II becomes tenth Thain and begins the excavation of Great Smials.
2698 Ecthelion I rebuilds the White Tower in Minas Tirith.
2740 Orcs renew their invasions of Eriador.
2747 Bandobras Took defeats an Orc-band in the North-farthing.
2758 Rohan attacked from west and east and overrun. Gondor attacked by fleets of the Corsairs. Helm of Rohan takes refuge in Helm’s Deep. Wulf seizes Edoras. 2758–9: The Long Winter follows. Great suffering and loss of life in Eriador and Rohan. Gandalf comes to the aid of the Shire-folk.
2759 Death of Helm. Fréaláf drives out Wulf, and begins second line of Kings of the Mark. Saruman takes up his abode in Isengard.
2770 Smaug the Dragon descends on Erebor. Dale destroyed. Thrór escapes with Thráin II and Thorin II.
2790 Thrór slain by an Orc in Moria. The Dwarves gather for a war of vengeance. Birth of Gerontius, later known as the Old Took.
2793 The War of the Dwarves and Orcs begins.
2799 Battle of Nanduhirion before the East-gate of Moria. Dáin Ironfoot returns to the Iron Hills. Thráin II and his son Thorin wander westwards. They settle in the South of Ered Luin beyond the Shire (2802).
2800–64 Orcs from the North trouble Rohan. King Walda slain by them (2861).
2841 Thráin II sets out to revisit Erebor, but is pursued by the servants of Sauron.
2845 Thráin the Dwarf is imprisoned in Dol Guldur; the last of the Seven Rings is taken from him.
2850 Gandalf again enters Dol Guldur, and discovers that its master is indeed Sauron, who is gathering all the Rings and seeking for news of the One, and of Isildur’s Heir. He finds Thráin and receives the key of Erebor. Thráin dies in Dol Guldur.
2851 The White Council meets. Gandalf urges an attack on Dol Guldur. Saruman overrules him. 1 Saruman begins to search near the Gladden Fields.
2872 Belecthor II of Gondor dies. The White Tree dies, and no seedling can be found. The Dead Tree is left standing.
2885 Stirred up by emissaries of Sauron the Haradrim cross the Poros and attack Gondor. The sons of Folcwine of Rohan are slain in the service of Gondor.
2890 Bilbo born in the Shire.
2901 Most of the remaining inhabitants of Ithilien desert it owing to the attacks of Uruks of Mordor. The secret refuge of Henneth Annûn is built.
2907 Birth of Gilraen mother of Aragorn II.
2911 The Fell Winter. The Baranduin and other rivers are frozen. White Wolves invade Eriador from the North.
2912 Great floods devastate Enedwaith and Minhiriath. Tharbad is ruined and deserted.
2920 Death of the Old Took.
2929 Arathorn son of Arador of the Dúnedain weds Gilraen.
2930 Arador slain by Trolls. Birth of Denethor II son of Ecthelion II in Minas Tirith.
2931 Aragorn son of Arathorn II born on March 1st.
2933 Arathorn II slain. Gilraen takes Aragorn to Imladris. Elrond receives him as foster-son and gives him the name Estel (Hope); his ancestry is concealed.
2939 Saruman discovers that Sauron’s servants are searching the Anduin near Gladden Fields, and that Sauron therefore has learned of Isildur’s end. He is alarmed, but says nothing to the Council.
2941 Thorin Oakenshield and Gandalf visit Bilbo in the Shire. Bilbo meets Sméagol-Gollum and finds the Ring. The White Council meets; Saruman agrees to an attack on Dol Guldur, since he now wishes to prevent Sauron from searching the River. Sauron having made his plans abandons Dol Guldur. The Battle of the Five Armies in Dale. Death of Thorin II. Bard of Esgaroth slays Smaug. Dáin of the Iron Hills becomes King under the Mountain (Dáin II).
2942 Bilbo returns to the Shire with the Ring. Sauron returns in secret to Mordor.
2944 Bard rebuilds Dale and becomes King. Gollum leaves the Mountains and begins his search for the ‘thief’ of the Ring.
2948 Théoden son of Thengel, King of Rohan, born.
2949 Gandalf and Balin visit Bilbo in the Shire.
2950 Finduilas, daughter of Adrahil of Dol Amroth, born.
2951 Sauron declares himself openly and gathers power in Mordor. He begins the rebuilding of Barad-dûr. Gollum turns towards Mordor. Sauron sends three of the Nazgûl to reoccupy Dol Guldur.
Elrond reveals to ‘Estel’ his true name and ancestry, and delivers to him the shards of Narsil. Arwen, newly returned from Lórien, meets Aragorn in the woods of Imladris. Aragorn goes out into the Wild.
2953 Last meeting of the White Council. They debate the Rings. Saruman feigns that he has discovered that the One Ring has passed down Anduin to the Sea. Saruman withdraws to Isengard, which he takes as his own, and fortifies it. Being jealous and afraid of Gandalf he