20th century

Timeline

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Years of interest

1947 1963 1991 1990 1992 1981 1988 1987 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1989 1996 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 1962 1961 1960 1954 1944 1908 1920 1919 1934 1951 1943 1959 1913 1940 1929 1924 1939 1942 1941 1948 1949 1918 1950 1935 1957 1927 1956 1932 1923 1917 1945 1911 1933 1937 1928 1907 1903 1902 1921 1914 1900 1904 1930 1915 1925 1912 1938 1946 1905 1936 1931 1922 1909 1910 1916 1926 1901 1906 1952 1953 1955 1958

On Earth, the 20th century was one of the most turbulent, violent, yet progressive centuries in the planet's history. Between major conflicts including the First (TV: To the Last Man) and Second World Wars (TV: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances), humankind began to explore beyond their homeworld for the first time, and also began to make huge leaps in technological advancement. (TV: Day of the Moon) It was also during the 20th century that many world governments learned of the existence of extraterrestrial lifeforms (although the general public would remain in the dark about this until the beginning of the 21st century). The Torchwood Institute, founded in the 19th century, began to gain power and influence in this century, while several attempted alien invasions resulted in the formation of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce.

The Doctor had a great affinity for this century, yet once claimed to tolerate, but not enjoy it. (TV: An Unearthly Child) He lived during this time period for several years as an exile from Gallifrey (during his third incarnation) (TV: Spearhead from Space, Doctor Who and the Silurians, et al.) and again for a number of months in 1913 and 1969 in his tenth incarnation (to name just two examples). (TV: Human Nature/The Family of Blood, Blink) Many of the Doctor's known Earth companions came from this century. (TV: An Unearthly Child, The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, The War Machines, Spearhead from Space, Terror of the Autons, The Time Warrior, et al.)

As with most centuries of the first two millennia, the 20th century was home to Jack Harkness, Amy Pond and an Auton duplicate of Rory Williams. A version of Jack from around the time of the deaths of Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper existed in this century, having been buried alive in the 1st century by his brother, Gray. He perpetually died and resurrected an unknown number of times in an earthen tomb underneath Cardiff. (TV: Exit Wounds) Meanwhile, a near-dead Amy Pond was kept alive inside the Pandorica, beginning in the 2nd century. An Auton version of Rory kept vigil near her the entire time. They both awaited a moment in the mid-1990s when a young Amelia Pond would touch the outside of the Pandorica and restore Amy to full health. (TV: The Big Bang)

It was substantially unclear whether the events of the subsequent Big Bang Two erased Amy and Rory's presence in the 20th century. This ambiguity was caused, in part, because the non-Auton, married Rory Williams claimed to have remembered being "made of plastic" at his wedding reception, suggesting that, at least inasmuch as he was concerned, he and Amy were present in the 20th century. (TV: The Big Bang) Amy seemed to also remember those events, and displayed a fondness for the Auton Rory both during her honeymoon (TV: A Christmas Carol) and during a kind of lullaby to her newborn child Melody Pond. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War)

It was also home for most of the century to another Amy and Rory. Both had been sent back to 1938 in New York City by the Weeping Angels, and lived there until their deaths around the end of the 20th century. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan)