
• 1996 - Voldemort fails to recover the Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, due to the efforts of Harry and company. Harry learns of Professor Trelawney's first prediction and the wizarding world is finally alerted to Voldemort's return. Sirius Black is killed in the Department of Mysteries.
• 1997 - Albus Dumbledore is killed by Severus Snape. Harry Potter decides upon his quest to destroy the remaining four Horcruxes in which Lord Voldemort has sealed fragments of his soul.

Births

• c. 1840 - Albus Dumbledore
• c. 1908 - Merope Gaunt to Marvolo Gaunt and an unnamed witch.
• October 4, c. 1920 - Minerva McGonagall
• December 31, 1926 - Tom Marvolo Riddle (Lord Voldemort) to muggle Tom Riddle, Sr. and witch Merope Gaunt
• December 6, c. 1928 - Rubeus Hagrid to the giantess Fridwulfa and an unknown wizard
• c. 1954 - Lucius Malfoy to Abraxas Malfoy and an unnamed witch
• January 9, 1959 - Severus Snape to Tobias Snape, a muggle, and Eileen Prince
• March 10, 1959 - Remus Lupin
• c. 1959 - James Potter
• c. 1959 - Lily Evans
• c. 1959 - Sirius Black
• c. 1959 - Peter Pettigrew
• November 29, 1971 - Bill Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley
• December 12, 1973 - Charlie Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley
• c. 1975 - Stan Shunpike
• August 22, 1976 - Percy Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley
• c. 1977 - Viktor Krum
• c. 1977 - Fleur Delacour to an unknown wizard and a half-Veela
• c. 1977 - Cedric Diggory to Amos Diggory and his wife
• April 1, 1978 - Fred and George Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley
• c. 1979 - Cho Chang
• September 19, 1979 - Hermione Granger to Muggle dentists
• March 1, 1980 - Ron Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley
• June 5, 1980 - Draco Malfoy to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy
• July 30, 1980 - Neville Longbottom to Frank and Alice Longbottom
• July 31, 1980 - Harry Potter to James and Lily Potter
• c. 1981 - Colin Creevey
• c. 1981 - Luna Lovegood to the editor of The Quibbler and his wife
• August 11, 1981 - Ginny Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley
• c. 1982 - Romilda Vane
• c. 1983 - Dennis Creevey
• c. 1986 - Gabrielle Delacour to an unknown wizard and a half-Veela

Deaths

• October 31, 1492 - Nearly Headless Nick, from being partially beheaded
• December 31, 1926 - Merope Gaunt
• 1943 - a female Hogwarts student, who will become known as Moaning Myrtle, by the basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets under the influence of Tom Riddle
• 1980 - Regulus Black, according to his brother Sirius murdered by Death Eaters, because he wanted to leave them
• October 31, 1981 - James and Lily Potter, from an attack by Lord Voldemort
• c. 1990 - Luna Lovegood's mother, in an accident
• June, 1992 - Professor Quirrell, died in agony from the protection left in Harry Potter from his mother
• Summer, 1994- Bertha Jorkins, murdered by Voldemort after he extracted information on the approaching Triwizard Tournament from her.
• July, 1994 - Frank Bryce, murdered by Voldemort for overhearing Voldemort and Pettigrew's plot to kill Harry Potter.
• May, 1995 - Barty Crouch, by his son posing as Mad-Eye Moody after his attempt to inform Dumbledore of his son's escape.
• June 24, 1995 - Cedric Diggory, murdered by Peter Pettigrew on Voldemort's orders
• June, 1996 - Sirius Black, from falling through the veil in the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries.
• Summer, 1996 - Amelia Bones, murdered in the first days of the Second War, probably by Lord Voldemort himself.
• Summer, 1996 - Emmeline Vance, murdered by Death Eaters in the first days of the war, on information from Snape, in the vicinity of 10 Downing Street.
• Summer, 1996 - Igor Karkaroff murdered by Death Eaters because he betrayed them
• 1996 - Hannah Abbott's mother
• Spring, 1997 - Aragog, passes on due to old age after Hagrid makes a valiant attempt to preserve his life.
• June, 1997 - Gibbon, a Death Eater, hit accidentally with an Avada Kedavra curse by one of his own allies, in the corridor leading up to the astronomy tower.
• June, 1997 - Dumbledore, killed by Snape's Avada Kedavra curse on top of the astronomy tower after being previously weakened.