World Timeline

The following is a list of events as they take place in the world of One Piece, starting from the past heading towards (but not including) the present storyline.

5,000
The Tree of Knowledge was planted by the ancient Oharans

Over 1,200 years ago

 * The following data have been revealed as fake by Nico Robin. The information that Nico Robin had deciphered were actually details about the ancient weapon, Pluton. However, Nico Robin did not want Sir Crocodile to know of this, and so faked the following information as what had been written on the poneglyph in Alabasta. See Alabasta arc for more information.
 * Kahira falls to Alabasta (Alabasta's history, date: Year of Heaven 239. Information supplied by Nico Robin)
 * The Bitein Dynasty of Taymar begins its rule (Alabasta's history, date: Year 260. Information supplied by Nico Robin)
 * Great Taph Temple completed in Erumalu (Alabasta's history, date: Year 306. Information supplied by Nico Robin)
 * The Hero of Oltea, Mamudin... (Alabasta's history, date: Year 325. Information supplied by Nico Robin, however she is not allowed to finish the sentence.)

1,100 Years ago

 * The city of gold, Shandora propers

800 Years ago

 * A great civilisation dominates the planet from one corner to the next, great weapons of mass destruction are built. In the same century, they also disappear under mysterious circumstances.  The only trace of their civilization left behind is the Poneglyphs.
 * During this time, Shandora toppled in the great war
 * At the end of this century, the World Government takes over control and censors everything that has happened in the last 100 years, at the same time they ban reading the Poneglyphs.

500 Years ago

 * Oz ruled over a nation of brigands from around the world, died and was frozen.

400 years ago

 * Norland (dated in his log book as Year of the sea 1122 June 21) departs from a town called 'Villa'. Following the log pose they happen upon a merchant selling an unusual artifact from Skypiea called a 'waver'.
 * Montblanc Norland arrives on Jaya island and brings about the end of a horrible diease.
 * Roughly year later, a large portion of the island is shot into the air.
 * Several years later, Norland brings the King of Lyneel to Jaya to show him the treasures of the people there, however, unknown to them, the island has been moved into the sky. Norland is later sentenced to death.

200 years ago

 * The St. Bliss leaves from the Bliss Kingdom carrying a crew towards the Grand Line. The crew makes it to Skypiea but then vanishes without a trace.
 * Also during this period, in a certain region of the South Blue, including Bliss Kingdom, it was a custom to cover teeth with tar to help preserve them.

100 years ago

 * Dorry & Brogy begin their Duel on Little Garden.
 * The disease-carrying Kestia is believe to now be extinct.

50 years ago

 * Laboon arrives at Reverse Mountain with a group of pirates. He is then left behind to wait for them.
 * Oimo and Kaashii are tricked into working for the World Government.

38 years ago

 * Iceburg is born

37 years ago

 * Red-Haired Shanks is born.

36 years ago

 * Doctor Hiruluk returns to Drum Island and begins his research into finding a cure for the sickness that plagues his homeland.

34 years ago

 * Cutty Flam is born.
 * Smoker is born.

32 years ago

 * Captain Hina is born.

28 years ago

 * Nico Robin is born.
 * Rob Lucci is born.

23 years ago

 * Kaku is born.

The Great Age of Piracy
(Starts 22 Years before the current storyline. Year: 1500)

22 years ago

 * The great pirate Gold Roger is sentenced to death. Roger's speech before his death leads pirates to the Grand Line to seek out his hidden Treasure dubbed 'One Piece'. This event marks the beginning of an era called "The Great Age of Pirates".
 * The Legendary Shipwright Tom is put on trial for building Gold Roger's ship. He was given ten years to complete his idea of a Sea Train to be exonerated of this crime.

21 years ago

 * Tashigi is born.
 * Kuina is born.

20 years ago

 * Portgas D. Ace is born.
 * Ohara Island is destroyed by a Buster Call. Nico Robin, the sole survivor, begins her life on the run from the World Government with a seventy nine million Belli bounty. Jagaur D. Saul presumably dies when he is frozen by Aokiji.
 * Gaimon arrives at the Island of Rare Animals and through a mishap, is trapped inside a treasure chest. He is left behind by his crew.

19 years ago

 * Roronoa Zoro is born.
 * Sanji is born.

