Sword Art Online Timeline

2008

 * Kazuto is adopted by the Kirigaya family after his birth and his parents' apparent death.

2011

 * Konno Yuuki is born and infected with HIV, due to a bad batch of blood.

2018

 * Kazuto finds out about his parents' deaths from the deleted entry record he found on the Internet.

September/October

 * Asada Shino is involved in a fatal robbery in a post office.

May

 * The NerveGear is created.

August

 * The Sword Art Online (SAO) Closed Beta is launched.
 * Kirito encounters Argo.

September

 * The Sword Art Online Closed Beta is closed.

November 6th

 * 13:00: Start of Sword Art Online Official Server Service.
 * Kirito shows Klein the basics of the game.
 * 17:30 Aincrad Standard Time - Kayaba Akihiko successfully traps 10,000 Players in the game. Of this 10,000, between 700-800 are beta testers. 213 people died because their family or friends attempted to remove the NerveGear from their head.
 * Kirito parts ways with Klein and heads to Horunka village.
 * Beginning of "The First Day"
 * Kirito goes off to complete the «Secret Medicine of the Forest» quest. He meets Coper, another beta tester. Coper tries monster PK on Kirito only to end up dying himself.
 * Ending of "The First Day"

December

 * Suguha finds out about Kazuto’s parents’ death and their actual relationship.
 * 2000 people had died from playing Sword Art Online. Of this number, roughly 300 deaths were beta testers.
 * The top class proto-front-lines group is barely level 10 on average.

December 2nd

 * Progressive Volume 1 Chapter 1 (Aria in the Starless Night)
 * Kirito meets Asuna.
 * The First Floor Boss Strategy Meeting is held in Tolbana.

December 3rd

 * Diabel's party finds the boss room
 * The second First Floor Boss Strategy Meeting was held. Asuna temporarily joins Kirito's party.
 * Asuna borrows Kirito's bathroom.

December 4th

 * 10:00 Aincrad Standard Time - The First Floor Boss Raid Group bands together.
 * Kirito deals the Last Attack on Illfang the Kobold Lord. He gains the Coat of Midnight as a bonus.
 * The term Beater was created.
 * Progressive Volume 1 Intermission - Reason for the Whiskers.
 * Kirito opens the teleport gate to the second floor. The first Town Opening is held.
 * Kirito helps Argo out. He starts the acquisition quest for the Martial Arts Extra Skill.

December 7th

 * Kirito completes the acquisition quest for the Martial Arts Extra Skill.

December 8th

 * Progressive Volume 1 Chapter 2 (Rondo the Transient Sword) begins.
 * Asuna forces Kirito to help her hunt «Needle of Wind Wasp».
 * Kirito is Level 13.

December 14th

 * The second floor boss is defeated.
 * Monochrome Concerto takes place.
 * Asuna and Kirito party together. With Kirito's help, Asuna defeats the Dark Elf.

2023

 * Konno Yuuki begins using the MediCuboid.

February

 * The battle versus the 25th Floor Labyrinth's Boss.
 * Over half of the Aincrad Liberation Corps members are annihilated. The ALC leaves the front lines and merges with MMO Today on the 1st Floor.
 * The "Knights of the Blood" are formed and debut in the 26th Floor's boss clearing meeting.
 * Asuna joins the Knights of the Blood.

April 8th

 * Volume 2 - "The Red-Nosed Reindeer" begins.
 * Kirito joins the guild "Moonlit Black Cats".

May

 * Creation of AmuSphere and ALfheim Online (ALO).

May 9th

 * Lead Group makes it through the 28th Floor.

June 22nd

 * Front line at the 30th Floor
 * ~5:45PM: Death of the "Moonlit Black Cats" members, aside from Kirito.

October-November

 * Kirito acquires the unique skill «Dual Blades».

November

 * Suguha joins ALO.
 * Kirito learns rumors of a rare item drop which can revive dead players from Argo. Kirito starts power leveling even more so than before in order to solo the event.

December 24th

 * Front line is at 49th Floor.
 * Kirito defeats the event boss, Nicholas The Renegade and receive the rumored item drop, Divine Stone of Returning Soul, only just to be disappointed by its description.
 * Kirito receives a Timer-Activated Message Record Crystal from Sachi.
 * End of "Red-nosed Reindeer"

January

 * Kirito acquires the sword Elucidator from a rare drop.

