Federation Timeline

These events are gathered from from GURPS Prime Directive published by the Amarillo Design Bureau and from Memory Alpha.

Year	Event
1993	Start of the Eugenics Wars, a terrible conflict on Earth, brought about by a group of genetically engineered "supermen " who were the result of an ambitious selective-breeding program. The leader of the group was Khan Noonien Singh. Within a year, Khan and his followers had seized control in forty Earth nations, which totaled roughly a quarter of the planet. Terrible wars ensued, in part because the "supermen" fought among themselves. Entire populations were bombed out of existence, and Earth was on the verge of a new Dark Age.
2018	Advancements in sublight propulsion technology make sleeper ships obsolete.
2020	The United States of America establishes the Sanctuary Districts in an effort to alleviate rising unemployment and poverty.
2026	World War III begins over the issue of genetic engineering and Human genome enhancement. Among the major players of the war is Colonel Phillip Green, whose actions lead to some 37 million deaths.
2032	A manned Earth mission to Mars, the Ares IV, takes place under the command of Lieutenant John Kelly. However, the orbital module of the mission, along with Lt. Kelly, vanishes, stranding two astronauts on the Martian surface. No satisfactory explanation is ever found.
2037	The Earth spaceship Charybdis, commanded by Colonel Stephen G. Richey, is launched as the third attempt to explore beyond the Sol system.
2038	NASA loses contact with the Charybdis following a failure in the ship's telemetry system.
2053	The Third World War on Earth ends. 600 million people are killed, numerous major cities are destroyed or suffer heavy damage and most of the major governments are in ruins. One of the major combatants in the war was the ECON or Eastern Coalition .
2063	First Contact (of public record) between the Human race and neighboring race: the Vulcans. Zefram Cochrane launches the Phoenix, mankind 's first warp-capable ship, from a remote location in the continental United States. Its brief warp flight is detected by a Vulcan survey ship, the T'Plana-Hath, passing through the local sector, and the ship diverts course to investigate. The Vulcans are already in contact with other space-faring races in the immediate vicinity (Andorians, Rigellians).
2064	Humans launch the first warp ships to explore the galaxy.
2069	The Earth colony ship SS Conestoga is launched with the mission of colonizing the planet Terra Nova.
2070	A group of North American Indians leave Earth in order to preserve their cultural identity and to find a new home.
2078	The SS Conestoga reaches Terra Nova.
2079	By this year, the post-atomic horror is underway
2081	Earth loses contact with the Terra Nova colony. (It turns out an asteroid struck the colony planet.)
2090	The Orpheus Mining Colony on Luna is established.
2102	The Earth survey ship SS Hokule'a is launched for deep space exploration.
2103	The first Human colony on the planet Mars is established, marking the birth of the Martian colonies .
2105	The Earth colony ship VK Yuri Gagarin is launched.
2105	The Taurean system is briefly explored and a spaceship is lost near there. No satisfactory explanation is ever found.
2112	Human’s have Non-Tactical Warp drive (Impulse Engines, Maximum Warp Factor of 5.5 or 9 parsecs/day).
2113	The Earth United Government is formed.
2115	Federation is formed. It is made up of Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, Alpha-Centaurans, Rigellians, and others.
2132	Federation encounters the Orions, a smaller star-faring culture toward the Galactic Rim border. The Orions quickly set up trade relations.
2151	First Federation-Romulan War begins when Romulans invade Federation territory. The Federation fleet is motley as each member race has built it’s own ships. (During this war, no Federation member survives a face to face meeting with a Romulan.)
2156	A treaty between the Federation and the Orions effectively brings the Orions into the Federation, albeit preserving some legal semblance of a semiautonomous zone.
2157	First Federation-Romulan War ends with a cease-fire; Orion support for the war effort had given the Federation a major advantage. The Romulan threat drives the Federation to rapidly create colonies and bases in support of the fleet near the Romulan border.
2182	Federation forms Star Fleet. Member races begin disbanding their 'national' fleets (which are non-tactical warp ships) in favor of the unified fleet (which are tactical warp with photon torpedoes). However, the Federation Council agrees to allow each planet to convert and control a few of their old ships. Ostensibly, this is to “facilitate training”; but in actuality, member planets do not yet entirely trust each other.
2195	First contact between the Tholians and Federation. The Tholians have no interest in suggestions for commerce and the free exchange of ideas.
2196	First contact between the Klingons and the Federation (although the Vulcans had already met them). The Klingons send diplomats to hold trade talks and discuss treaties.
2199	First Federation-Kzinti War begins with Kzinti as the aggressors. The Klingons provide the Federation with useful intelligence and tactical advice. Klingons are honored guests on Federation cruisers fighting the Kzintis.
2199	The Federation Council reluctantly agrees to allow member planets to keep a “squadron” of ships refitted with tactical warp and photon torpedoes. This legalizes the ever expanding size of the “training” units set up in 2182.
2200	Kzintis make gains against the Federation, capturing several key planets.
2202	Federation begins counteroffensive to regain territory occupied by Kzintis, and make steady progress.
2203	First Federation-Kzinti War ends. The Federation frontier is reestablished in it’s original location, creating a temporary border.
2206	Star Fleet Marine Corps and the Federation Merchant Service are formally brought under the umbrella of Star Fleet Command.
2213	The Federation Council (in an attempt to peacefully define a border) declares they will not attempt to control territory more than 4,750 parsecs away from their Primary Member Zone (i.e. Earth). Unfortunately, this limit includes territory claimed by both the Kzintis and the Klingons.
2214	A series of Klingon-Federation border incidents begin as the Klingons challenge the Federation imposed boundaries.
2216	Federation colony Aberdeen III (coordinates 3411) is found to be completely abandoned. No satisfactory explanation is ever found.
2221	First Federation-Klingon War begins with a Klingon attack on territory claimed by the Federation (Declaration of 2213).
2221	Federation ship is found destroyed near the Romulan border. No satisfactory explanation is ever found.
2222	First Federation-Klingon War ends as the Klingons abandon their attacks and launch diplomatic protests over the new Federation border.
2223	The planet Aurora III (coordinates 2901) is colonized. It is the most coreward Federation colony at that time.
2224	The Federation Council passes the Federation Defense Act, creating National Guards for each planet. These are, officially, a reserve fleet for the Star Fleet. In truth, member races are not convinced the Federation is ready and/or willing to defend their individual interests. (The Federation realizes that attempting to scrap these ships is hopeless.)
2224	Sixteen Orion ships and 9,000 skilled spacers mutiny and disappear.
2228	Orion Pirates are in widespread operation. They begin eliminating or co-opting non-Orion pirates that have been operating for decades.
2236	The Federation Council votes for a massive program of exploration toward the unexplored and uninhabited coreward regions. Aurora III becomes the staging area for the program. A Star Fleet base station is built there.

See Also

Federation Race Descriptions