Circa put that pretty much perfectly. One of the things that draws me to Trek is its large canological lore and history. I find that very appealing in a lot of fiction for some reason? Its probably what draws me to Tolkien too.
Talking of timelines, for anyone who can be arsed to read it, here is a far from perfect, but not bad Star Trek timeline...
Spoiler
nabbed from Wikipedia!
Millions of years ago
* c. 6 billion years ago
o The Guardian of Forever is formed.[2]
* c. 4 billion years ago
o A humanoid civilization seeds the oceans of many planets with genetic material, which would lead to the development of humanoids on many planets.[3]
* c. 1 million years ago
o Sargon's people explore the galaxy and colonize various planets, possibly including Vulcan.[4]
[edit] 1st millennium
* c. 4th century
o The Vulcan Time of Awakening. In the midst of horrific wars on Vulcan, the philosopher Surak leads his people, teaching them to embrace logic and suppress all emotion.[5]
o The Dominion is founded in the Gamma Quadrant by the shapeshifting race known as the Changelings. [6]
* c. 9th century
o Kahless the Unforgettable unites the Klingons by defeating the tyrant Molor in battle, and provides his people with teachings based on a philosophy of honor.[7]
[edit] Pre-20th century
* c. 1570
o The ancient Bajorans use solar sail ships to explore their solar system, and at least one reaches Cardassia.[8]
* 18th Century
o The Suliban homeworld becomes uninhabitable. Detained (ENT episode)
* 18th century
o The Preservers transport various Native Americans to a faraway planet.[9]
* c. 1871
o The Cardassian Union is established.[10]
* c. 1893
o "Time's Arrow" (TNG)
[edit] 20th century
* 1930
o "The City on the Edge of Forever" (TOS)
* 1937
o Several humans are secretly abducted by aliens and brought to the Delta Quadrant, including long lost female pilot, Amelia Earheart. "The 37's" (VOY)
* 1944
o "Storm Front" (ENT)
* 1947
o Three Ferengi crash land in the Nevada desert, and are held by the U.S. Government at a secret base for scientific study. "Little Green Men" (DS9)
* 1957
o A Vulcan scout ship visits Earth, according to a story told by T'Pol (which may or may not have been a true story; see episode entry). "Carbon Creek" (Enterprise)
* 1967
o Captain Braxton's 29th century Federation timeship Aeon crashlands on Earth. "Future's End" (Voyager)
* 1968
o "Assignment: Earth" (TOS)
* 1969
o "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (TOS)
o Apollo 11 lands on the Moon (real-life).
* 1986
o Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
* 1992
o the Eugenics Wars start[11]
* 1996
o the Eugenics Wars end[11]
o "Future's End" (VOY)
* 1999
o Voyager VI is launched [12]
[edit] 21st century
* 2002
o The interstellar probe Nomad is launched. [1][13]
* 2004
o The past events of "Carpenter Street". (Enterprise)
* 2009
o The first successful Earth-Saturn spaceprobe mission takes place. [1][14]
* 2012
o The world's first self-sustaining civic environment Millennium Gate which became the model for the first habitat on Mars, completed in Portage Creek, Indiana. ("11:59", Voyager)
* 2018
o Sleeper ships are made obsolete.[15]
* 2024
o The reunification of Ireland
o The past events of "Past Tense" (DS9)
* 2032
o Ares-IV, a manned mission to Mars is launched.[16]
* 2037
o The spaceship Charybdis makes an attempt to leave the solar system.[17]
* 2053
o World War III ends and the Earth is left devastated by the nuclear carnage of it. Scientific advancement continues, however.[18]
* 2063
o The past events of Star Trek: First Contact. Zefram Cochrane makes the first human warp flight with the Phoenix. This attracts the Vulcans and they make first contact with humans.
* c. 2065
o The SS Valiant is launched.[1][19]
* 2067
o the unmanned interstellar warp probe Friendship 1 is launched[20]
* 2069
o the colony ship SS Conestoga is launched. It would found the Terra Nova colony.[21]
* 2079
o Earth begins to recover from its nuclear war.[22]
* 2088
o Future Enterprise chief science officer T'Pol is born on Vulcan.
[edit] 22nd century
* 2111
o Jonathan Archer is born in upstate New York on Earth.[23]
* 2119
o Zefram Cochrane who now is residing on Alpha Centauri sets off for parts unknown and disappears. Some thought he was testing a new engine. After an exhaustive search, it is believed that Cochrane has died. He becomes one of the most famous missing people in history.[24]
* 2129
o Hoshi Sato is born. [23]
* 2151-2155
o The events of Star Trek: Enterprise take place.[25]
* 2156-2160
o The Earth-Romulan War is fought between the United Earth and its allies, and the Romulan Star Empire. The war ends in a stalemate though the Romulans are defeated at the Battle of Cheron. The Romulan Neutral Zone is established.[1]
* 2161
o The United Federation of Planets is founded by Earth, Tellar, Andoria, and Vulcan.[26]
* 2165
o Sarek, Federation diplomat and father of Spock, is born on Vulcan.[27]
* 2160s to 2196
o The Daedalus class starship is active.[28]
[edit] 23rd century
* 2222
o Montgomery Scott is born in Scotland.[29]
* 2227
o Leonard McCoy is born in Georgia on Earth.[30]
* 2230
o Spock, the son of Sarek and the human Amanda Grayson, is born on Vulcan.[31]
* 2233
o James T. Kirk is born.[32]
* 2237
o Hikaru Sulu is born in San Francisco.[33]
* 2239
o Uhura is born in the United States of Africa.[34]
* 2245-2250
o The USS Enterprise, a Constitution class vessel is launched under the command of Robert April, on a five-year mission of exploration.[1]
* 2245
o Pavel Chekov is born to Ukrainian parents.[35]
* 2250
o After a refit, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) is launched on a second five-year mission under Captain Christopher Pike.[1]
* 2254
o The events of "The Cage".[36]
* 2258
o The events of Star Trek (2009) take place.
