Timeline of the Half-Life universe



"Time, Dr. Freeman? Is it really that time again? It seems as if you only just arrived."

- The G-Man

A timeline of the Half-Life universe can be made by gathering known dates. Several retcons having been made since the release of the first game, because it is still being written as of today (2010), and because technological limitations have changed in the intervening time, a complete official Half-Life series timeline will probably never be made, since it could probably make the writers contradict themselves and limit their creativity for possible subsequent episodes. Despite of that, general events can be organized in a chronological order, around known dates.

c. 1943
Richard Keller is born. According to the Half-Life Playstation 2 manual, he is said to be 55 in Decay, set in 1998.

1950s
It is during this decade that the Black Mesa facilities are probably built, before being purchased and refurbished later by Black Mesa (several Half-Life texture files names contain the word "fifties", suggesting the facility is as old as from the 1950s).

1953


Aperture Science is founded by Cave Johnson, as a shower curtain manufacturer. The name "Aperture Science" is chosen "to make the curtains appear more hygienic".

1956
The Eisenhower administration signs a contract with Aperture Science to manufacture shower curtains to all branches of the US Military, except the Navy.

From 1957 to 1975
Aperture Science produces mostly shower curtains, eventually making Cave Johnson a billionaire.

c. 1961
Colette Green is born (she is said to be 37 in Decay, set in 1998.

c. 1967
Gina Cross is born (she is said to be 31 in Decay, set in 1998.

c. 1971
Gordon Freeman is born. He is said to be 27 in Half-Life, set in 1998.

1973
At that time, the name "GLaDOS" is already used by Aperture Science.

c. 1976


Adrian Shephard is born. He is said to be 22 in Opposing Force, set in 1998.

October 17
Cave Johnson receives the answer to a confidential letter titled "Human Enrichment & Testing Initiative, Resource Acquisitions", describing the four types of Test Subjects and their behavior.

1978
Cave Johnson is exposed to mercury while secretly developing a dangerous mercury-injected rubber sheeting from which he plans to manufacture seven deadly shower curtains to be given as gifts to each member of the House Naval Appropriations committee, likely because the decision of the Navy not getting its shower curtains from Aperture depended on that committee, and Johnson probably held a grudge against them for that.

1979
Both of Cave Johnson's kidneys fail. Brain damaged, dying, and incapable of realizing his time will come soon, he lays out a three tiered research and development program. The results, he says, will "guarantee the continued success of Aperture Science far into the fast-approaching distant past." What happens to Cave Johnson afterward is unknown, although it is surmised he dies.

1981
Aperture engineers complete the Heimlich Counter-Maneuver and Take-A-Wish Foundation initiatives. The company announces products related to the research in a televised ceremony. These products become immediately wildly unpopular. After a string of very public choking and despondent sick child disasters, senior company officials are summoned before a Senate investigative committee. During these proceedings, an engineer mentions that some progress has been made on Tier 3, the "man-sized ad hoc quantum tunnel through physical space with possible applications as a shower curtain." The committee is quickly permanently recessed, and Aperture is granted an open-ended contract to secretly continue research on the 'Portal' and Heimlich Counter-Maneuver projects.

From 1981 to 1985
Work progresses on the 'Portal' project. During this time, several high ranking Fatah personnel choke to death on lamb chunks despite the intervention of their bodyguards.

1982
This is the oldest known date of the Enrichment Center Test Subject Application Process being applied to Aperture Science's Test Subjects. It is operated by version 1.07 of GLaDOS, later "1.07a" and "1.09".

1983


For this year, a calendar named "The girls of Aperture Science" is issued by Aperture Science. It is unknown if it was issued each year.

1985
The Aperture Image Format is created.

1986
Word reaches Aperture Science management that Black Mesa is working on a similar portal technology. In response to this news, Aperture Science begins developing GLaDOS. It is unknown why and how her name was already in use as far as in 1973.

1987
This is the most recent date for the Aperture Image Format. At that time, it is maintained by Doug Rattmann.

1996
After a decade spent bringing the Disk Operating System parts of GLaDOS to a state of more or less basic functionality, work begins on the Genetic Lifeform component.

1997
At that time, GLaDOS' version is 3.11.

1998




This is the year during which the Black Mesa Incident occurs. The precise date for the incident has remained unknown for more than 10 years. While final deduction tended to point at "May 16, 200-", it has gone through several retcons through the years:


 * The year "200-", first appearing in the Half-Life instruction manual, was given in every official source, and was later retconned by Valve to a more precise date, "1998", as announced by Game Informer. When asked on Facebook if that retconned date was indeed from Valve, Meagan VanBurkleo, the Game Informer editor who posted the article featuring that new date, answered that "all of that information, aside from the introduction, was supplied directly from Valve". As for "200-", it was likely chosen by the team so that they would not be bound to a precise date, allowing any future alteration.


 * While "200-" could refer to any date from 2000 to 2009, a note by series' writer Marc Laidlaw seen in Raising the Bar features "March 31, 2003", and a time, "4:33 p.m.". Although it has not been confirmed by Valve, it is possible that the Half-Life events originally were to start on March 31, 2003.


