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'''BCE''' is an abbreviation for ''Before Common Era'' and is a secular replacement for the Christian dating system of [[BC|Before Christ]] and [[AD|Anno Domini]]. The year 357 BCE, for example, translates to the Christian dating system 357 [[BC]].
{{wikipediainfo|Common Era}}
'''BC''' or '''B.C.''' was an initialism ('''''B'''efore '''C'''hrist'') ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Best of Days (short story)}}) used to designate an [[Earth]] year's position relative to the epoch known as [[AD]]. Sometimes '''BCE''' was used instead. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Crossing the Rubicon (comic story)}}) The phrase "before the birth of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]]" could also be used. ([[GAME]]: {{cite source|The Iytean Menace (game)}}) The term "BC" thus designated a negative number; 100 BC was ninety-nine years ''before'' 1 BC. Its positive counterpart was AD.


The BCE system is unusual in that the numbers decrease as time passes; the final year in the BCE period is 1 BCE. This is followed by the first year in the [[CE|Common Era]].
There was, however, a question as to whether the year 1 BC was followed by the year [[0]] or the year 1 AD. Some people, including the [[human]] chronologist Professor [[Wagg]], clearly believed that 1 BC was followed by 0, allowing him to make the claim that the year [[2000]] was the first year of a new millennium, as did American journalists working for [[television]] station [[KKBE]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Doctor Who (TV story)}}) The [[Eighth Doctor]] concurred with this opinion. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Novel of the Film (novelisation)}}, [[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Relative Dimensions (audio story)}}) However, the [[Sixth Doctor]] ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Millennial Rites (novel)}}) and [[Dave Young]] ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Escape Velocity (novel)}}) both strongly argued that 1 BC was followed by 1 AD, thus making [[2001]] the start of the 3rd millennium.


