Timeline Maker
Add events with a date, title, short description and color, and they are sorted and drawn as a horizontal or vertical timeline you can download as an image. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Events
Paste CSV / Export CSV
Layout & style
How to use the Timeline Maker
- Add your events: enter a date (like 1969-07-20, 1969-07 or just 1969), a title and an optional description for each one.
- Pick colors per event, or apply a palette to all of them at once.
- Choose the layout: horizontal or vertical, and even or time-proportional spacing.
- Add a title and choose a date format and sort order.
- Download PNG for slides and reports or Download SVG for print and editing.
Date formats the timeline understands
| You type | Shown as (default format) | Precision |
|---|---|---|
| 1969-07-20 | Jul 20, 1969 | Day |
| July 20, 1969 or 20 Jul 1969 | Jul 20, 1969 | Day |
| 1969-07 | Jul 1969 | Month |
| 1969 | 1969 | Year |
| 776 BC or -776 | 776 BC | Year |
| 20/07/1969 | Jul 20, 1969 | Day (day first when the first number is over 12, otherwise month first) |
For proportional spacing, BC years are placed correctly on the same axis as AD years. There is no year 0 in the historical calendar: 1 BC is followed directly by AD 1, and the tool accounts for that.
Tips for a clear timeline
- Keep titles short (2–6 words) and use the description for detail. Cards show up to two title lines and four description lines.
- Use color to group events: one color per era, project phase or category.
- Choose the right spacing. Even spacing is best when events are unevenly distributed, like a company history with a busy recent decade. Proportional spacing shows the real pace of change, for example in geological or historical timelines.
- Go vertical for long lists. More than about 12 events, or long descriptions, read better in a vertical timeline, which also prints nicely on a portrait page.
- Newest first suits changelogs, résumés and news recaps; oldest first suits history and project plans.
Ideas for timelines
- History and school projects: wars, inventions, a biography, the history of a country.
- Project and product roadmaps (for task-level plans with durations, try a chart or a Gantt chart).
- Company milestones for an About page or pitch deck.
- Personal timelines: a résumé, a relationship, a baby's first year, a travel log.
- Event schedules alongside a printable calendar or planner.
Frequently asked questions
What date formats can I use?
Use 2024-05-14 for a day, 2024-05 for a month or 2024 for a year. You can also type dates like May 14, 2024 or 14 May 2024. For ancient history, write a year followed by BC, like 776 BC, or a negative year. The precision you type is the precision shown.
Are events sorted automatically?
Yes. Events are always drawn in chronological order, oldest first by default, or newest first if you prefer. The order of the rows in the editor does not matter.
What is the difference between even and proportional spacing?
Even spacing places events at equal distances, which is compact and easy to read. Proportional spacing places them according to the real time between them, so long gaps look long; year ticks are added to the axis. Overlapping cards are moved to extra rows automatically.
Horizontal or vertical timeline: which should I use?
Horizontal timelines suit slides, banners and a small number of events. Vertical timelines handle many events and long descriptions better and fit documents, posters and phone screens.
Can I import events from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy columns in the order date, title, description, color (the last two are optional), open Paste CSV, paste and press Import events. Use Export CSV to get your events back out.
Is my timeline saved or uploaded?
It is saved only in your browser's local storage so you can continue later on the same device. Nothing is uploaded; the image is generated locally.