Fallout's canon timeline explained & all games in chronological order

Fallout is set in an alternate timeline of human history that diverged from our own sometime after WWII. One major cause for the divergence was that vacuum tubing gained more popularity than transistors in the creation of electronics, leading to a lack of microtechnology and the retrofuture aesthetic the series is known for.

This all eventually leads up to the year 2077, when nuclear war engulfed the Earth after a long standoff between America and China. It's been over 200 years since then in both the video games and the TV show, with the different entries taking place at different points in the timeline.

This chronology can be hard to follow and understand, especially when it comes to the major events that have shaped the world of Fallout and the current state of America, where all the games take place. Below is a timeline of the major canon events in the Fallout universe, along with the chronological order of the games.

Fallout canon timeline

We don't know exactly when the divergence occurred, but we know it was sometime between 1945 and 1961, making 1961 the official beginning of the Fallout alternate timeline. 

The majority of human history before this date is exactly the same as it is in real life, with a lot of small changes related to the history of the locations you'll visit in games, and a couple of bigger changes, such as the discovery of an advanced human civilisation that existed before humanity did and the confirmed existence of aliens.

2023

• This is the first time that transistor technology is mentioned in the Fallout timeline, though it still doesn't catch on like vacuum tubes

2052

• An energy crisis affects the whole world, prompting the development of alternative sources of fuel
• The Resource Wars begin, beginning with the European-Middle Eastern War

2052

• Project Safehouse is put in motion by the American government and Vault-Tec begins to create vaults across the country

2063

• Most vaults are now complete

2065

• Mr. House deduces that atomic war would destroy society within 15 years and begins to prepare his plan to save Las Vegas

2066

• China invades Alaska to seize its oil, and America declares war in response

2067

• The first power amour is deployed

2074

• America invades mainland China

2075

• First FEV experiments occur

2076

• Canada is annexed by America
• First Super Mutants appear

2077

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• The Battle of Anchorage sees Chinese forces removed from Alaska
• The Great War occurs as both America and China fire off their nuclear warheads
• Las Vegas is defended by Mr. House's laser defence system

2082

• The Brotherhood of Steel is founded

2102

• Vault 76 opens its doors on Reclamation Day and the events of Fallout 76 occur, ending with the Vault Dwellers exterminating the last of the Scorched from Appalachia

2103

• The events of Fallout 76: Wastelanders occur as the Vault Dwellers begin to hear about hidden treasure and survivors make their way into Appalachia
• The events of Fallout 76: Steel Dawn occur and the Brotherhood of Steel establish a prescient in Appalachia

2104

• The events of Fallout 76: Steel Reign take place, and the BoS try to find the source of Super Mutants in Appalachia
• The events of Fallout 76: Expeditions: The Pitt take place and the Vault Dwellers establish contact with the Union in Pittsburgh

2105

• The events of Fallout 76: Expeditions: Atlantic City begin, as some Vault Dwellers travel to Atlantic City to help the Lombardi family

2110

• The Institute is founded by former Commonwealth Institute of Technology students

2161

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• The events of Fallout 1 begin, as the Vault Dweller is sent out of Vault 13 to find a water chip

2162

• The Vault Dweller kills The Master
• The Vault Dweller destroys Mariposa Military Base
• The Vault Dweller returns to Vault 13 and is cast out by the Overseer, ending the events of Fallout 1
• The Vault Dweller founds the village of Arroyo with fellow vault members who left

2180

• The Minutemen are formed in the Commonwealth

2189

• The New California Republic is voted into existence as a collection of states

2227

• The prologue of Fallout 4 occurs where the Sole Survivor is woken from cryo sleep, Shaun is kidnapped by Kellog, and the other parent is killed before cryo sleep is resumed

2241

• Fallout 2 begins as The Chosen One enters the Temple of Trials before leaving Arroyo in search of a G.E.C.K

2242

• Arroyo is attacked, and its citizens are enslaved by the Enclave
• Fallout 2 ends as The Chosen One enters the oil rig and destroys it, killing the President of the United States and ending the Enclave's plans

2247

• Caesar's Legion is formed

2258

• The Fallout 3 prologue begins as the Lone Wanderer is born

2277

• Fallout 3 begins as the Lone Wanderer leaves Vault 101 in search of their father James
• Fallout 3 ends as the Lone Wanderer activates Project Purity and the Capital Wasteland gains drinkable water

2281

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• Fallout: New Vegas begins as the Courier is captured, shot in the head by Benny, and left for dead in the Goodsprings cemetery
• The Courier regains consciousness and leaves to track down Benny in New Vegas
• Fallout: New Vegas ends with the Second Battle of Hoover Dam
• New Vegas is controlled by the chosen faction of the Courier

2287

• Fallout 4 begins as the Sole Survivor leaves Vault 111 in search of Shaun
• The Brotherhood of Steel is deployed to the Commonwealth in full force as a response to the Institute, beginning the War of the Commonwealth
• The Sole Survivor finds Shaun, who is now the Director of the Institute
• The Sole Survivor solves the War of the Commonwealth for their chosen faction, ending Fallout 4

2296

• Season 1 of the Fallout TV show begins as Vault 33 is invaded by Moldaver, causing Hank to be kidnapped
• Lucy then sets out to find Hank
• Aspirant Maximus is selected as a squire to Knight Titus and is set into the wasteland to find Dr. Wilzig
• The Ghoul is freed from his shallow grave and sets off to hunt down Dr. Wilzig
• Norm attempts to uncover the secrets behind Vault 31, 32, and 33

2297

• Season 1 of the Fallout TV show ends, as Lucy finds Hank and learns the truth behind his identity
• The Ghoul arrives at the Los Angeles Observatory to find Hank
• The Brotherhood of Steel attacks the Observatory, causing Moldaver to be killed
• Hank escapes, so Lucy and The Ghoul team up to find him together
• Maximus is declared a knight by Dane
• Hank arrives at New Vegas

Fallout games in chronological order

Here is the order that the canon Fallout games and TV show take place in, if you need a quick way to look at the chronology:

• Fallout 76
• Fallout 1
• Fallout 2
• Fallout 3
• Fallout New Vegas
• Fallout 4
• Fallout TV show

Check out our Fallout homepage for more guides like this. We've also covered the best Fallout games ranked, the best games like Fallout, and the Fallout TV show ending explained.