John Tolkien - The Return of the King

Later some of the Noldor went to Eregion, upon the west of the Misty Mountains, and near to the West-gate of Moria. This they did because they learned that mithril had been discovered in Moria. 53 53 I,54-54 The Noldor were great craftsmen and less unfriendly to the Dwarves than the Sindar; but the friendship that grew up between the people of Durin and the Elven-smiths of Eregion was the closest that there has ever been between the two races. Celebrimbor was lord of Eregion and the greatest of their craftsmen; he was descended from Fëanor.

1. Foundation of the Grey Havens, and of Lindon.

32. The Edain reach Númenor.

c. 40. Many Dwarves leaving their old cities in Ered Luin go to Moria and swell its numbers.

442. Death of Elros Tar-Minyatur.

c. 500. Sauron begins to stir again in Middle-earth.

548. Birth in Númenor of Silmariën.

600. The first ships of the Númenoreans appear off the coasts.

750. Eregion founded by the Noldor.

c. 1000. Sauron, alarmed by the growing power of the Númenoreans, chooses Mordor as a land to make into a stronghold. He begins the building of Barad-dûr.

1075. Tar-Ancalimë becomes the first Ruling Queen of Númenor.

1200. Sauron endeavours to seduce the Eldar. Gil-galad refuses to treat with him; but the smiths of Eregion are won over. The Númenoreans begin to make permanent havens.

c. 1500. The Elven-smiths instructed by Sauron reach the height of their skill. They begin the forging of the Rings of Power.

c. 1590. The Three Rings are completed in Eregion.

c. 1600. Sauron forges the One Ring in Orodruin. He completes the Barad-dûr. Celebrimbor perceives the designs of Sauron.

1693. War of the Elves and Sauron begins. The Three Rings are hidden.

1695. Sauron's forces invade Eriador. Gil-galad sends Elrond to Eregion.

1697. Eregion laid waste. Death of Celebrimbor. The gates of Moria are shut. Elrond retreats with remnant of the Noldor and founds the refuge of Imladris.

1699. Sauron overruns Eriador.

1700. Tar-Minastir sends a great navy from Númenor to Lindon. Sauron is defeated.

1701. Sauron is driven out of Eriador. The Westlands have peace for a long while.

c. 1800. From about this time onward the Númenoreans begin to establish dominions on the coasts. Sauron extends his power eastwards. The shadow falls on Númenor.

2251. Tar-Atanamir takes the sceptre. Rebellion and division of the Númenoreans begins. About this time the Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, slaves of the Nine Rings, first appear.

2280. Umbar is made into a great fortress of Númenor.

2350. Pelargir is built. It becomes the chief haven of the Faithful Númenoreans.

2899. Ar-Adûnakhôr takes the sceptre.

3175. Repentance of Tar-Palantír. Civil war in Númenor.

3255. Ar-Pharazôn the Golden seizes the sceptre.

3261. Ar-Pharazôn sets sail and lands at Umbar.

3262. Sauron is taken as prisoner to Númenor; 3262-3310 Sauron seduces the King and corrupts the Númenoreans.

3310. Ar-Pharazôn begins the building of the Great Armament.

3319. Ar-Pharazôn assails Valinor. Downfall of Númenor. Elendil and his sons escape.

3320. Foundations of the Realms in Exile: Arnor and Gondor. The Stones are divided (II, 54). Sauron returns to Mordor.

3429. Sauron attacks Gondor, takes Minas Ithil and burns the White Tree. Isildur escapes down Anduin and goes to Elendil in the North. Anárion defends Minas Anor and Osgiliath.

3430. The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is formed.

3431. Gil-galad and Elendil march east to Imladris.

3434. The host of the Alliance crosses the Misty Mountains. Battle of Dagorlad and defeat of Sauron. Siege of Barad-dûr begins.

3440. Anárion slain.

3441. Sauron overthrown by Elendil and Gil-galad, who perish. Isildur takes the One Ring. Sauron passes away and the Ringwraiths go into the shadows. The Second Age ends.

These were the fading years of the Eldar. For long they were at peace wielding the Three Rings while Sauron slept and the One Ring was lost; but they attempted nothing new, living in memory of the past. The Dwarves hid themselves in deep places, guarding their hoards; but when evil began to stir again and dragons reappeared, one by one their ancient treasures were plundered, and they became a wandering people. Moria for long remained secure, but its numbers dwindled until many of its vast mansions became dark and empty. The wisdom and the life-span of the Númenoreans also waned as they became mingled with lesser Men.

When maybe a thousand years had passed, and the first shadow had fallen on Greenwood the Great, the Istari or Wizards appeared in Middle-earth. It was afterwards said that they came out of the Far West and were messengers sent to contest the power of Sauron, and to unite all those who had the will to resist him; but they were forbidden to match his power with power, or to seek to dominate Elves or Men by force and fear.

They came therefore in the shape of Men, though they were never young and aged only slowly, and they had many powers of mind and hand. They revealed their true names to few, 54 54 II, 54 but used such names as were given to them. The two highest of this order (of whom it is said there were five) were called by the Eldar Curunír, 'the Man of Skill', and Mithrandir, 'the Grey Pilgrim', but by Men in the North Saruman and Gandalf. Curunír journeyed often into the East, but dwelt at last in Isengard. Mithrandir was closest in friendship with the Eldar, and wandered mostly in the West, and never made for himself any lasting abode.

Throughout the Third Age the guardianship of the Three Rings was known only to those who possessed them. But at the end it became known that they had been held at first by the three greatest of the Eldar: Gil-galad, Galadriel and Círdan. Gil-galad before he died gave his ring to Elrond; Círdan later surrendered his to Mithrandir. For Círdan saw further and deeper than any other in Middle-earth, and he welcomed Mithrandir at the Grey Havens, knowing whence he came and whither he would return.

'Take this ring, Master,' he said, 'for your labours will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill. But as for me, my heart is with the Sea, and I will dwell by the grey shores until the last ship sails. I will await you.'

2. Isildur plants a seedling of the White Tree in Minas Anor. He delivers the South-kingdom to Meneldil. Disaster of the Gladden Fields; Isildur and his three elder sons are slain.

3. Ohtar brings the shards of Narsil to Imladris.

10. Valandil becomes King of Arnor.

109. Elrond weds Celebrían, daughter of Celeborn.

130. Birth of Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond.

241. Birth of Arwen Undómiel.

420. King Ostoher rebuilds Minas Anor.

490. First invasion of Easterlings.

500. Rómendacil I defeats the Easterlings.

541. Rómendacil slain in battle.

830. Falastur begins the line of Ship-kings of Gondor.

861. Death of Eärendur, and division of Arnor.

933. King Eärnil I takes Umbar, which becomes a fortress of Gondor.

936. Eärnil lost at sea.

1015. King Ciryandil slain in the siege of Umbar.

1050. Hyarmendacil conquers the Harad. Gondor reaches the height of its power. About this time a shadow falls on Greenwood, and men begin to call it Mirkwood. The Periannath are first mentioned in records, with the coming of the Harfoots to Eriador.

c. 1100. The Wise (the Istari and the chief Eldar) discover that an evil power has made a stronghold at Dol Guldur. It is thought to be one of the Nazgûl.