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A chronology of Piper's Terrohuman Future History

Atomic Era (AE) Century
1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th - 5th - 6th - 7th - 8th - 9th - 10th - 11th
12th - 13th - 14th - 15th - 16th - 17th - 18th - 19th - 20th - 21st
22nd - 23rd - 24th - 25th - 26th - 27th - 28th - 29th - 30th - 31st

Piper's note on Atomic Era dating: "The Atomic Era (AE) is reckoned as beginning on 2 December, 1942, Christian Era (CE), with the first self-sustaining nuclear reactor, put into operation by Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago. Unlike earlier dating-systems, it begins with a Year Zero &mdash 2 December, 1942, to 1 December, 1943, CE. With allowances for December overlaps, 1943 CE is thus equal to the Year Zero AE, and 1944 CE to 1 AE, and each century accordingly begins with the "double-zeo" year, and ends wtiht the ninety-nine year.
          "Dates AE and CE are converted by adding or subtracting 1943; thus 1964 CE is 21 AE, and 1066 CE is reckoned as 877 PreAtomic (PA). Atomic Era dating did not become official until 2nd December, 2143, or 200 AE. The Gregorian calendar, with all defects, was adopted, merely setting back January 1st to December 2nd. It took about fifty years for everybody to agree to it, and some fanatical relgious sects opposed it to the end of Terran Federation history." - From "Future History No. 1."

1st Century AE (1943-2042 AD)
0 1943 First self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction at Chicago [Piper].
2 1945 World War II ends.
27 1970 Kilroy, first unmanned rocket, launched by United States, lands on the Moon [Piper, EotK1].
c29 c1972 Lunar base established by United States [EotK1].
30 1973 "The Edge of the Knife" (published May 1957).
Khalid ib'n Hussein assassinated at Basra, anarchy and inter-faction struggles in Islamic Caliphate followed by Turkish intervention [EotK1].
c31 c1974 United Nations collapses [Piper, EotK1].
32 1975 World War III ("Thirty Days' War") [Piper, Carr].


Terran Federation formed under United States leadership [Piper, EotK1],
53 1996 "Omnilingual" (published February 1957) [Omni, Piper].
First human expedition to Mars, discovery of extinct Martian civilization [Omni].
c55-100 c1998-2043 Further exploration of Mars, Venus, Asteroid Belt, and Moons of Jupiter [Piper].
c60-105 c2003-48 First Terran Federation begins to crack under strains of colonial claims and counter-claims of member states; serious financial dislocations [Piper; Carr places first Mars colony in 108 AE and first Venus colony in 116 AE but Piper implies these must occur prior to WWIV].
92 2035 Contragravity is developed [Carr].
2nd Century AE (2043-2142 AD)
c105 c2048 Venus secedes from the (first) Terran Federation [SV; Carr says 174 AE but Piper implies this must occur prior to WWIV].
106 2049 World War IV begins ("First Interplanetary War") [Piper, WitC; UU, p. 64].
109 2052 World War IV ends [Piper; EotK1, pp. 21-2; WitC; UU, p. 64].
114 2057 After a "debacle in the United States," Generla Lanningham brings U.S. atom bomb data to South America [UU, p. 169].
c119 c2062 South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Argentina form the second Terran Federation [Piper; Carr says 183 AE].
c127 c2070 Reformed (second) Terran Federation establishes single world sovereignty when Britain becomes the last nation to join; colonies on Mars and Luna [Piper; EotK1. pp. 21-2; Keep].
183 2126 Dillingham hyperdrive developed [Piper].
192 2135 First expedition to Alpha Centauri [Piper; Carr says 144 AE].
3rd Century AE (2143-2242 AD)
200 2143 Atomic Era dating adopted [Piper].
? ? Terrohuman interstellar exploration, colonization, and expansion begins [Piper; SV].
??Thor discovered, Thorans encountered, Thor Company chartered [WitC].
??Loki discovered, Lokians encountered, Loki Company chartered [WitC].
??Yggdrasil discovered, Khooghra encountered, Yggdrasil Company chartered [WitC].
? ? "When in the Course&mdash" (published in 1981) [Piper, WitC]
Freya discovered, Freyans encountered, Freya Company chartered [WitC]
c240 c2183 Fenris Company chartered, Fenris settled [FDP; Piper].
c250 c2193 Atomic Era dating is commonly used throughout the Terran Federation [Piper].
Chartered Fenris Company goes bankrupt [FDP; Piper].
4th Century AE (2243-2342 AD)
c350 c2293 Four-Day Planet (published in 1961) [Piper].
Anton Gerrit, leader of Loki enslavement, captured on Fenris; Kapstaad Chemical Products, Ltd., monopoly on Fenris tallow wax broken by Argentine Exotic Organics [FDP].
Marduk colonized [SV p. 155].
5th Century AE (2343-2442 AD)



