History

Traveller Version

This section deals with the OTU History and (ATU and IMTU Alternate History) of the Traveller universes.

• Where versions of Traveller differ from the canon time line, this is noted.
• This view is humano-centric, as almost all characters are assumed to be human.
• Dates are given using the Third Imperium dating system unless otherwise noted.
• Please see Date Conversion for more information.
• Please also see Category:Milieus or Milieu.

Description (Specifications)

With nearly forty years of history as of early 2017 and an authorship of hundreds of individuals, perhaps thousands, Traveller history in game terms is pretty hard to coordinate and align. FFE and Marc Miller determine what the canon OTU is, but that doesn't discount other Traveller history, it just means that you as a fan and reader can integrate it into your own ATU or IMTU.

Traveller Game Eras & Editions (1977-2017)

Traveller Game Eras & Editions (1977-2017)

Setting Dates	Era Name (Milieu)	Primary Setting Events	Associated Game/s	Game Edition	Pub. Date
(-2404 to -2203)	Interstellar Wars	First Imperium (Ziru Sirka) & Interstellar Wars	GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars	06th Edition	2002
(-2204 to -1776)	Rule of Man	Collapse of First Imperium & Rule of Man (Second Imperium)	GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars	06th Edition	2002
(-1775 to 0)	Long Night	Collapse of Second Imperium & Long Night	T4: Marc Miller's Traveller	04th Edition	1996
(-25 to 75)	Milieu 0	Sylean Federation & Dawn of the Third Imperium	T4: Marc Miller's Traveller	04th Edition	1996
(985 to 1002)	Milieu 990	Third Imperium & Solomani Rim War	Traveller D20	07th Edition	1977
(1100 to 1117)	Milieu 1116	Third Imperium: Base (Original) Setting · The Fifth Frontier War · An Uncertain Future	Classic Traveller & Traveller5 (T5)	01st Edition	1977
(1116 to 1130)	Milieu 1120	GURPS Traveller: Alternate Setting (Timeline with no Rebellion)	GURPS Traveller	05th edition	1998
(1117 to 1130)	Rebellion AKA Hard Times AKA Divided Imperium AKA Shattered Imperium	Collapse of Third Imperium (Rebellion) & Regency	MegaTraveller	02nd Edition	1986
(1190 to 1220)	New Era	Reformation Coalition & Virus/New Era	Traveller: The New Era	03rd Edition	1992
(1221 to 1300)	Fourth Imperium	Fourth Imperium	Traveller: The New Era	03rd Edition	1992
(1221 to 1300)	Milieu 1248	Fourth Imperium	Traveller: The New Era	08th Edition	2006
(1301 to 1500)	Collapse	Collapse and Interregnum	Traveller5	12th edition	2015+ (Future)
(1780 to 1840)	False Spring	The False Spring	Traveller5	12th edition	2015+ (Future)
(1900+)	Galaxiad	The Galaxiad	Traveller5	12th edition	2015+ (Future)

History & Background (Dossier)

These are some of the stock time periods set out by custom, fans, and literature. It doesn't all match up neatly.

• Traveller owes a great debt to Donald McKinney whose exhaustive timeline helped to coordinate early fan and publisher efforts. He will be sorely missed.
• Please see Setting for more information.

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Ancient Times

• Milieu (Setting):
  • Not a published setting. Only used for background.

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• -310,000 to -290,000 - Ancient civilization period. Human stock transplanted
• -310,000 to -290,000 - During this time the Ancients create a multiworld Rosette at Tireen (Knaeleng 2910), in the Vargr Extents, an unfinished Ringworld at Leenitakot (Hinterworlds 1432), and an incomplete Sphereworld at Sphere (Nooq 3201), which is home to the Inheritors.

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Pre-Imperium

• Milieu (Setting):
  • Not a published setting. Only used for background.

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• -10,011 (4,547 PI) - First Vilani space exploration
• -9235 (3,955 PI) - Vilani discover jump drive
• -7980 - First Zhodani space exploration
• -6731 (1.1 Zhodani) - Zhodani dating begins with first Psionic Games
• -5415 - (581.3 Zhodani) Zhodani discover jump drive
• -5400 (1,032 PI) - Vilani start Consolidation Wars
• -4698 - Hiver discover jump drive
• -4142 - K'kree discover jump drive

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First Imperium (Ziru Sirka)

• Milieu (Setting):
  • Interstellar Wars

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• -4045 (1 VI) - Vilani Consolidation Wars end. Ziru Sirka founded.
• -4000 (1211.1 Zhodani) - First Zhodani Core Expedition
• -4000 (35 VI) - Vilani stop exploration.
• -3810 - Vargr discover jump drive (jump-1)
• -2555 (AD 1961) - First manned space flight on Terra
• -2530 - Vargr discover rosette at Tireen
• -2499 (AD 2024) - Treaty of New York (widely considered de facto start of Terran Confederation)
• -2431 (AD 2087) - Solomani discover jump drive
• -2422 (AD 2097) - First contact between Vilani and Solomani at Barnard's Star
• -2404 (AD 2114) - First Interstellar War starts
• -2400 (1249 VI, AD 2122) - First Interstellar War ends
• -2398 (AD 2124) - United Nations on Terra changes its name to Terran Confederation; Terrans develop jump-2

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Second Imperium (Rule of Man)

• Milieu (Setting):
  • Rule of Man

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• -2204 (AD 2314) - Rule of Man begins
• -2136 - First Aslan space exploration
• -2029 to -2013 Hiver-K'kree War
• -1999 - Aslan discover Jump Drive
• -1776 - (AD 2742) Collapse of Rule of Man; Long Night begins
• -650 - Sylean Federation founded on Sylea

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Third Imperium (Imperial Base Setting / Default)

• Milieu (Setting):

• Milieu 0 (T4)
• Milieu 990 (T20)
• Milieu 1116 (Classic Traveller)
• Divergance Point:

• Rebellion (The Second Civil War) - (MegaTraveller)

»» The New Era (TNE) - See Below

• Milieu 1120 (The "Imperium Eternal") - (GURPS Traveller)

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Details:

• 0 - Third Imperium established (T4 Setting)
• 420 - First Survey of Imperium completed
• 589-604 - First Frontier War
• 615-620 - Second Frontier War
• 704 (AD 5222) - Solomani Autonomous Region Created
• 750 - Seventh Zhodani Core Expedition
• 871 - (AD 5389) - Solomani Confederation established
• 979-986 - Third Frontier War
• 990 - (AD 5508) - Solomani Rim War begins
• 1002 (AD 5520) - Siege of Terra. End of Solomani Rim War
• 1065 - Second Survey of Imperium completed
• 1082-1084 - False War (Fourth Frontier War)
• 1105 (Mongoose Traveller setting)
• 1107-1110 - Fifth Frontier War (CT Setting)
• 1116 - Strephon murdered by Dulinor. Start of Rebellion (MT Setting)
• 1130 - Collapse of the Third Imperium.

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Post-Third Imperium (Fourth Imperium)

• Milieu (Setting):

• New Era
• Milieu 1248

• Fourth Imperium

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Details:

• 1200 - Reformation Coalition Established (TNE Setting)
• 1221 - Foundation of the Fourth Imperium

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Galaxiad (1900+)

• Milieu (Setting):

• Galaxiad (Milieu 1900) (T5)

» The Wave (1200-1450)

» The Corsair Scourge (1134-1300)

» Collapse (1300-1500)

» Foreven War (1508)

» False Spring (1780-1840)

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Details:

• 1300: The beginning of The Collapse, a period of chaos and upheaval.
• 1310: Both the Regency and the Fourth Imperium are officially considered dead.
• 14??: Regina reaches TL-16, but the achievement is short-lived.
• 1476: "Inflexion Point": By this date the resultant two timelines created by the divergence point resulting from the success or failure of the assassination attempt on Emperor Strephon have effectively merged back together.
• 1500: The end of The Collapse.
• 1508: The Foreven War. Regina is EMP'ed.
• 1537: Mora formally claims neighboring worlds for the Duchy of Mora.
• 1648: The Republic of Regina is formed, with three Strong Worlds forming its core.
• 1780: The beginning of the False Spring in the Spinward Marches.
• 1839: Magash forces the creation of the Limmu Bukara.
• 1850: Regina re-achieves TL-16.
• 1902: Regina achieves TL-17.

· The Wave (1200-1450) · The Corsair Scourge (1134-1300) · Collapse (1300-1500) · Foreven War (1508) · False Spring (1780-1840)

References & Contributors (Sources)

This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it.

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Gary L. Thomas. "A Concise History of the Third Imperium." The Travellers' Digest 18 (1989): 21-29.
• T5 Core Rules
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science