Timeline Maker

How to use the timeline maker

1. Add an event with Add event. Type its date, a title and an optional note.
2. Write the date as a full date such as 2026-10-12, as a month such as 2026-10, or as a year such as 1969. You can mix them in one timeline.
3. Choose the layout: events alternating on both sides of the line, or all on the right. Tick Show days between events if you want the gaps counted.
4. Check the preview. Events are sorted by date automatically, so the order you typed them in does not matter.
5. Press Download PDF or Print, or Copy timeline text for a plain list in date order.

How dates are sorted and measured

Every date is turned into a sortable key. A year like 1969 sorts as the first day of that year, a month such as 2026-10 sorts as the first day of that month, and a full date sorts as itself. Events with the same key keep the order in which you typed them. That means a year-only event sorts before a dated event in the same year, which is usually what you want for a history timeline.

Dates are checked as real calendar dates. February 30 and February 29 in a non-leap year are rejected with a message that names the event, and years before 1000 are not accepted. The date label on the page is written in a short US style, such as Oct 12, 2026, Oct 2026 or 1969.

When both neighbors have a full date, the optional gap label counts the whole days between them. January 15 to March 2, 2026 is 46 days, March 2 to June 30 is 120 days, and the gap across a leap day, such as February 28 to March 1, 2028, is 2 days. Gaps are not shown when either date is only a month or a year, because the number of days would be a guess.

Page layout

Each US Letter page holds up to ten events on a vertical line, with a diamond marking every event. The date is printed on one side of the line and a box with the title and note on the other. With the alternate layout the boxes switch sides, which makes room for longer text. Titles and notes shrink to fit their box and are shortened with an ellipsis only as a last resort.

A timeline can have up to 60 events, and extra pages are added as needed, each with the same title and a page count. The spacing is even and not proportional to the dates, so a gap of one day and a gap of one year take the same space. That keeps long titles readable. Use the day counts, or a longer timeline in sections, when the sizes of the gaps matter.

Uses and privacy

People use timelines for project plans, school history assignments, family histories, case notes and event planning. The tool only arranges what you enter, and it does not check facts or look up dates. For the number of days between two dates in more detail, use the days between dates calculator. Everything is made in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and saved events, if you tick Remember, stay in this browser only.

Assumptions and limits

• Dates are plain calendar dates with no time zone. A year or a month is treated as the first day of that year or month for sorting.
• Day counts appear only between two full dates. They are exact calendar days, including leap days.
• Spacing on the page is even, not proportional to the time between events.
• A timeline holds up to 60 events with titles up to 60 characters and notes up to 120. Characters the built-in print font cannot draw print as a question mark.

Formulas reviewed October 10, 2026. See the calculation methodology for how SumPanda rounds, tests and sources its formulas.

Frequently asked questions