 * Several entries from Adrian Shephard's journal are given in the Opposing Force instruction manual, written by Gearbox writers. March is used, corroborating the Raising the Bar date. Shephard says in his last journal entry, written on March 15, "We were told today to be ready in case it happens tomorrow.", suggesting that the incident occurs on March 16. It seems that the Gearbox writers replaced May by March: in the Half-Life instruction manual, Freeman is said to start working at Black Mesa on May 15 (later retconned to an unknown, earlier date), he is also said in the Half-Life PlayStation 2 instruction manual to attend the Hazard Course on May 16 at 7:30 (in a Hazard Course schedule with dates all set in May), and Barney is said to start is duty on May 16 at 9:00. Therefore May 16 appears to be the best day for the incident, and consequently March from Shephard's journal should be replaced by May, for consistency.


 * A calendar with the "Blue Marble" photo is also seen in the Half-Life chapter Office Complex, in the Opposing Force chapter Welcome to Black Mesa, in the Blue Shift chapters Insecurity and Captive Freight and in the Decay chapter Domestic Violence, always using the same texture file showing the December page. While the table was not made with much precision, December 8 and 15 start on a Monday, suggesting the calendar is from 1997 (so a year late), or 2003 or 2008, from when the date was known only as "200-".

Several days before May 16
The untested AI of GLaDOS is activated for the first time as one of the planned activities on Aperture's first annual bring-your-daughter-to-work day. Upon being activated, she almost instantly becomes self-aware, takes control of the Aperture Laboratories, locks everyone inside, and begins a permanent cycle of testing. Her goal: beat Black Mesa in the race to develop a functioning portal technology.

May 3
From Shephard's journal entries (originally March; see above): "Another typically hellish day at base camp... I'll be glad when this is over and I can finally can get assigned a mission. There has been this really weird civie spotted at the base. Rumor is he's from some government branch looking to recruit; others say he's with some secret research group. I would jump at the chance to join. It would be cool just for the change and the adventure."

May 5


Gordon Freeman receives a letter from the Black Mesa Office of the Administrator's LM confirming he is hired.

May 7
From Shephard's journal entries (originally March; see above): "I finally saw the government guy today. I am not sure he is a g-man, but he was wearing a really uptight suit and carrying a briefcase. He looked more like a lawyer or insurance agent to me. I did notice him checking me out. Several times throughout the day I spotted him just watching me during training. I wonder what he's up to..."

May 9
From Shephard's journal entries (originally March; see above): "For weeks our drills have been the same crap day after day. Today we assemble for the morning run and our drill instructor tells us we have one week to become experts at indoor strategic combat. We will be spending every day this week at the combat simulation facility. As far as I know this a specialized training not taught in boot camp. What I want to know is if this is to test our ability to adapt or if we are being readied for a specific mission? Time will tell..."

May 11
Colette Green receives a letter from the Black Mesa Office of the Administrator's LM saying that sample GG-3883 will replace sample EP-0021.

Before May 12
Barney Calhoun is performing a retinal scan and has his salary increased. His two-day Security Guard Training is scheduled.

May 12
From Shephard's journal entries (originally March; see above): "The rumors have been flying since our indoor combat training began. Most of my peers are convinced that we are being primed for a mission. No one can agree on what the mission is. I have heard the name Black Mesa Facility thrown around a lot, but I have no information about the place. The rumors are that some top-secret research is going on there. Doesn't sound too exciting to me..."

08:00
First day of Barney Calhoun's Security Guard Training under Miller's Holographic Instructor counterpart, in Sector A Training Facility. This is the Blue Shift Hazard Course.

May 13
Second day of Barney Calhoun's Security Guard Training.

10:30


Walter Bennet is being instructed by Gina Cross for an Anti-Mass Spectrometer Overload Simulation.

19:00
Colette Green was to be instructed by Isaac Kleiner for an Anomalous Materials Handling, but it was postponed to June.

May 15

 * Barney Calhoun is reassigned to a Blue Shift agreement and reports at Area 3 Medium Security Facilities.


 * From Shephard's journal entries (originally March; see above): "The rumor has been confirmed. We are being trained for a mission at the Black Mesa Facility. All I know is that the place is being used by scientists who are doing some kind of new research. I can't imagine what we would be needed for. We were told today to be ready in case it happens tomorrow. I don't know what "it" is, but the whole thing is a little strange. I kind of hope it doesn't happen; the mission doesn't seem to have much excitement potential. I'd rather hold out for something with more likelihood of combat."


 * This day was originally Gordon Freeman's first day of work at Black Mesa, but it was retconned in Half-Life 2 and its episodes, where it is implied that Gordon was already working for some time at Black Mesa before the incident: Barney tells Gordon he owns him a beer and reminds him who he is when first meeting in the City 17 Trainstation, and Alyx tells in the City 17 Underground that Gordon and Barney would compete in air ducts to get into Kleiner's office whenever he got himself locked out, among others.

20:30
Gina Cross is being instructed by Richard Keller for a Mark V HEV Suit Prototype Testing.