January 1st

 * Birth of the red guild "Laughing Coffin" (January 2024, SAO).

February 14th

 * The Silver Flags guild is attacked by the members of the Titan's Hand. 4 members of the guild are killed by the orange guild and only the leader managed to survive.

February 23rd

 * Front Line is at 55th Floor.
 * Beginning of "The Black Swordsman".
 * Silica gets lost in the Forest of Wandering after splitting from her party. Her partner Pina dies in battle, but she is saved by Kirito who found her by chance.

February 24th

 * Silica and Kirito come to the 47th Floor and acquire the Pneuma Flower.
 * The Titan's Hand guild's members are arrested and sent to the prison in the Black Iron Palace.
 * Pina is revived.
 * Kirito is level 78.
 * End of "The Black Swordsman".

March 6th

 * ME1 - "The Progressers".
 * 56th Field Boss Strategy Meeting
 * Duel between Asuna and Kirito; Asuna is level 70, Klein is Level 68, and Kirito is Level 71.

March 7th

 * The Geocrawler is defeated.

April 22nd

 * Front Line is at the 59th Floor.
 * Volume 8 - "A Murder Case in the Area" begins.
 * Asuna falls asleep in Danac and Kirito ends up guarding her for most of the day.
 * 18:27: Caynz fakes his death.

April 23rd

 * ~5 PM : Yolko fakes her death.

June 24

 * Front Line is at 63rd Floor.
 * Beginning of "Warmth of the Heart".

June 25

 * Kirito arrives at Lisbeth's shop and requests a custom sword to be made.
 * Kirito and Lisbeth fall down into the Frost Dragon's lair.

June 26

 * Kirito and Lisbeth acquire the Crystallite Ingot that they were looking for and escape the dragon's lair.
 * Kirito acquired the sword "Dark Repulser".
 * End of Warmth of the Heart

August

 * "Sound of Water, Sound of Hammer" takes place.
 * Front Line is at 70th Floor.
 * Coalition against "Laughing Coffin".

September

 * ME4 - "Cold Hand, Warm Heart".

October

 * Volume 3 - Beginning of Prologue.
 * Volumes 1, 2 - Prologue.
 * Volume 1 - Chapter 1.
 * Volume 1 - End of Chapter 4.
 * Volume 1 - Chapters 5-12.

October 4th

 * The boss of the 73rd Floor was defeated a couple days prior to the events of The Fourteenth Autumn.
 * Beginning of "The Fourteenth Autumn"
 * Silica and Kirito celebrate Silica's birthday on the 35th Floor. Kirito gives Silica the Ring of Angel's Whisper as a gift, but she never gets the chance to actually use it.
 * End of "The Fourteenth Autumn"

October 9th

 * Front liners actively begin exploring the 74th Floor.

October 18th

 * Kuradeel challenges Kirito to a duel.
 * The Gleam Eyes is defeated; 75th Floor of Aincrad is reached.

October 19th

 * Kirito meets Heathcliff and they agree to duel.
 * Volume 1- Chapter 12.

October 20th

 * Kirito duels with Heathcliff and loses; Kirito joins the "Knights of the Blood ".
 * Volume 1 - Chapter 13.

October 22nd

 * Kirito wears Knights of the Blood's white uniform for the first time.
 * Kirito tells Asuna about his past guild, "Moonlit Black Cats", and his reason why he refuses to form a party or joining a guild with anyone since then.
 * Argo ended up being trapped in a flying log house after accepting the «Witch of the West and the Three Treasures» quest without bringing Toto with her.

October 23rd

 * Volume 1 - Chapters 14-16.
 * Kirito meets with Godfree and Kuradeel to train in the 55th Floor Labyrinth.
 * Kuradeel kills Godfree during training, and reveals that he is actually a member of "Laughing Coffin". Asuna arrives to save Kirito, but as she is about to deal the finishing blow, she had a moment of hesitation which Kuradeel used to disarm her. Kirito then rushes in and kills Kuradeel.
 * Kirito proposes marriage to Asuna in her house in Salemburg.
 * Chapter 16.5 takes place. (non-canon)

October 24th

 * Kirito and Asuna request leave from the "Knights of the Blood".
 * "The Day Before": Kirito, Asuna and Argo took the "Wizard of Oz" side quest. After that, they get married on this day.