==See also==
The [[Time Lord]]s placed [[Davros]]' life in the [[Thousand Year War]] up to the [[Fourth Doctor]]'s [[Genesis Incident|incursion]] into [[Dalek]] history as concurrent to [[Earth]]'s [[ancient history]], prior to the [[2nd century]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Dalek Combat Training Manual (reference book)}})
*[[Humanian Era]]
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[[Category:Dating systems]]
== Timeline ==
=== Prehistory ===
[[File:Earth 6 billion years ago.jpg|thumb|Earth around 6 billion years prior to [[1974]], on a [[Tuesday]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Hide (TV story)}})]]
* [[Event One]]: On [[13 February]], 13,500,017,093 BC, the beginning of the universe occurred at 11 [[am]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}}) A random quarter of the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] was deleted by [[Tegan Jovanka|Tegan]] and [[Nyssa]], in order to escape the explosion. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Castrovalva (TV story)}})
* Time unknown: The [[Sixth Doctor]] wrote "THE DOCTOR WAS HERE" on an early planet's surface. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Gone Too Soon (short story)}})
* 449,999,997,980 BC: The [[Fourth Doctor]] and [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah Jane]] used a two-person [[space capsule]] to explore the Earth, which was at the time a ball of gas. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Exploration Earth (audio story)}})
* Circa 4,600,000,000 BC: The [[Time Lord]]s lead the [[Fledgling Empires]] in the [[War with the Racnoss]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|How to be a Time Lord (novel)}}) The [[Tenth Doctor]] showed [[Donna Noble]] the formation of Earth, witnessing it form around a [[Racnoss]] spaceship. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Runaway Bride (TV story)}})
* Circa 3,000,000,000 BC: The [[Venusian (Venusian Lullaby)|Venusian]] civilisation is in decline due to climate change. The [[First Doctor]] visits Venus in the company of [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] and again decades later with [[Barbara Wright]] and [[Ian Chesterton]], where he averts a [[Sou(ou)shi]] invasion. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Venusian Lullaby (novel)}})
* Circa 450,000,000 BC: The [[Archaeon]]s attempt to propagate life on Earth according to their design. The arrival of [[First Doctor]]], [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] and [[Stoyn]] in [[the Doctor's TARDIS|a TARDIS]] scuppers their plans, when their attempted disassembly of the TARDIS an removal of its [[temporal stasis capacitor]] traps them in a stasis field for 450 million years. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Beginning (audio story)}}
* 425,000,000 BC: The [[Silurian]]s and [[Sea Devil]]s signed a [[Peace treaty|peace deal]] on [[28 January]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}})
* 410,000,000 BC: the first [[amphibious]] [[lifeform]]s [[experiment]]ed with crawling on to land. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}})
* 400,000,000 BC: The last [[Jagaroth]] ship exploded on Earth, killing the crew and splintering [[Scaroth]] into twelve sections in human history. ([[TV]]: {{cs|City of Death (TV story)}})
* Circa 350,000,000 BC: According to historians, the Silurians first emerge about this time, evolving from cold-blooded [[reptile]]s similar to [[iguana]]s. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Monster Vault (novel)}})
* Circa 300,000,000 BC: The Silurians remain active on Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Monster Vault (novel)}})
* Circa 200,000,000 BC: The Silurians are active on [[Jurassic]] Earth, which is still composed of only one [[Pangaea|continent]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Monster Vault (novel)}})
* Circa 150,000,000 BC: The [[Fifteenth Doctor]] and [[Ruby Sunday]] visit this time period immediately after departing [[2023]] Christmas. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Space Babies (TV story)}})
* 100,000,000 BC: On [[4 June]], the [[Silurian Ark]] is launched. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}})
* Circa 65,000,000 BC: The Silurians are active on Earth, co-existing with [[Cretaceous]] [[dinosaur]]s such as the [[Tyrannosaurus rex]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Monster Vault (novel)}})
* Circa 40,000,000 BC: The Silurians are active on Earth during the [[Eocene era]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Monster Vault (novel)}})
* Circa 20,000,000 BC: The Silurians are active as the first [[ape]]s [[walk]] on the Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Monster Vault (novel)}})
* 850,000 BC: A [[human]] left [[footprint]]s in a patch of mud in [[Happisburgh]], [[Norfolk]] that would latered be discovered by [[scientist]]s and announced as the oldest preserved footprints ever found outside of [[Africa]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}})
* Time unknown: An [[Ice Warrior]] spacecraft crashed on Earth and was buried in ice. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Ice Warriors (TV story)}})
* Time unknown: The [[Dalek]]s were studying the cavemen for the [[Dalek Project]]. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Dalek Project (comic story)}})
* Time unknown: [[Light (Ghost Light)|Light]] came to Earth to catalogue its life forms and preserved a Neanderthal who came to be known as [[Nimrod]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Ghost Light (TV story)}})
* Time unknown: The [[Eighth Doctor]], [[Samson Griffin|Samson]] and [[Gemma Griffin]] visited prehistoric Earth. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Terror Firma (audio story)}})
* Time unknown: The Eighth Doctor and [[Sam Jones|Sam]] arrived at [[Stonehenge]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The People's Temple (short story)}})
* Circa 200,000 BC: The [[Fourteenth Doctor]] and [[Donna Noble]] make contact with a tribe of Neanderthals after crash-landing, where they come to revere Donna as a goddess. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Untitled (DWM 598 comic story)}})
* Circa 100,000 BC: The [[First Doctor]], [[Ian Chesterton]], [[Barbara Wright]], and [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] helped the cave-dwelling [[Tribe of Gum]] to make [[fire]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|An Unearthly Child (TV story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Eight Doctors (novel)}}) Around the same time, the [[Dæmon]]s arrived on Earth and began their experiments with humanity, assisting modern humans in wiping all but a very few [[Neanderthal]]s. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Dæmons (TV story)}})
* Circa 59,000 BC: the [[Gubbage Cone]]s were the dominant empire in [[Mutter's Spiral|the galaxy]]. [[Gubbage Cone Empire|Their empire]] encompassed the [[silicon]] [[Excalbian]]s, the [[feathered people]] of [[Velopssi]], [[android]]s from [[Exo III]], the [[Lamp People]] of [[Badafex]], [[Ice Warrior]]s and [[Ogron]]s, as well as [[Mire Beast]] fighting pits. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Crystal Bucephalus (novel)}})
* 55,519 BC: [[Urbanka]]'s [[ozone layer]] collapsed, and [[Monarch (Four to Doomsday)|Monarch]]'s ship departed on its first voyage to Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* Circa 40,000 BC: Five [[Euterpian]]s arrived on [[Earth]] in [[Australia]] and began setting up a ley line of beacons on the planet's surface which their mother ship could use as a guide to split the planet apart and harvest its core for fuel. A random [[solar flare]] destroyed the mother ship, and the Euterpian away team was trapped on Earth until the late [[20th century]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Invasion of the Cat-People (novel)}})
* 35,519 BC: Monarch's ship made its first visit to Earth. [[Kurkutji]] and several other [[Aborigine]]s were kidnapped from Australia and converted into androids. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* Circa 33,000 BC: The [[Eleventh Doctor]] and [[Rory Williams]] visited the future site of [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], where the TARDIS became stuck in a tar pit. They encountered a [[mammoth]] and a [[sabre-toothed tiger]]. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Doctor and the Nurse (comic story)}})
* 29,185 BC: The [[Ninth Doctor]] and [[Rose Tyler]] encountered a tribe of Neanderthals. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Only Human (novel)}})
* 25,519 BC: Monarch's ship returned to Urbanka from its first visit to Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* Circa 23,000 BC: The [[Tzun]] ventured out from [[S'Arl]] in [[Hadar|Beta Centauri]] and fought a war with the [[Darkling]]s of [[Yuggoth]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|First Frontier (novel)}})
* Circa 18,000 BC: Two [[Krynoid]] pods arrived in [[Antarctica]] and went into hibernation. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Seeds of Doom (TV story)}})
* Circa 16,000 BC: A [[Tregannan]] survey team consisting of [[Sancreda]] and [[Scryfan]] visited [[Cornwall]]; Sancreda ended up abandoned and marooned there. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (audio story)}})
* 15,519 BC: Monarch's ship made a second visit to Earth, this time kidnapping Princess [[Villagra]] and several other [[Mayan]]s and converting them into androids. Monarch's ship returned to Urbanka. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* Circa 10,000 BC:
** The Last Great [[Ice Age]] ended, and [[the Cold (Time and Relative)|the Cold]] went dormant, to awaken again in early [[1963]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time and Relative (novel)}})
** A splinter of Scaroth invented the first [[wheel]] on Earth and showed [[human]]s how to use [[fire]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|City of Death (TV story)}}) around which point the [[Silent]]s' occupation of Earth began. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Day of the Moon (TV story)}})
** A war erupted between the [[planet]]s [[Hextacosulous Blue]] and [[Hextacosulous Green]]; it would eventually destroy them both. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Lampblack Wars (short story)}})
** The planet of [[Zolfa-Thura]] was reduced to a desert in a civil war, leaving only its projector screens. The lone survivor of this conflict, [[Meglos]], went into hibernation, while the screen's power source, the [[Dodecahedron]], transferred across space to the nearby planet of [[Tigella]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Meglos (TV story)}})
** A [[Cyber-ship]] containing [[Cyberman]] of [[Cyberman#Cybermen found in the Arctic|indeterminate origin]] was caught in a [[temporal storm]] and crashed into the [[Arctic]] Circle, where they would remain trapped until the [[21st century]]. ([[GAME]]: {{cs|Blood of the Cybermen (video game)}})
** The ancestors of the [[Koyukon]] first settled what became known as [[Alaska (state)|Alaska]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Land of the Dead (audio story)}})
* According to one account, the [[Rutan-Sontaran War|Sontaran-Rutan war]] started circa 8395 BC. ([[GAME]]: {{cs|The Gunpowder Plot (video game)}})
* Circa 6700 BC: [[Reyn (The Way Through the Woods)|Reyn]]'s ship crashed in [[Swallow Woods]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Way Through the Woods (novel)}})
* Circa 6200 BC, on [[7 September]], the [[exodus]] of [[Doggerland]] occurred. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}})
* Circa 6000 BC: The [[Thain]]s became [[extinct]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Placebo Effect (novel)}})
* 5519 BC: Monarch's ship made its third visit to Earth, this time kidnapping [[Lin Futu]] and other natives of [[China]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* Circa 5000 BC: [[Horus]] and his [[Osiran]] followers tracked [[Sutekh]] ([[TV]]: {{cs|Pyramids of Mars (TV story)}}) and his sister [[Nephthys]] ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Sands of Time (novel)}}) across the [[Mutter's Spiral|galaxy]] to [[Egypt]] where the renegade Osirans were defeated. Sutekh was imprisoned beneath a pyramid, ([[TV]]: {{cs|Pyramids of Mars (TV story)}}) while Nephthys' mind was extracted and placed inside a [[canopic jar]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Sands of Time (novel)}}) Egyptian culture from this point would be based upon the Osiran pattern, ([[TV]]: {{cs|Pyramids of Mars (TV story)}}) while Wars of the Gods entered many of Earth's mythologies. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Pyramids of Mars (TV story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Sands of Time (novel)}})
* 5000 BC: [[Mondas]] drifted away from its twin planet Earth and the [[solar system]] on a journey to the edge of space. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Tenth Planet (TV story)}})
* Circa 4064 BC: The [[Weave]] ship [[WSS Exalted|WSS ''Exalted'']] crashed to Earth after a battle with the [[Tahnn]]. The [[Glamour]] aboard extended [[Owain (The Glamour Chase)|Owain]]'s lifespan so he could guard the Weave. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Glamour Chase (novel)}})
 