* 2261-2264
o The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) undergoes a major refit, increasing its crew complement from 200 to 400.[1]
* 2263
o Boothby, groundskeeper and counselor at Starfleet Academy, is born.
* 2264-2269
o James T. Kirk is captain of the starship Enterprise on a historic five-year mission.[1]
* 2265
o The events of "Where No Man Has Gone Before".
* 2267-2269
o The events of Star Trek: The Original Series take place.
o 2269
+ The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) returns from its five-year mission under the command of Captain James T. Kirk and enters major refit while Kirk is promoted to Admiral at Starfleet Command.
* 2271
o The events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
* 2271-2276
o The upgraded USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) embarks on a five-year mission under the command of Admiral James T. Kirk.[1]
* 2277
o Around this time the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) is retired from active duty and assigned as a training vessel in orbit of Earth.[1]
* 2285
o The events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
o The events of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) is destroyed to prevent it from falling into Klingon hands.
* 2286
o The events of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
o The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) is launched.
* 2287
o The events of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. (Note that this film apparently takes place very nearly after the fourth film, as evidenced by Scotty's complaints about repairing the ship after its shakedown cruise, which was depicted at the end of Star Trek IV. Star Trek V would then take place in early 2287, with the events of Star Trek IV spanning most of 2286, with several months passing after Kirk's return to the future to account for the preparation of the Enterprise-A and Gillian's training for her space assignment.)
* 2293
o The events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The Enterprise-A is slated to be decommissioned shortly afterwards.
o The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) is launched. James Kirk is presumed killed.
[edit] 24th century
* 2305
o Jean-Luc Picard is born in LaBarre, France on Earth.[37]
* 2311
o The Tomed Incident.[1][38]
* 2324
o Beverly Howard is born in Copernicus City, Luna.[37]
* 2332
o Benjamin L. Sisko is born in New Orleans, Louisiana on Earth.[1]
* 2333
o Jean-Luc Picard becomes captain of the USS Stargazer.[1]
* 2335
o Geordi La Forge is born in the African Federation, Earth[37]
o William T. Riker is born in Valdez, Alaska on Earth.[1]
* 2336
o Deanna Troi is born on Betazed.[37]
o Kathryn Janeway is born in Bloomington, Indiana on Earth.[citation needed]
* 2337
o Tasha Yar is born in a failed Federation colony on Turkana-IV.[1]
* 2340
o Worf, son of Mogh is born on the Klingon Empire homeworld, Qo'noS.[1][39]
* 2341
o Julian Bashir is born.[40]
* 2343
o The Galaxy class development project is officially given the greenlight by Starfleet Command. [41]
* 2344
o The Enterprise-C, under the command of Capt Rachel Garrett, is destroyed defending a Klingon settlement on Narendra III under attack from Romulans.[1][42]
o Due to the Enterprise-C 's sacrifice, a new era of more-open communication begins between the Federation & the Klingon Empire.
* 2346
o Worf's parents are killed in the Khitomer attack. Worf (age 6) is adopted by human parents.[1][43]
* 2349
o Annika Hansen is born in Tendara Colony, to Magnus and Erin Hansen
* 2355
o Annika Hansen is assimilated by the Borg.
* 2357
o Worf is the first Klingon to enter the Starfleet Academy.[1]
o USS Galaxy (NX-70637), the prototype Galaxy class is launched. [41]
* 2363
o USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), the third Galaxy class starship (Following the Galaxy and Yamato) is launched from Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards in orbit of Mars, and becomes the Federation's new flagship.
* 2364-2370
o The events of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* 2367
o The Borg Assimilate Captain Jean-Luc Picard - the Battle of Wolf 359 is fought in Sector 001. The battle results in the loss of 39 Starfleet vessels and over 11,000 lives with the borg continuing to Earth. Picard is rescued and the borg cube is destroyed via the actions of the Enterprise-D
* 2369-2375
o The events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
* 2371
o The events of Star Trek Generations. The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is destroyed - the stardrive section by a warp core breach; the saucer section containing the crew makes a forced landing on Veridian III. The ship is subsequently declared a total loss.
* 2371-2377
o The events of Star Trek: Voyager
o "Caretaker: the USS Voyager is stranded in the Delta Quadrant.
* 2372
o Sovereign-class USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) launched.
* 2373
o The events of Star Trek: First Contact.
* 2373-2375
o The Dominion War is fought. After devastating losses on both sides, The Dominion surrenders to the Federation. With the Klingon military in ruins, and the Cardassian Union shattered, The Federation and Romulan Empire emerge from the conflict as the only major powers with the influence to affect Alpha quadrant politics.
* 2375
o The events of Star Trek: Insurrection.[44] Dialogue in this film and in the DS9 finale "What You Leave Behind" place the chronology of this film as during that episode, after the final battle of the war but before the treaty signing ceremony. Most notable in the film is Worf's ability to leave the station to join the Enterprise, as well as a line about Federation diplomats being involved in Dominion negotiations, and the Federation's willingness to work with the Son'a, who are established as a Dominion ally during the war.
* 2377
o With the help of a future Admiral Janeway, the U.S.S. Voyager returns to the Alpha Quadrant. ("Endgame")
* 2379
o The events of Star Trek Nemesis, resulting in the death of Lt. Cmdr. Data.[45]
* 2387
o According to Star Trek, Romulus is destroyed when its home star goes Supernova.
o According to Star Trek: Countdown, Spock and Nero are flung into the black hole after it is used to destroy the Supernova.