October 25th

 * Kirito and Asuna move into their new home on the 22nd Floor.

October 26th - 29th

 * ME6 - "Algade Showdown".

October 30th

 * Beginning of "Morning Dew Girl".
 * Kirito and Asuna encounter Yui in a forest on the 22nd Floor.

October 31st

 * Kirito and Asuna travel to Starting City with Yui; they encounter Sasha and the orphanage.

November

 * Volume 1 - Chapters 17-19.

November 1st

 * Kirito and Asuna are approached by Yulier. They enter the dungeon under Black Iron Palace.
 * Yui is erased by Cardinal, but Kirito manages to extract her core file to his NerveGear local memory.

November 2nd

 * Kirito and Asuna leave Starting City and return to the 22nd Floor.

November 3rd

 * Kirito meets Nishida.

November 3rd-November 5th

 * "Extraordinary Ordinary Days" begins. (non-canon) 

November 6th

 * Kirito and Nishida successfully manage to fish the local fish god.
 * Scout party of 20 people departs for the 75th Floor boss room. Half of the party is wiped out.

November 7th

 * Volume 1 - Chapters 20-24.
 * 10:00 Aincrad Standard Time: Kirito and Asuna report at Granzam
 * 13:00 Aincrad Standard time: Raid party departs for the 75th Floor boss room using a Corridor Crystal.
 * ~14:20 Aincrad Standard Time: The Skull Reaper is defeated. About fourteen players became casualties of this boss battle.
 * Kirito reveals Heathcliff's identity, which no less than Kayaba Akihiko himself.
 * Heathcliff duels Kirito as the final boss of SAO.
 * Asuna dies in the game.
 * Beginning of "The Final Promise".
 * 14:55 Aincrad Standard Time: Kirito defeats Heathcliff; Sword Art Online is Cleared.
 * ~15:00 Aincrad Standard Time: Around 6,000 remaining player are automatically disconnected, 300 of them (including Asuna) got transported to ALfheim Online instead of returning to the real world.
 * Keiko wakes up in her hospital room.
 * Ending of "The Final Promise".
 * SAO Deleted.
 * Kayaba Akihiko commits suicide by scanning his brain with a modified FullDive machine.
 * Volume 1 - Chapter 25.
 *  End of Aincrad Arc. 
 * Volume 3 - End of Prologue.

January

 * ME5 - "Salvia".
 * Volume 3 - Chapter 1.
 * Volume 3 and 4 - Chapters 2-5.
 * "Excaliber" found.
 * Volume 4 - Chapters 6, 7.
 * Volume 4 - Chapter 8.
 * Creation of "The World Seed".
 * Sugou Nobuyuki arrested.
 * ALO suspended.

March

 * Kayaba Akihiko's hiding location is known.

April

 * ALO Re-established under new moderators. The data of all old ALO and SAO players is transferred to New ALO.
 * Gun Gale Online (GGO) Created.

April 10th

 * Beginning of the "Celeste Fairy".
 * Kirito receives a Bianchi bicycle from Suguha.

April 12th

 * Main events and ending of The Celeste Fairy

May 16th

 * Volume 4 - Chapter 9.
 * SAO Survivors Reunion being held in Agil's Cafe.
 * Establishment of New Aincrad inside of the New ALO.
 * The first 10 Floors of New Aincrad are opened up for conquering (the Floor Bosses still need to be defeated to gain access to the Floors though).
 *  End of Fairy Dance Arc. 

June

 * Meeting between Shinkawa Kyouji and Asada Shino.
 * Shino joined GGO.
 * Shino acquired "PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II".

June 21st

 * Beginning of "The Day After".

June 22nd

 * ~4:00 PM: The boss battle of the 8th Floor of New Aincrad begins.
 * ~5:00 PM: The boss raiding party is wiped out.