=== 4th millennium B.C. ===
* Circa 3532 BC: [[Kwundaar]] was banished from [[Traken]] after [[The Source (The Keeper of Traken)|the Source]] was created. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Primeval (audio story)}})
* Circa 3500 BC: [[Sontaran]] Field Major [[Styx (The Gods Walk Among Us)|Styx]] arrived in Egypt, where he was briefly worshipped as the god Sontar before being entombed. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Gods Walk Among Us (comic story)}})
* 3300 BC: The [[Second Doctor]] visited a village near [[Lake Garda]] and met [[Flinthair]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Loop the Loup (short story)}})
* 3119 BC: [[Iraxxa]] and [[Friday (Empress of Mars)|Friday]] entered [[stasis]] and slept for the next [[1881|5,000 years]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Empress of Mars (TV story)}})
* 3019 BC: Monarch's ship returned to Urbanka from its third visit to Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* Circa 3000 BC: According to the Eleventh Doctor, [[Mars]] was the centre of a vast empire during this time while humans were barely out of their caves. The Ice Warrior Grand Marshall [[Skaldak]] was on Earth during this time and somehow wound up frozen in the [[ice]] at the Earth's [[North Pole]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Cold War (TV story)}})
* 3000 BC:
** A possible date for the first divergence of the Cybermen of Mondas, a group of Cybermen known as [[the Faction]] left Mondas while the [[Mondan]]s remained. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Iceberg (novel)}}, [[TV]]: {{cs|The Tenth Planet (TV story)}}) The Faction headed for [[Planet 14]], eventually developing into a separate group without connection to the Mondans. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Iceberg (novel)}})
** Around this year, an [[Iytean starship]] carrying [[Ned Hines|an Iytean criminal]] crashed on Earth and was buried by the [[Monitor (The Iytean Menace)|Monitor]] crew under what would later become [[London]]. Before a rescue mission could be mounted, the planet [[Iytea]] was wrecked in the [[Anar-Isari wars]]. ([[GAME]]: {{cite source|The Iytean Menace (game)}})
** The [[Ice Warrior Empress]] of [[Mars]] [[Ascension|ascended]] on [[6 July]], 3000 BC. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}})
 