6th Century AE (2443-2542 AD)
526 2469 Uller Uprising (published in 1952) [Piper; FaOP, p. 28; Carr says 377 AE].
Native revolt on Uller against Chartered Uller Company [UU].
7th Century AE (2543-2642 AD)
629 2572 Zarathustra is discovered and settled [Piper; Carr; LF].
c650 c2593 Poictesme is discovered by Genji Gartner and settled [GoD; Carr says 603 AE].
654 2597 Little Fuzzy (published in 1962) [Piper; FaOP].
Fuzzy Sapiens (published in 1964) [Piper; FaOP].
Fuzzies and Other People (published in 1984) [Piper; FaOP].
Terra-Baldur-Marduk Spacelines holds monopoly on travel to Zarathustra; Zarathustran Fuzzy sapience recognized; Zarathustra reclassified from Class III to Class IV world; Zarathustra Company charter revoked [LF].
8th Century AE(2643-2742 AD)
? ? Fafnir, Imhotep and Irminsul discovered by the crew of the Hubert Penrose [Naud; Piper].
c716 c2659 "Naudsonce" (published January 1962) [Piper].
Svantovit discovered, Svants encountered [Piper; Naud].
782 2725 Foxx Travis born, aide to commander of Federation army elements on Kwannon during the native revolt there and commander of the Third Fleet-Army Force headquartered on Poictesme during the System States War [Carr; CC; OitS].
9th Century AE (2743-2842 AD)
812 2755 "Oomphel in the Sky" (published November 1960) [Piper].
Miles Gilbert and Foxx Travis thwart native revolt on Kwannon [Piper; Carr].
Aditya discovered [Carr 1981; ASiaS, p. 67]
839 2782 Systems States Alliance secedes from Federation [Piper].
842-854 2785-2797 System States War [Piper; Carr; CC].
851 2794 Federation forces destroy city of Kindelburg on Asmodai [CC].
855 2798 Ten thousand refugees from Abigor (named for a demon that could foretell the future and provide military advice) and the remnants of the System States Alliance navy flee the Terran Federation and settle Excalibur, the first Sword World [Piper; Carr says 854; SV].
c856 c2799 Franchard's Rise and Decline of the System States published [EotK1, p. 16].
c871 c2814 Conn Maxwell born [CC].
894 2837 "Graveyard of Dreams" (published February 1958) [Piper].
Junkyard Planet/The Cosmic Computer (published in 1963) [Piper].
Merlin, the fabled Federation battle computer, is discovered on Poictesme by Conn Maxwell [CC; Carr].
c895 c2838 Sword Worlds Joyeuse, Durendal and Flamberge colonized from Excalibur [Piper; SV].
10th Century AE (2843-2942 AD)
c915 c2858 Sword World Haulteclere colonized from Joyeuse (Morglay? Curtana?) [Piper; SV].
c935 c2878 Sword World Gram colonized from Haulteclere (Tizona? Quernbiter? Twelfth Sword World?) [Piper; SV].
c950 c2892 Aditya abandoned by (or secedes from) Federation [ASiaS, p. 67]
11th Century AE (2943-3042 AD)
c1000 c2943 Interstellar Wars begin, a series of revolts and wars that lead to the collapse of the Terran Federation, begin [Piper; Carr; SV, p. 12]
12th Century AE (3043-3142 AD)
c1100 c3043 Terran Federation completely vanished [Piper]. Assuming the "dissolution of the First Galactic Empire, in the Tenth Century of the Interstellar Era" mentioned in "Edge of the Knife" [EotK1 p. 28; EotK2 p. 21] actually refers to the collapse of the Terran Federation it would be some date between approximately 1092 AE (3035 AD) and 1191 AE (3134 AD).
13th Century AE (3143-3242 AD)
c1200 c3143 Interstellar Wars come to an end [Carr; SV, p. 12]
14th Century AE (3243-3342 AD)
1359 3302 First Sword World ship returns from voyage to Old Federation; Aditya occupied by Morglay [SV, p. 10; ASiaS, p. 87; Carr; Piper says approximately 1450 AE].
15th Century AE (3343-3442 AD)
c1450 c3393 First Sword-World ships enter Old Federation space-volume [Piper; see 1359 AE]
16th Century AE (3443-3542 AD)
c1595 c3538 After an unsuccessful raid on Aton by six ships from Haulteclere, Space Vikings no longer raid 'civilized' worlds in the Old Federation [SV, p. 135, pp. 162-3; Carr says 1503].
17th Century AE (3543-3642 AD)
c1600 c3542 Aditya in the Old Federation abandoned during dynastic war on Morglay [ASiaS, p. 65, p. 68].
c1615 c3558 Skathi in the Old Federation is deserted by Space Vikings [SV, p. 182; Carr says 1473].
c1650 c3593 Marduk-Odin 'false war' [SV, p. 166, p. 191]
c1665 c3608 During war between Aton and Baldur, the Planetary Nationalist Party takes power on Aton and forms a dictatorship [SV p. 151; Carr says 1548 AE].
18th Century AE (3643-3742 AD)
c1716 c3659 Space Viking (published in 1962-63) [Piper].
Lucas Trask leaves Gram for Tanith in the Old Federation [SV, p. 10]
c1723 c3666 Battle of Adhumla between Trask's nascent League and Dunnan's Space Vikings [SV].
c1725 c3668 With support from Haulteclere and Space Viking fleet from Xochitl, exiled Duke Omfray of Glaspyth attempts to overthrow King Angus of Gram [SV].
Battle of Marduk between alliance of Trask's nascent League and loyalist Mardukan forces and Dunnan's Space Vikings and Makann's Mardukan usurpers [SV].
c1730 c3673 King Lucas of Tanith and Prince Simon of Marduk establish League of Civilized Worlds [Piper; SV].
19th Century AE (3743-3842 AD)
c1880 c3823 House of Bentrick on Marduk dissolves League of Civilized Worlds and proclaims (first) Galactic Empire [Piper; ASiaS, p. 87; Carr says 1848].
20th Century AE (3843-3942 AD)
1900 3843 Imperial Era (IE) dating system begins; 20th Century AE corresponds to 1st Century IE [Piper].
c1980 c3923 Emperor Steven IV transfers capital of Galactic Empire from Marduk ot Odin [Piper; Carr says 1936 AE].
21st Century AE (3943-4042 AD)
c2035 c3978 Sword Worlds added to the Galactic Empire [Piper; Carr says 1904 AE].
22nd Century AE (4043-4142 AD)
c2150 c4093 "A Slave is a Slave" (published April 1962) [Piper].
Aditya conquered by the Galactic Empire [ASiaS].
23rd Century AE(4143-4242 AD)
c2295 c4238 Rodrik VI completes consolidation of (first) Galactic Empire [Piper; Carr says 2162 AE].
24th Century AE(4243-4342 AD)