June 23rd

 * The clearers attempt another raid on Wadjet the Flaming Serpent. Before the battle, Kirito changes his hairstyle from his previously spiky hair to his SAO day style.
 * End of The Day After

August

 * 1st "Bullet of Bullets".

September

 * 11th to 20th Floors of New Aincrad are opened up for conquering.

October

 * 2nd “Bullet of Bullets”.

November

 * Volume 5 - Prologue.
 * "Death Gun" Murders.

December

 * Volume 5 - Chapters 1, 2.
 * Volume 5 - Chapter 3.
 * Volume 5 - Chapters 4-6.
 * 3rd “Bullet of Bullets”.
 * Volume 5 - Chapter 7.
 * Volume 6 - Chapter 7.2.
 * Volume 6 - Chapters 8-10.
 * Volume 6 - Chapters 11.
 * Volume 6 - Chapter 12.
 * Volume 6 - Chapter 13.
 * Volume 6 - Chapters 14, 15.
 * The Shinkawa Brothers are arrested.
 * Kanemoto Atsushi escapes.
 * Volume 6 - Chapter 16.
 * The Phantom Bullet meet their end.
 *  End of Phantom Bullet Arc. 

December 16th

 * Sinon joined ALO.

December 24th

 * 21st Floor of New Aincrad unlocked.
 * The boss of the 21st Floor of New Aincrad is defeated by the 7 member party of Asuna, Kirito, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth, Silica and Leafa and other parties.
 * 22nd Floor of New Aincrad unlocked.
 * Kirito and Asuna leave their previously rented home in Yggdrasil City and reacquire their old wooden house that they had bought on the original Aincrad on the 22nd Floor.

December 28th

 * Volume 8 - "Caliber".
 * Kirito acquired the sword "Excaliber".
 * Lisbeth acquired the hammer "Mjölnir".

December 31st

 * Silica Side Story: "A Spot of Sunshine in the Winter".

January

 * 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th Floors of New Aincrad are unlocked prior to the events of Mother's Rosario.

January 6th

 * Beginning of "Mother's Rosario".

January 7th

 * Asuna duels with «Absolute Sword» Yuuki.
 * Asuna meets the members of the «Sleeping Knights»

January 8th

 * The boss of the 27th Floor of new Aincrad is defeated.

January 11th

 * Asuna meets Yuuki at the Yokohama North General Hospital

January 12th

 * Yuuki spends the day at the SAO survivor school with Asuna.
 * Yuuki and Asuna visit Yuuki's old house.
 * Asuna shows her mother the forest around her house in New Aincrad and, the next day, she gets permission to continue her studies in the SAO survivor school, under the condition that she keeps her grades up.

January 16th

 * Asuna holds a barbeque at her house in the forest, with 30 players participating. The 30 players, having built up enthusiasm over the party, rush up to the 28th Floor's boss room and defeat the boss.

February

 * Asuna and the Sleeping Knights defeat the 29th Floor Boss of New Aincrad.
 * United dueling tournament in ALfheim Online. Yuuki wins first place, while Kirito comes second.

March

 * Asuna, Rika, Keiko and Suguha go on a 3 day and 2 night trip to the Yuuki family home in Kyoto, with Yuuki and her guild members using the Bidirectional Communication Probe to enjoy the sights as well.

Last Sunday of March

 * Yuuki passes away.

April

 * Accel World Volume 10 - "Versus"

First Saturday of April

 * Yuuki's funeral.
 * End of "Mother's Rosario".

May 18th

 * ME3 - "Ceramic Heart".

June

 * Beginning of Alicization Arc.

June 29th

 * Volume 9 - Alicization Beginning.
 * Kazuto is attacked by "Johnny Black".

July

 * Volume 10 - Alicization Running.

July 1st

 * Asuna contacts Rinko about Kirito having disappeared, and Kikuoka's possible involvement.

July 5th

 * Rinko arrives on the «Ocean Turtle»
 * Volume 11 - Alicization Turning.

July 6th

 * Volume 12 - Alicization Rising.
 * Volume 13 - Alicization Dividing.
 *  End of Alicization Arc. 
 * "Cradle of the Moon" takes place.