07:30
Gordon Freeman is being instructed by Gina Cross' hologram counterpart for an HEV Suit Training in Sector A. This is Half-Life's Hazard Course.

08:30
Several system crashes occur around Black Mesa (the security guard in the Sector C lobby states he has had a system crash "about 20 minutes ago").

8:42
Barney Calhoun starts his tram ride from the Area 8 Topside Dormitories at Black Mesa. The letter regarding his Blue Shift reassignment states he is to be there at 08:00; therefore he is late.

8:47
After his HEV Suit Training, Gordon Freeman starts his tram ride from Level 3 Dormitories at Black Mesa. He is 30 minutes late.

Remainder of the day



 * The Black Mesa Incident. Around 9:00, Freeman conducts an experiment on sample GG-3883 in Sector C's Anti-Mass Spectrometer. The experiment goes wrong and triggers a Resonance Cascade, teleporting Xen creatures to Earth.


 * Freeman, Calhoun, Green and Cross fight their way through the facility.


 * Overnight, Freeman successfully launches the rocket.

19:00
As heard during the tram ride at the start of Half-Life, the Black Mesa Hazard Course Decathlon was to start in the Level 3 facility. This never happened due to the incident.

May 17

 * Early in the morning, Gina Cross and Colette Green are able to perform a resonance reversal. Their fate, along with Keller's and Rosenberg's, are unknown.


 * Barney Calhoun successfully escapes Black Mesa with Stanley Rosenberg, Simmons and Walter Bennet.


 * Adrian Shephard and his squad are attacked by Alien Aircrafts and their Osprey crashes. As Gordon Freeman fights his way across the surface towards the Lambda Complex, Shephard is left behind (this matches the message addressed to Cooper). Race X creatures appear sometime later.


 * Freeman defeats the Nihilanth and frees the Vortigaunts. He is then placed in stasis by the G-Man.


 * Black Mesa is destroyed by an atomic bomb. Shephard is also placed in stasis by the G-Man.


 * As the Black Mesa facility is destroyed, GLaDOS' race against Black Mesa is stopped.

08:00
Colette Green was to conduct a Public Relations Tour. This never happened due to the incident.

16:30
Otis Laurey was to be instructed by the Miller's holographic instructor counterpart for a Security Guard Training, but he apparently postponed and Cross suggests to Green to ask Barney to replace him. This never happened due to the incident.

After May 1998


During this period of around 20 years Gordon Freeman is in stasis. It starts at the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident in May 1998 and ends at Gordon's arrival in City 17 in c. 2018.


 * Portal Storms rage on Earth while Xen creatures continue to be teleported. The governments and United Nations provide the protection centers located in major cities worldwide.


 * The Combine launches an assault on Earth. Earth governments and the United Nations enter into war against them. The Seven Hour War occurs. Finally, Earth surrenders to the Combine and Wallace Breen, former Black Mesa Administrator, is appointed Earth Administrator.


 * At an unknown time before Gordon Freeman's awakening, Isaac Kleiner and Eli Vance each build in their respective labs a teleport not needing a Xen relay with the aid of Alyx Vance and Judith Mossman, among others. When tested on a cat, it kills it. They then continue working on it until Freeman's arrival.


 * The Aperture Laboratories are in a lockdown, with employees still trapped inside. At some point, GLaDOS also floods the Aperture Science Enrichment Center with a deadly neuro-toxin, and is subsequently fitted with a Morality Core. The number of Aperture Science employees also likely diminishes, until there are only a few of them left.

c. 2017
This is the last time Alyx Vance drives Highway 17, as said by her in the radio transmission at Shorepoint Base.

c. 2018



 * Around 20 years after the Black Mesa Incident, Gordon Freeman is awakened by the G-Man after a long period of stasis. He explores City 17, encounters the Resistance and some of his former Black Mesa colleagues. Soon after he joins their cause in the war against the Combine and triggers the uprising of City 17 and his surroundings, becoming the primary target to the Combine. After destroying the Citadel's dark fusion reactor and defeating Breen, Gordon is called into stasis by the G-Man a second time.


 * Soon after he is freed from stasis by a group of Vortigaunts. Gordon and Alyx flee City 17 and proceed to the Resistance base White Forest, located in the Outlands.


 * The Resistance reverses the Combine Superportal, inflicting a consequent blow to the Combine plans, but unfortunately Resistance leader Eli Vance is killed by an Advisor at White Forest.

c. "hundreds of years" after Portal


Portal 2 is set "hundreds of years" after Portal, but when Portal is set is yet unknown.


 * "Hundreds of years" after GLaDOS' partial destruction, the Personality Cores have taken over the Aperture Laboratories, while GLaDOS still oversees tests in the Test Chambers. The facility is partially destroyed, featuring overgrown areas interspersed with new Test Chambers.


 * Chell is awoken from stasis by Wheatley and is once again forced to navigate Test Chambers utilizing the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, with Wheatley guiding her through. Chell and Wheatley eventually come across GLaDOS, who although in a state of disrepair, is still alive.