=== 3rd millennium B.C. ===
* Circa 2700 BC:
** A splinter of [[Scaroth]] of the [[Jagaroth]] lived among the ancient Egyptians, and helped speed up the development of human culture, including the building of the [[Pyramid]]s. ([[TV]]: {{cs|City of Death (TV story)}})
** The [[First Doctor]], [[Steven Taylor]], and [[Sara Kingdom]] arrived in [[Egypt]], were pursued by [[Mavic Chen]] and the [[Dalek]]s and met [[the Monk]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)}})
** The [[Seventh Doctor]] and [[Ace]] visited [[Mesopotamia]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Timewyrm: Genesys (novel)}})
* Circa 2600 BC: The First Doctor, [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] and [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] came to Egypt. [[Itennu]] tried to frame them for his murder of [[Menkaure]], but the Doctor was able to stop him. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Forgotten (comic story)}})
* Circa 2300 BC: A splinter of Scaroth assisted humans in making the first maps of the heavens. ([[TV]]: {{cs|City of Death (TV story)}})
* Circa 2200 BC: Daleks interfered in the building of the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] in Egypt. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe (short story)}})
* Circa 2037 BC: The people of [[Atlantis]] attempted to control the [[Chronovore]] [[Kronos]], resulting in great destruction and the [[mutation]] of one member of the court into a [[Minotaur]]. King [[Dalios]] forbade any future use of the [[Crystal of Kronos]] and it was locked away in the temple. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time Monster (TV story)}})
* Circa 2000 BC:
** [[Cessair]] of [[Diplos]] arrived on [[Earth]], posing as a Celtic goddess in [[Britain]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Stones of Blood (TV story)}})
** Grave robbers stole the canopic jar containing the essence of [[Nephthys]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Sands of Time (novel)}})
 