August

 * "There is But One Ultimate Way" takes place. (non-canon)

Underworld Timeline
Due to the Fluctlight acceleration function of the Soul Translator, the time in Underworld passes at a much different rate than in real life (the FLA rate can be set anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 times the rate of the real world). Therefore, a different calender, called the Human World Calendar (HWC), is used for events in Underworld. This calender only starts counting the time about 30 years after Quinella created the Axiom Church though, so some events do take place before the HWC.

70 Before HWC

 * Underworld is created.
 * 4 Rath employees log in and start raising 2 families of 8 Artificial Fluctlights each.

52 Before HWC

 * The Artificial Fluctlights reach the age of 18 and start families of their own.
 * The 4 Rath employees log out one at a time under the guise of an "epidemic".

17 HWC

 * Quinella is born.

30 HWC

 * The Axiom Church is established.

30-97 HWC

 * Rulid Village is founded.

97 HWC

 * Quinella discovers the existence of a system command list in Underworld.
 * Quinella increases her System Control Authority to the maximum and becomes the Administrator of the Human World.
 * Quinella stops the natural degeneration of her maximum Life and greatly increases the value of her maximum Life.
 * Quinella accidentally fuses the Cardinal System with her Fluctlight.

97-117 HWC

 * Quinella experiments with a command that directly manipulates the Fluctlight of a person on captured Underworld residents.

117 HWC

 * Quinella uses the Fluctlight altering command on herself and gets rid of her emotions.

167 HWC

 * Quinella discovers the Fluctlight memory limit and that she is about to reach it.
 * Quinella invites a nun to the top of the Central Cathedral and attempts to take control of her Fluctlight, to create a backup of her memories.
 * Cardinal gains control of the nun's body and retreats to the Great Library Room.

167-361 HWC

 * Quinella turns her research subjects into unconditionally loyal Integrity Knights.
 * Cardinal sends out observers to look for collaborators to aid her in fighting against Quinella.

361 HWC

 * Kirito first logs in into Underworld.
 * Eugeo is born.

7th Month of the HWC, 372

 * Beginning of Prologue I
 * Kirito, Eugeo and Alice venture to the cave at the Mountain Range at the Edge.
 * Alice touches the soil of the Dark Territory.
 * The next day, Deusolbert Synthesis Seven comes to Ruild Village and takes Alice away to the Central Cathedral.
 * End of Prologue I
 * In the following 2 days, Alice arrives at the Cathedral and goes through a «Synthesis Ritual», having her previous memories erased and becoming an Integrity Knight.

3rd Month of the HWC, 378

 * Beginning of Chapter 1
 * Kirito wakes up in Underworld after being injected with Succinylcholine by Kanemoto Atsushi (Johnny Black).
 * Kirito meets Eugeo for the first time after awakening in Underworld.
 * Selka ventures into the cave at the Mountain Range at the Edge and is captured by goblins.
 * Kirito and Eugeo catch up to Selka and fight the goblins. Eugeo is severely wounded but is healed with a «Life» transfer command.
 * Alice somehow makes an appearance as a spirit and tells Kirito that she is waiting for him and Eugeo at the Central Cathedral.
 * The Gigas Cedar is chopped down. Eugeo chooses his next Sacred Task to be a Swordsman.
 * Kirito chops off a single branch of the Gigas Cedar.
 * Kirito and Eugeo leave for Zakkaria.
 * End of Chapter 1

3rd to 8th Month of the HWC, 378

 * Kirito and Eugeo reach Zakkaria and start working for a family of farmers.

28th Day of the 8th Month

 * Beginning of Chapter 3
 * The Zakkaria Sword Arts Tournament takes place.
 * Kirito and Eugeo win the Tournament and become guards of Zakkaria.
 * End of Chapter 3

3rd Month of the HWC, 379

 * Kirito and Eugeo reach Centoria.

7th Day of the 3rd Month

 * Kirito and Eugeo visit Sadore's shop and give him the branch of the Gigas Cedar.

4th Month of the HWC, 379

 * Kirito and Eugeo successfully pass the Entrance Exams to the North Centoria Imperial Sword Mastery Academy as the 7th and 8th top ranked among all the new students, which means that they are given the privilege of becoming valets.