25th Century AE(4343-4442 AD)



26th Century AE(4443-4542 AD)



27th Century AE(4543-4642 AD)



28th Century AE(4643-4742 AD)



29th Century AE (4743-4842 AD)
c2850? c4793? The "dissolution of the First Galactic Empire, in the Tenth Century of the Interstellar Era" [EotK1 p. 28; EotK2 p. 21; if it is assumed that "Interstellar Era" was meant to be "Imperial Era" this date conflicts with the date provided in Piper for "Ministry of Disturbance," set during the first Galactic Empire].
30th Century AE (4843-4942 AD)



31st Century AE (4943-5042 AD)
c3050 c4993 "Ministry of Disturbance" (published December 1958) [Piper].
Emperor Paul XXII and Prince Yorn Travann "undertake to arouse the Empire to new efforts" [Carr says 2936 AE].
&mdash &mdash



301st Century AE (31,943-32,042 AD)
c30,050 c31,993 "The Keeper" (published July 1957) [Piper].
Scholar/explorers at the height of the Fifth Galactic Empire discover that a glacial Terra was the birthplace of humanity.


Michael McGuirk's Terrohuman Future History Timeline


Chronology sources:
  • [Piper]: "Future History No. 1," H. Beam Piper, in Zenith #4, May 1964 (fanzine, Peter Weston, ed.), pp. 11-14.
  • [Carr]: "Terrohuman Future History Chronolgy," John F. Carr, in Empire, John F. Carr, ed., New York: Ace, pp. vi-viii.

  • [ASiaS]: "A Slave is a Slave," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Empire, Ace paperback.
  • [CC]: The Cosmic Computer, H. Beam Piper, Ace paperback.
  • [EotK1]: "The Edge of the Knife," H. Beam Piper, Empire, John F. Carr, ed., New York: Ace, 1981.
  • [EotK2]: "The Edge of the Knife," H. Beam Piper, Astounding Science Fiction, John W. Campbell, Jr., ed., Vol. LXII, No. 4, December 1958.
  • [FaOP]: Fuzzies and Other People, H. Beam Piper, Ace paperback.
  • [FDP]: "Four-Day Planet," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Four-Day Planet and Lone Star Planet, Ace paperback.
  • [FS]: Fuzzy Sapiens, H. Beam Piper, Ace paperback.
  • [GoD]: "Graveyard of Dreams," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Federation, Ace paperback.
  • [Keep]: "The Keeper," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Empire, Ace paperback.
  • [LF]: Little Fuzzy, H. Beam Piper, Ace paperback.
  • [MoD]: "Ministry of Disturbance," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Empire, Ace paperback.
  • [Naud]: "Naudsonce," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Federation, Ace paperback.
  • [OitS]: "Oomphel in the Sky," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Federation Ace paperback.
  • [Omni]: "Omnilingual," H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Federation, Ace paperback.
  • [SV]: Space Viking, H. Beam Piper, Ace paperback.
  • [UU]: Uller Uprising, H. Beam Piper, Ace paperback.
  • [WitC] : "When in the Course&mdash,"H. Beam Piper, page numbers from Federation, Ace paperback.