=== 2nd millennium B.C. ===
* 1992 BC: The [[Kalazian Lights]] were visible from the night sky of Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Lost Boy (TV story)}})
* 1936 BC: Emperor [[Rovan Cartovall]] mysteriously disappeared. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Ultimate Treasure (novel)}})
* 1911 BC: [[Iris Wildthyme]], [[Edwin Turner]], [[Jenni Marcel]], and [[Zack Hoffman]] briefly visited Egypt when trying to reach [[London]] in [[1911]] AD. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Kronos Vad's History of Earth (Vol. 36,379) (audio story)|Kronos Vad's History of Earth (Vol. 36,379)}})
* Circa 1500 BC:
** The [[Exxilon]]s visited the planet [[Yemaya 4]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|SLEEPY (novel)}})
** The [[Tenth Doctor]] and [[June (The Slitheen Excursion)|June]] visited [[Greece]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Slitheen Excursion (novel)}})
** {{Delgado|c}} released [[Kronos]] and destroyed [[Atlantis]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time Monster (TV story)}})
* 1419 BC: Birth of [[Erimem]], companion to the [[Fifth Doctor]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Eye of the Scorpion (audio story)}})
* Circa 1400 BC: Death of Pharaoh [[Amenhotep II]], Erimem's father. The Fifth Doctor rescued Erimem from the resulting tumult. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Eye of the Scorpion (audio story)}})
* 1368 BC: On [[9 July]], [[Pharaoh]] [[Tut-Am-Tut]] dies. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Dr. Who's Time Tales (DWM 42 comic story)}})
* 1366 BC: [[Bernice Summerfield]] stopped over briefly in [[Egypt]] while eluding [[Robot Ant]]s. She found a Cult of [[Sutekh]] operating at this time. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Set Piece (novel)}})
* 1352 BC: A [[Vondraxian orb]] was found in Egypt. When the [[Vondrax]] appeared to take it back, they took the form of [[god]]s. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Trace Memory (novel)}})
* 1334 BC: The [[Eleventh Doctor]] stopped what he described as a "weapons bearing giant [[alien]] [[locust]] attack" in ancient Egypt. He met [[Queen]] [[Nefertiti]] during this adventure. She was attracted to the Doctor, and travelled with him along with [[John Riddell]], [[Amy Pond]], [[Rory Williams]], and [[Brian Williams (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)|Brian Williams]], to the [[Silurian Ark]] in [[2367]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (TV story)}})
* Circa 1200 BC:
** The [[First Doctor]], [[Vicki Pallister|Vicki]] and [[Steven Taylor|Steven]] were present at the siege and fall of [[Troy]]. Vicki stayed behind under the name Cressida to marry [[Troilus]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Myth Makers (TV story)}}) Some time prior to this, {{O'Mara}} visited the siege, extracting chemicals from the brains of some of the humans in the camps and thus intensifying some of the conflict. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Mark of the Rani (TV story)}})
** About a year later, [[Vicki Pallister|Cressida]] and [[Troilus]] met the [[Eighth Doctor]], [[Charley Pollard]] and a young [[William Shakespeare]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Apocrypha Bipedium (short story)}})
* 1164 BC: [[Vicki Pallister|Cressida]] was living at the Temple of Astarte in [[Carthage]] at this time. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Frostfire (audio story)}})
* Circa 1000 BC:
** The Exxilons visited [[Earth]], influencing the construction of cities in [[Peru]]. It was probably some time after this that they began constructing a living city on their own world, one of the Seven Hundred [[Wonders of the Universe]], whose absorption of all forms of energy brought about the fall of their civilisation. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Death to the Daleks (TV story)}})
** [[Horath]] was overthrown and the [[galaxy]] [[Mutter's Spiral]] emerged from a tyrannical age known as the [[Dark Empire]], to which all galactic civilisations, save for the most primitive ones, were subject for an unknown amount of time. At this point in history Earth was a primitive planet and thus spared. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Enemy of the Bane (TV story)}})
** A [[Vondraxian orb]] was buried under the [[Arctic]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Trace Memory (novel)}})
** Three members of the [[Gorgon]] race were trapped on Earth and subsequently became the subject of ancient Greek legends, particularly [[Medusa]], who would continue to live on Earth for the next 3,000 years. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)}})
** The [[Fifth Doctor]] became the first [[Keeper of Traken]]. He defeated [[Kwundaar]], the inventor of [[The Source (The Keeper of Traken)|the Source]]. He gave the title to [[Shayla]], who held it for an unknown time. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Primeval (audio story)}})
** The Doctor traps a [[Threckon]] under the fault line of what would later become [[San Francisco]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Inmate 280 (short story)}})
 