6th Day of the 3rd Month

 * Beginning of Chapter 4
 * Kirito promises to show his Aincrad-style skills to his mentor, Sortiliena, as a graduation gift to her.

7th Day of the 3rd Month

 * Kirito and Eugeo visit Sadore and claim the sword that he crafted over a year's time.
 * Kirito stains Uolo's uniform while practicing his Sword Skills and is then ordered to spar with Uolo as punishment for this insult.
 * Kirito spars with Uolo. Although Kirito manages hold out against Uolo and is even on the verge of winning, the match was halted by Azurika and claimed as a draw.
 * A celebration of the match is held in Sortiliena's room.

8th Day of the 3rd Month

 * Sortiliena defeats Uolo during the final graduations selection battle and graduates as the top ranked student of the North Centoria Imperial Sword Mastery Academy that year.

Last third of the 3rd Month

 * Sortiliena Serlut and Uolo Levanteinn are defeated in the Empire Swordsmanship tournament by Eldrie Woolsburg. Eldrie becomes a representative of the Norlangarth North Empire in the Four Empires Unity Tournament.
 * End of Chapter 4
 * Kirito and Eugeo are placed in 5th and 6th place during the promotion examination at the end of the year and become elite swordsmen-in-training.

4th Month of the HWC, 380

 * New school year at the Sword Mastery Academy begins.
 * Kirito and Eugeo are assigned valets of their own, Ronye and Tieze.

17th Day of the 5th Month

 * Interlude III
 * End of Interlude III
 * Beginning of Chapter 5
 * Eugeo spars with Humbert. The match is declared a draw.

20th Day of the 5th Month

 * Eugeo and Kirito go on a picnic with their valets, Tieze and Ronye.
 * Eugeo and Kitito confront Humbert for mistreating his valet, Frenica..

22nd Day of the 5th Month

 * Tieze and Ronye confront Humbert and Raios and "insult" them.
 * Humbert and Raios attempt to "punish" the girls.
 * Eugeo breaks the «Seal of his right eye» and attacks Humbert, cutting off his arm.
 * Kirito attacks Raios to protect Eugeo. Both Raios' hands are cut off with «Whirl Current».
 * Raios dies due to his Fluctlight breaking down.

23rd Day of the 5th Month

 * Eugeo and Kirito are arrested by Alice Synthesis Thirty.
 * End of Chapter 5
 * ~11:00 : Kirito and Eugeo are thrown into the Central Cathedral prison.

24th Day of the 5th Month

 * Beginning of Chapter 6
 * ~03:00 : Kirito and Eugeo escape from the Central Cathedral prison.
 * The two encounter Integrity Knight Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-one and battle with him. The battle is interrupted after the two boys start reminding Eldrie of his past life and Deusolbert Synthesis Seven interferes.
 * ~06:00 : Cardinal rescues the boys by leading them to the Great Library Room.
 * End of Chapter 6
 * Beginning of Chapter 7
 * ~09:00 : Kirito and Eugeo leave the Great Library Room and arrive on the 3rd floor of the Central Cathedral.
 * End of Chapter 7
 * Beginning of Chapter 8
 * Kirito and Eugeo defeat Deusolbert synthesis Seven.
 * ~11:00-12:00 : Kirito and Eugeo meet Fizel and Linel, who attempt to paralyze the intruders with poison.
 * Kirito and Eugeo defeat Fanatio Synthesis Two, as well as her 4 accompanying Knights, in battle. Fanatio is mortally wounded and Kirito uses one of Cardinal's daggers to have Cardinal save the dying Knight.
 * Kirito and Eugeo encounter Alice Synthesis Thirty on the 80th floor of the Central Cathedral. During the battle, Kirito and Alice fall out of the Cathedral after accidentally breaking its wall during their battle.
 * End of Chapter 8
 * Beginning of Chapter 9
 * ~15:00 Kirito manages to stop his and Alice's descent by stabbing his sword into a gap in the wall. They soon start ascending the cathedral using pitons generated via Sacred Arts and ascend to where the eighty-fifth floor is located by nightfall.
 * Kirito and Alice encounter gargoyles guarding the walls of the cathedral and, after defeating them, take shelter on a gargoyle terrace.
 * Ending of Chapter 9