"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war."
Warhammer 40,000 is a massive ever expanding universe that spans across various forms of
media with an immense amount of lore.
So as someone who is relatively new to Warhammer, I'd like to begin my exploration of this legendarium
by providing a brief overview of the complete timeline of 40K and highlight a few of the
most notable events in the history of this epic fantasy universe.
Pre-Imperium (60 Million BC - 15,000 BC) The Pre-Imperium era starts from 60 million years
BC.
Most of this time period is shrouded in mystery with only fragments of myths and legends that
remain.
The first major event in the Pre-Imperium era was the War in Heaven, an ancient Aeldari
tale of a massive conflict that took place between three powerful races: the Necrontyr,
who would become the Necrons, the god-like C'tan (ka-tawn), and the life-seeding Old
Ones who created the Aeldari and Orks to war against their enemies.
The War in Heaven had a profound impact on the galaxy, with an unprecedented level of
destruction and loss of life that would shape the course of history for millions of years
to come.
The untold number of deaths from the war in heaven led to a massive influx of souls to
the Warp, a psychic mirror dimension of Immaterium that exists in parallel to real space.
This influx of souls resulted in the Warp’s instability leading to its transformation
into the realm of chaos.
Twisted creatures from this Immaterium then flooded into the physical realm, triggering
the start of the enslaver plague.
The Necrons then retreated to their tombs where they would slumber for eons.
The Orks continued to wage war across the galaxy while the Eldar rose to dominance and
subsequently fell into decadence and corruption.
The Rise of Humanity (15,000 BC - 30,000 AD) Following the Pre-Imperium era was the period
referred to as the Rise of Humanity.
Around the year 8000 BC the first and greatest of a new race of Human psykers was born who
would one day become the Emperor of man.
For many thousands of years this superhuman guided and watched Humanity develop as he
assumed the guise of a large number of historical personages.
Age of Technology (15,000 AD - 25,000 AD) During the Rise of Humanity around the 15th
millenia, the Dark Age of Technology began.
This saw humanity’s development into a thriving and dominant spacefaring civilization.
During this time period, mankind colonized numerous planets, developed advanced AI systems,
and created incredible machines that could achieve feats previously thought impossible.
Eventually these AI systems turned on their masters, leading to a war called The Cybernetic
Revolt between humans and machines that devastated many worlds.
The massive loss of life caused a tremendous rise in the numbers of Human psykers leading
to the opening of warp portals and subsequent warp incursions as the forces of Chaos were
unleashed upon the galaxy.
Age of Strife (25,000 AD - 30,000 AD) Thus began the Age of Strife which was marked by
constant warfare, as humans fought for resources and power in a universe torn apart by warp
storms.
These warp storms which were fueled in large part by the continued debauchery of the Eldar
empire effectively made interstellar travel impossible.
Thereafter the surviving isolated pockets of humanity struggled to survive amid the
ruins of their once-great civilization.
Eventually the souls of the corrupt Aeldari began to coalesce into a living representation
of their hedonism leading to the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh.
This event tore a hole from the warp into the physical universe sending psychic shockwaves
that instantly killed most of the Aeldari.
Afterward, the warp storms that previously plagued the galaxy subsided allowing for the
resumption of interstellar FTL travel.
It was at this time that the Emperor of Mankind emerged as a powerful leader and began to
unite the scattered human tribes.
He eventually conquered Earth and launched The Great Crusade with the aim to reunite
the scattered colonies of humanity under his rule, to unify their religion and to rid the
galaxy of the threats posed by the Gods of the Chaos realm and other hostile forces.
The Great Crusade (ca.
30,798 AD - 31,005 AD) During this period, the Emperor and his armies conquered countless
worlds.
In order to accomplish his will, the Space Marines were created to be the Imperium's
most elite warriors.
Intended to serve as the leader of each legion of space marines were the Primarchs, genetically
engineered superhumans that were given the DNA of the emperor.
However, before the Primarch project was completed, these 20 infant sons of the emperor were scattered
throughout the galaxy.
Therefore another goal of The Great Crusade was to locate the missing Primarchs.
The Horus Heresy (31,005 AD - 31,014 AD) During the Great Crusade came a major event known
as the Horus Heresy.
A catastrophic civil war that erupted within the Imperium of Man..
The conflict was sparked by the rebellion of the Primarch Horus, who had been corrupted
by the forces of Chaos.
Horus managed to sway several other Primarchs to his cause, and a brutal conflict ensued
that lasted for several years.
In the end, the loyalist forces emerged victorious, but at a tremendous cost.
The traitor Horus was slain and the Emperor of Mankind was severely injured.
As a result he was thereafter permanently entombed in a life-sustaining device known
as the Golden Throne.
The Age of The Imperium (31,000 AD - 41,000 AD) Thus began the era known as The Age of
The Imperium.
During this period, the Imperium remained in a constant state of struggle to maintain
their infrastructure and defend against external threats from the invasion of the Tyranids,
to the return of the Necrons, and attacks from many other alien and extra-dimensional
forces.
The Age of the Imperium was also marked by humanity’s internal struggles, as various
factions vied for power and influence within the empire.
Despite these challenges, however, the Imperium proved itself incredibly resilient as it was
fueled by the unshakeable faith of its citizens and the unyielding determination of its leaders.
Numerous Imperial institutions became relied upon to maintain the Imperium's technology
and to ensure its continued survival.
Despite being confined to the Golden Throne, The Emperor remained a guiding force as he
used his psychic power to hold back the hordes of Chaos and keep the Imperium together.
The Fall of Cadia 41,999 The last major event that occurred in the current era of the 40K
universe was The Fall of Cadia, a fortress world that served as the Imperium's first
line of defense against the forces of Chaos.
This event led to the creation of the Great Rift, a massive tear in reality that split
the galaxy in two resulting in the unleashing of devastating Warp Storms and the total cutting
off of the galactic north from earth known as Terra.
The aftermath of the catastrophic creation of this hole in space time is the stage upon
which the current 40k narrative stands.
While the timeline presented in this video is far from comprehensive, it is my hope that
this provides a relatively concise & basic overview of the most significant events in
the history of this complex universe.
But I’m curious to know what you think of the Timeline of Warhammer 40k, are there any
major events or eras that stand out as your favorite?
A Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
I hope you enjoyed this video.
If you would like to see me continue exploring the fascinating lore of the Warhammer 40k
universe, be sure to leave a like, subscribe to the channel and share this video with anyone
you think might enjoy it as well.
Thank you all so much for your support and as always, have a very nerdy day.