18 years ago

 * Nami is born.
 * Bellemere, a Marine, is caught in a battle between Marines and pirates. She survives, and takes two orphans she finds, Nami and Nojiko, back to Cocoyashi Village; she later adopts both girls as her daughters.

17 years ago

 * Monkey D. Luffy is born.
 * Usopp is born.

16 years ago

 * Nefertari Vivi is born

15 years ago

 * Tony Tony Chopper is born on Drum island. He becomes an outcast of his herd because of his blue nose.
 * An inccident on an island leaves five hundred soldiers being held as hostages by pirates. The pirates demand their captain be made king of the island for release of the five hundred captives. The World Government sends in one lone thirteen year old boy to end the hostage situation; he kills the five hundred soldiers, and then the pirates when they open fire on him.  The boy later goes onto become the top killing machine of the secret CP9: Rob Lucci.

11 Years ago

 * Vivi becomes the Sub-leader of the Suna Suna clan.
 * Toto and his son Kohza set off from Alubarna to set up a village in the Oasis of Yuba.

10 Years ago

 * Red-Haired Shanks, then twenty seven years old, arrives at Luffy's hometown and decides to stay there.
 * Higuma the Bear is eaten by a Sea King in an incident involving Luffy and Shanks.
 * Shanks leaves Luffy's hometown after staying there for almost a year.
 * The pirate captain, Montblanc Cricket, arrives at Jaya. He stays to search for proof on whether his ancestor was or wasn't a liar, so he can be free of his family curse. His crew abandoned him shortly afterwards.
 * Chouchou's owner sets up his pet shop in Orange Town.

8 years ago

 * Arlong invades Cocoyashi Village and begins to build his empire. Bellemere is shot dead, and Nami is conscripted into Arlong's crew.
 * Tom completes the Sea Train, Puffing Tom. He has taken an extra four years to add extra tracks to other islands.
 * CP5, led by Spandam, frames Tom, and he is carted away to Enies Lobby. Cutty Flam is presumed dead after attempting to stop the train that carries Tom.

6 years ago

 * Doctor Hiruluk finds Tony Tony Chopper and saves his life. He later takes Chopper in as his assistant and surrogate son.
 * Gan Fall is replaced as the God of Skypiea by Eneru in a coup d'état.
 * A meeting is held at Marejois with the World Counsel to discuss Dragon and his revoloutionary movement.
 * Some point between 5 or 6 years ago two fans of the book on Montblanc Norland, Masira and his brother Shōjō, show up at Jaya to aid with Montblanc Cricket's efforts to settle things with his ancestor.
 * Hiruluk dies, upon his death Tony Tony Chopper goes to live with Doctor Kureha, she begins to teach him how to be a real doctor.

5 years ago

 * Lucci, Kaku and Kalifa from CP9 go undercover and join the Galley-La Company to learn more about the blueprints to Pluton. Blueno goes to Water 7 with them, but gets work as a bartender instead.
 * Brook is captured on Thriller Bark, where his shadow is taken by Gecko Moria and used to give life to Samurai Ryuma. Brook however managed to escape, creating a horrible mess on Thriller Bark, thus making all beings on Thriller Bark remember his title as "The Humming Swordsman".

4 years ago

 * Cutty Flam shows up alive at Water 7. He is given the blueprints to Pluton by Iceburg. Cutty Flam assumes the name 'Franky'.
 * Nico Robin is hired by Sir Crocodile into Baroque Works as his partner.

3 years ago

 * Captain Kuro fakes his own death and takes on the name Kurahadol. He becomes the butler for Miss Kaya's family.
 * Axe-Hand Morgan is honored for bringing in 'Captain Kuro' and begins his raise to rank in the Marines.
 * The Franky Family begin to collect 200 Million beri's.
 * Portgas D. Ace leaves Luffy's hometown.

2 years ago

 * Vivi and Igaram join Baroque Works to find out information on who runs it.
 * Kuro (presumably) murders Miss Kaya's family. Soon afterwards Kaya falls ill.
 * Koby accidentally ends up as the chore boy for the pirate Alvida.

1 year ago to present storyline

 * Blackbeard and his crew raid Drum Island. Wapol flees in fear.
 * 3 months before the storyline begins, Chouchou's owner goes to hospital, he never returns.

Trivia

 * From using Norland's Log book as a guide, it is possible to work out the current storyline of One Piece takes place in the year 1522.