Timeline Generator
Create a scale-accurate timeline graphic as PNG for BC/AD and deep time in millions and billions of years, for school, university and presentations.
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The result will appear here …
How to use this tool (video)
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Timeline Generator: Create Scale-Accurate Time Axes
A timeline makes processes and developments understandable at a glance. For a school presentation, a university lecture or a team talk: instead of burying dates in a list, you show them as a graphic. This tool builds a scale-accurate timeline directly in your browser and exports it as a PNG. No upload, no sign-up, nothing is sent to a server.
It is especially strong when it comes to deep time. Earth's history from its formation 4.6 billion years ago to the appearance of modern humans about 300,000 years ago is hard to grasp in ordinary year numbers. That is why the tool understands the common geological notations: Ma, Ga, ka and BP always mean "before present" and are placed automatically.
How to create a timeline
One entry per line, separated by a pipe: value, title, description and an optional icon. For example 541 Ma | Cambrian Explosion | Multicellular life appears. The tool reads many forms: 1998 for years, 3000 BC for before Christ, 1969 AD for after Christ, plus 4.6 bn, 540 m, 4.6 Ga, 12 ka and 5000 BP for deep time. German decimal commas are accepted just like dots.
Example: the geological time scale
A classic example is the deep time of Earth. Start with 4.6 Ga | Formation of Earth, add 3.8 Ga | First life and 541 Ma | Cambrian Explosion, then 66 Ma | End of the dinosaurs and finally 300 ka | Homo sapiens. Because the tool draws to scale, you immediately see how tiny the human period is compared with Earth's history. That is exactly the point: a scale-accurate timeline shows real proportions.
For axis labels the tool picks pleasant "round" steps automatically so the scale stays readable. You can adjust the format, colour scheme and accent colour and export at up to 3x for print.
Frequently asked questions
What is a timeline?
A timeline (or time axis) presents events in chronological order as a graphic. It is used for school talks, lessons, university presentations and for visualising history or developments.
What do BP, Ma or Ga mean?
These are geological time notations: BP for "before present", ka for thousand, Ma for million and Ga for billion years. The tool converts them to a negative value automatically so they land before the present on the axis.
How do I enter dates before Christ?
Write a minus sign in front of the number, for example -3000, or use 3000 BC. Both give the same result.
Is the timeline really to scale?
Yes. In the timeline generator the distance between two events on the axis reflects their real temporal difference, so proportions become visible. For evenly spaced milestones without a scale, use the Company History Generator.
What format is the result?
The result is a PNG graphic at the chosen size and resolution. PNG embeds cleanly into presentations, documents and websites and stays sharp, including at 2x or 3x for print.
Are my data sent to a server?
No. The timeline is drawn with the Canvas API directly in your browser. Your input is not transmitted to our server and is not stored.