MLP Timeline

Personally I'm obsessed with timelines and I thought I'd recreate the MLP timeline as accurately as I can.

It should be noted that everything put here should not be considered canon. It is mealy meant to be an accurate estimate of the MLP timeline based on what we know in MLP, our world and what can be accurately assumed.

This is going to be a long ride so tell me what you think.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Baby Cakes Ages

As hard as it is to believe we can figure out (a very rough) estimate of the MLP show.

The average age for starting to potty train is anywhere between 1.5 and 2.5 years. Considering that the Cake twins weren't wearing diapers, but not talking we can assume they started early and had no need for diapers by the age of 2. By 'Flurry of Emotions' the Cake twins had been alive for 4.5 seasons (roughly 2 years) and the shows entire run time is 9 season which means...

9 / 4.5 = 2

The Cake twins, by 'Flurry of Emotions' would have been around for half of what would be the entire shows run time meaning the entire shows runtime of 9 seasons will be twice as long as the cake twins age in 'Flurry of Emotions'.

2 * 2 = 4

The entire MLP show (in universe) is 4 years

This is further supported by the CMC

In 'Lesson Zero' it's already established that kindergarten exists (thank you Twilight) and we've actually seen Sweetie Belle as a 5 year old in the episode 'For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils'. Based of what we've seen in that episode we can assume the CMC are only slightly older than a 5 year old pony making them around 6. If the show (in universe) is 4 years then...

6 + 4 = 10

The CMC would be 10 years old which explains why they are still in grade school.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia

In the episode 'Horse Play' they celebrate Princess Celestia's ones-versary. The one thousand, one hundred, and eleventh anniversary of when she first raised the sun. Which is also the day she gained her cutie mark.

Based on the exploits we've seen with the CMC and what we've seen with the Mane 6 the youngest you'll likely get your cutie mark is just before entering school (roughly age 4) like with Twilight Sparkle. Most others will get their cutie marks while still in grade school (with the oldest being roughly age 10). To get the most accurate age of Princess Celestia we'll meet in the middle of that age range.

10 - 4 = 6

6 / 2 = 3

3 + 4 = 7

So Princess Celestia would have gotten her cutie mark around age 7 (+ or - 3 years) and they celebrated her 1111 year anniversary of when she first raised the sun and gained her cutie mark.

7 + 1111 = 1118

Princess Celestia, in 'Horse Play' was 1118 years old and the MLP show started roughly 3 years prior.

1118 - 3 = 1115

This would make princess Celestia 1115 by the start of MLP.

1115 - 7 = 1108

This also means that princess Celestia picked up the sun for the first time 1008 years before MLP started.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Founding of Equestria

To find out when Equestria was founded we need to go back to the royal sisters. When we get any kind of flashback to the time of Equestrias founding such as the episode 'Hearth’s Warming Eve' we know 3 things. 1. Starswirl is alive and active 2. Starswirls student at that time was Clover the Clever (not princesses Celestia and Luna) 3. Throw-out any flashbacks of that time and era princesses Celestia and Luna never make an appearance.

We know that when princesses Celestia and Luna were under the teachings of Starswirl they were very young as stated in 'Shadow Play Part 1' and to not be his student at this time or even get a cameo its a very good chance neither were even born yet. Considering princesses Celestia and Luna do end up becoming Starswirl students it would mean that they were among the 1st generation to be born into Equestria. So to figure out a (very) rough estimate to when Equestria was founded we need to ask the question "how long is a generation?".

A generation is anywhere from 20–30 years, during which children are born and grow up, become adults, and begin to have children. We'll meet in the middle and say 25 years in this case. Since Princess Celestia was the first born we can guess she was born just before the halfway point at the 12 year mark, meaning that princess Celestia was born around 12 years after the founding of Equestria. Remember by the time MLP started princess Celestia would be around 1115 years old.

12 + 1115 = 1127

So Equestria would have been founded around 1127 years before MLP started.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starswirl

Just to see if the above math as any credit to it lets find out if Starswirls age lines up.

We con only guess what his actual age is in the show (not including the time he spent in limbo). His actual physical age is likely to be old which I say because Starswirl seems to have taken some inspiration to the wise old wizard trope like Merlin or Gandalf. Although we don't know the precise age we'll say he's at least 60 years old by the time he and the pillars were trapped in limbo.

We know princess Celestia became his student soon after raising the moon for the first time making her 7 years old. By the time Starswirl and the pillars disappeared she and Luna were still to young to understand the dangers that they faced as said in 'Shadow Play Part 1' which I would take to mean that princess Celestia would be, at the oldest a pre-adolescent which would make her 12 at the oldest. Equestria would have been founded 12 years before princess Celestia was born.

12 + 12 = 24

Starswirl and the other pillars would have disappeared roughly 24 years after Equestria was founded and by then Starswirl would have been around 60 years old.

60 - 24 = 36

So Starswirl would have been 36 around the founding of Equestria. Old enough to have his own student (Clover the Clever) and still be around to teach princesses Celestia and Luna.

1127 - 24 = 1103

As a side note Starswirl and the pillars would have disappeared 1103 years before MLP started.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note that for the chart BFIM stands for 'Before Friendship Is Magic' meaning before season 1 episode 1 'Friendship Is Magic Part 1 & 2' and AFIM stands for 'Friendship Is Magic Part 1 & 2'

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chart

1127 BFIM = The Founding of Equestria

1115 BFIM = The birth of Princess Celestia

1108 BFIM = Princess Celestia picks up the sun for the first time

1103 BFIM = Starswirl and the pillars trap themselves in limbo

1000 BFIM = Nightmare Moon is banished to the moon

0 FIM = Friendship Is Magic Part 1 and 2 takes place

3 AFIM = Princess Celestia's "ones-versary" takes place

4 AFIM = The Ending of the End – Part 1 and 2 takes place