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Firefly Timeline

by Edgar Governo

"Here's ho w it is..."

--Malcolm Rey nolds, opening narration

This timeline is intended as a guide to the ev ents depicted in the telev ision seriesFirefly (and its feature film

continuation,Serenity), as well as the internal history described in that series and film. The format of thetimeline is based mo re o r less on that found inStar Trek Chronology: A History of the Future , by Michael

Okuda and Denise Okuda.Firefly is, of cour se, 200 2 Mutant Enemy Inc and 20 th Century Fox Telev ision,

whileSerenity is 2005 Mutant Enemy Inc and Universal Pictures, and this timeline is in no way affiliated

with any of those entit ies.

A variety of sourc es were used in constructing this timeline:

The fourteen episodes ofFirefly itself, naturally, along with the opening narrations included with those

episodes as originally br oadcast in North America.

The feature filmSerenity , just as naturally.

The "R. Tam Sessions," a sequence of video clips released online (and included in theSerenity :

Collector's Edition DVD) which depic t scenes from River Tam's time at an Alliance-sponsored academy

"Those Left Behind," aSerenity tie-in co mic boo k story written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews.

"Better Days," aSerenity tie-in comic book story also written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews.

"Float Out," aSerenity tie-in comic book story written by Patton Oswalt.

"The Shepherd's Tale," aSerenity tie-in comic book story written by Joss Whedon and Zack Whedon.

"The Other Half," aSerenity tie-in comic bo ok story written by Jim Krueger.

"Downtime," aSerenity tie-in comic book story written by Zack Whedon.

Deleted scenes and other features included in the v ideo release of the series (both on DVD and Blu-

Ray).

Deleted scenes and other features included in the v ideo release o f the feature film (on DVD, HD-DVD,

andBlu-Ray).

Serenity: The Official V isual Companion, particularly the shoo ting script for the film and "A Brief

History o f the Universe, c irca 250 7 A.D.," a pre-production memo by Joss Whedon.

Firefly: The Official Companion (Volume One andVolume Two ), particularly the original shooting

scripts for the series.

Firefly: Still Flying, particularly the short stor ies "Crystal" by Brett Matthews, "Fun with Dick and Jayne

by Ben Edlund, "Take the Sky " by Jose Molina, and "What Holds Us Down" by Jane Espe nso n.

The novelisation ofSerenity , written by Keith R.A. DeCandido.

T he Official Firefly Website (now defunc t), including v ideo interv iews and script fragments which

were av ailable on that site.

Serenity : The Official Mov ie Website , including exc lusive co ntent available on that site.

Other publicity and online resources, most notably direct co rrespondenc e with Jim Krueger.

Under each entry , there is an explanation of how I arriv ed at the date in question. For simplicity, I hav e

grouped many references to the past into periods of time rather than specific years, since admittedly,

ev idence from the filmed material itself is pretty scarc e. I have also c hosen to attempt only a rough

breakdown o f 2517 and 25 18, the y ears in whic h the series and film take plac e.

The main supposition I made that is not based o n any o f the above sourc es is that the series takes place in the

episode o rder presented in the DVD release of the series, rather than the production o rder or the original

airing order of episodes. I made this assumption for purposes of narrative c larity, since the series has a

co ntinuing storyline, and the DVD order prov ides the sequence of events as intended by the creators o f

Firefly.

Should you dispute any of the dates in this timeline, or y ou want to prov ide yo ur own speculations, feel free

to contact me with your thoughts. Y ou can find many more fictional timelines at The History of Things That

Never Were.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416507558/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416507558/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845763149/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845763726/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845760824/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845760824/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845760824/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845760824/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BW7QWW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000FA57N0/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595827390/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595825614/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595825614/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595825614/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003OEXO7U/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595821627/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1593074492/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000Q9IZ5C/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000Q9IZ5C/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000Q9IZ5C/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671536109/edgargovernhistohttp://www.mts.net/~arphaxad/history.htmlmailto:arphaxad@mts.nethttp://www.serenitymovie.com/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416507558/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1848565062/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845763726/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845763149/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845760824/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001KOFH2G/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000FA57N0/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BW7QWW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EN71CW/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AQS0F/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595827390/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595823271/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595825614/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003OEXO7U/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595821627/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1593074492/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000Q9IZ5C/edgargovernhistohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671536109/edgargovernhisto

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1776

July 4

The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylv ania, approv es the Declaration o f

Independence, formally establishing the United States of America.

[Historical accounts.]

1787

September 28

The Constitution of the United States is submitted for r atificatio n.

[Historical accounts.]

1798

Samuel Taylo r Coleridge publishes the po em "The Rime o f the Anc ient Mariner" in the co llectionLyric al

Ballads.

[Historical accounts. The Operative and Mal bo th c ite the image o f the alb atross from this po em in Serenity,

suggesting that at leastsome aspects o f Earth-That-Was are c ommonly known in their society--though Mal

also asks Inara not to faint at the idea that he has read a poem.]

1860

December 20

A spec ial c onv ention calle d in South Caro lina unanimo usly passes an o rdinance of sec essio n from the Union.

In the nex t two months, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas also v ote to secede.

[Historical accounts. Sinc e the American Civil War and its aftermath make up the main histo rical analogy at

wo rk in Firefly, it seems useful to offer some of the principal eve nts of that period for historical context. Of

co urse, using this analogy means that Malcolm and Zoe represent Confederates...]

1861

February 8

Delegates from six of the sece ded states, meeting in Montgomery , Alabama, formally establish the

Confederate States of America, under President Jefferson Davis. In the next four months, Virginia, Arkansas,

Tennessee, and North Carolina secede from the Union and join the Confederacy .

[Historical accounts.]

April 12

Confederate artillery , under the command o f General Pierre G.T. Beauregard, is fired o n Fort Sumter in

Charleston, South Carolina, beginning the American Civil War.

[Historical accounts.]

1863

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January 1

United States President A braham Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves

in the rebellious states are now free.

[Historical accounts.]

July 13

The Battle of Gettysburg is fought in Pennsylv ania, with the Union Army of the Potomac, under th