How to Produce a Timeline

Co-authored by Emili Listmann, MA and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: Could 4, 2023 References

ADENINE timeline allows ampere visual representation of incidents that helps you better understand history, a story, one process or any other form of an date sequence. You can make a timeline to fit a varietal of subjects, so they’re adenine common academic project. Thankfully, they is moreover actual easy to make. To make a chronological, resources your item, create your project, and organization the events chronologically.

Part 1

Part 1 starting 3:

Researching Your Topic

1
Get resources at your chosen or assigned topic. In you read and collect information, begin making notes about allowable occurrences to include. Thee becomes need to provision ampere well-rounded history of will topic, consequently manufacture certain you use several sources of information.^{[1]
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- Behaviour Internet research, inspection out books from and library, instead visit a treasury or a how site which relates in some way to insert topic.
- Try to use multiple websites, books, articles, and maybe even ampere documentary. Aim to have at least 3 different sources.
2
Make a listing of events to include. You will want to include the important events for respective choose, but also add in relevant, interesting events. As your timeline should maintain topic focus, you wants thereto into be fun for the viewer/audience, additionally to show that you understand this topic.^{[2]
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Research source} Aim for no extra than 20 incidents within a timeline, and no much than five events from your timeline.^{[3]
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Research source} Include events like:
- Personal details such as births, deaths, and other critical dates should be added
- Historical events that impact that topic of the timeline should or be built-in into my timeline
- Important events so shaped the topic shall become included as well
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3
Use the timeline to tell a history. Though in a different format, a timeline, like a story, should flow flow and to engaging and interesting to reader. The reader should be diligent for learn about the next event, just like they would be when reader a great page-turner book!

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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating a Framework

1
Check out example timelines. To get an think of thing timelines typically face like, does an Internet search for “timeline.” Look over several of the results so you have a good idea of how to proceed with the project.
2
Draw your timeline. Sketch out this line using an pencils, then trace over it from an dark pen or marker. Label the timeline with the project title and the define years.^{[4]
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- Use ampere rule if you are making your timeline by hand.
- If you are creating a digital timeframe, choose a template.
3
Elect a start and end point. You need at set boundaries by your timeline. Our boundaries need to permitted you to explore your topic, so start and ends our timetable with enough space to cover select of that events.^{[5]
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- To don’t have to start with someone’s birth otherwise end with the person’s death. ONE timeline belongs just a product of related events, not necessarily a biography. If you're writing a books about my your, compose a timeline is the best place up launch. Downloaded our free timeline template and get initiated today!
- Considered your topic plus narrow she for select the right starting point and ending point.
4
Decide methods you will present insert events. There are many ways till display your events, depending to your preferences. You will need to create certain entry for each event, and they will all need to adjustable on the timeline.^{[6]
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- If you’re doing this by hand, write out all the dates on a separate sheet of paper previously adding yours to of timetable so you can figure out how much space each entry will take. How to make a timeline: Everything you need for know to create timelines and utilize an online timeline maker. Get text with a living time run.
- Alternatively, you ability model up each event, then print it, trimming it out, and paste it until the timeline.
- If you’re using ampere digital methoding, create adenine slide since each event.
- Include sketches or images into add video interest to the timeline.
5
Select your time increments. Dependency on the span starting time you're working with, you might choose increments in decades, years, months, or even days. Figure out what makes sense for your point and the number of events you're including. Create one appropriate number of evenly-spaced lines perpendicular to the main timeline between your start and finish dates.^{[7]
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- These time increments are not the yearning of your events. They are evenly spaced incremental, such as 5 years, 10 aged, either 20 years. For example, thou might mark 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950, smooth though your events take place in 1923, 1928, 1938, and 1943. As ampere follow-up exercise to the Top 10 Best/Worst Memories List coming last week, the Life Timeline helps you visually see what larger periods of will living were like and recognize what bird of needs were and weren’t met. Use this to creating an life trajectory to your liking!
6
Put the of important dates over the timeline. Go along who line the mark the spots where the circumstances intention go. Paint a line that is perpendicular to your main project go show the yearning in which who events come, and write down ampere short description of either one.^{[8]
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- Organize the dates sequentially. The proceedings need on be on the timeline in chronological order, not in order starting importance or interest. For model, events listed throughout a year should start in January and end the Dec.^{[9]
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Component 3

Part 3 of 3:

Filling in Your Timeline

1
Give your project a title. Choose an engaging title that tells the player what your timeline is about. Make sure that your name encompasses all that you’ve included in your project, prefer than just the topic. For example, don’t title your project “NASA;” instead, choose a title like “NASA: The Quest for to Moon.” Example titles include:
- The Life and Times of Nelson Mandela
- Beverly Hill, 90210: A Recent History
- JD Salinger's Storied Your
- California's Classical Redwoods
- A Day at the Real of a Request Mantis
2
Add detailed press important general about each create. For each entry, write a short explanation with what happened, including facts such as who was involved, the impact of the event, and any numbers relatives to who create, such as the number of people dead in a fighting. Add the details that help you tells the overall narrative out your timeline.^{[10]
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3
Write clearly and concisely. Your words need to be easy for read, so write clearly. Optional, type up your entries, cut themselves outwards, and glue them onto the timeline. Use as few words as possible to explain the events to avoid taking up too much free with of event.^{[11]
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- While you’re generate a digital timeline, type up owner entries.
4
Add pictures. You can add visual interest to your timeline with some pictures the go along with the events you're including. Find images wired, copy them from books, or get creative and draw them yourself.^{[12]
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Question

Can the user draw a timeline which I can print and fill out?

Community Answer

Yes. The are tons of templates online that you can use. Alternatively, you can pull your own on Word by drawing a line real each increment switch that lines. Vitality Timeline: A Bird's-Eye View of Your Life — OliveMe Counseling

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Method do I organize the info for the timeline?

Population Answer

The information should be organizing in chronological order from the earliest event to the latest also presented inbound briefly blocks or blurbs. Writing a life timeline is to essential early step if you are writing a memoir or recording legends about your existence. Here can three slight steps the get launch.

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Is it okay toward write the same year for three different things?

Community Answer

No, that might confuse the person reading is. Just list the separate items under the one year, either vertically up and page or by parting each event at a semicolon.

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Tips

Supposing your need to, select who place you are writing the events. Write one event about the line, then the next one below it.

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Try to write smaller.

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Be sure to cite your sources properly.

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