=== 10th century B.C. ===
* 905 BC: The [[Gryphon]] attacked [[Babylon]], but was trapped by [[mirror]]s by the [[Eleventh Doctor]] and [[Amy Pond]] and deactivated by the [[sun]]. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|In the Stars (comic story)}})
 
=== 9th century B.C. ===
* Circa 800 BC: [[Azal]] sealed himself up within the [[Devil's Hump]], awaiting the day when he should make his final judgement on humanity. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Dæmons (TV story)}})
* 814 BC: [[Elissa|Dido]] founded [[Carthage]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Phoenicians (audio story)}})
 
=== 8th century B.C. ===
* 776 BC: The first [[Olympic Games]] occur in [[Olympia (city)|Olympia]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia|ed=2011}}, [[GRAPHIC]]: {{cs|Ancient Greek Olympics (illustration)}})
 
=== 6th century B.C. ===
* 575 BC: [[Bigon]] was born in [[Greece]], probably in [[Athens]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* 570 BC: [[Bernice Summerfield]] visited ancient [[Babylon]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Walking to Babylon (novel)}})
* Circa 550 BC: A [[Tenctrama]] acting as a [[Sybil]] visited the court of [[King]] [[Tarquin the Proud]], the last ruler of the [[Roman Kingdom]], and offered to sell him the nine [[Sibylline books|Sibylline]] [[book]]s that foretold the future of Rome. After she burned several books when he refused, he agreed to buy the remaining three. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Combat Magicks (novel)}})
* 519 BC: [[Monarch (Four to Doomsday)|Monarch]]'s ship visited [[Earth]], kidnapping Bigon and several other Greeks and converting them to [[android]]s. This was the first visit during which the [[Urbankan]] met actual resistance. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Four to Doomsday (TV story)}})
* Circa 500 BC: A [[Thraal]] ship accidentally landed on a garden of [[Olabrian joy-luck crystal]]s, leading to a war with the [[Olabrian]]s and their eventual destruction. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Ship of Fools (novel)}})
* Circa 500 BC: The [[Thirteenth Doctor]], [[Graham O'Brien]], [[Yasmin Khan]] and [[Ryan Sinclair]] visited [[Pythagoras]] in [[Crotone]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Pythagoras Problem (short story)}})
 
=== 5th century B.C. ===
* Circa 450 BC: A crew of [[Greek]] sailors were taken from this time to participate in a boat race through the [[solar system]] by a group of [[Eternal]]s. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Enlightenment (TV story)}})
* 430 BC: [[Bernice Summerfield]] and [[Jason Kane]] visited [[Athens]] and met [[Socrates]] and his student [[Plato]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Oracle of Delphi (audio story)}})
* 421 BC: The [[Seventh Doctor]], [[Ace]] and [[Hex|Hector]] visited Athens and met [[Aristophanes]]. The war between Athens and [[Sparta]] ended in this year. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Mask of Tragedy (audio story)}})
* 410 BC: The [[Eleventh Doctor]], [[Amy Pond]] and [[Rory Williams]] visited Athens. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Chains of Olympus (comic story)}})
* Circa 400 BC: The [[Fourth Doctor]] brought [[Leela]] on a visit to Athens. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Brain of Socrates (short story)}})
 
=== 4th century B.C. ===
* 332 BC: [[Alexander the Great]] conquered Egypt. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Ruby's Curse (novel)}})
* [[May]] to [[June]] 323 BC: The [[First Doctor]] and his companions [[Susan Foreman]], [[Ian Chesterton]] and [[Barbara Wright]] visited [[Babylon]] and met [[Alexander the Great]], ultimately being present at his death. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Farewell, Great Macedon (audio story)}}, [[TV]]: {{cs|Robot (TV story)}}) 323 BC equated to the [[Olympic Games|Year of the 114th Olympiad]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Farewell, Great Macedon (audio story)}})
* Circa 300 BC: The First Doctor, Ian and Barbara visited [[Alexandria]] during the reign of [[Ptolemy I]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Book of Shadows (short story)}})
 
=== 3rd century B.C. ===
* 221 BC: The [[Eleventh Doctor]] and [[Amy Pond]] visited [[China]] to leave a message for [[River Song]] on a vase. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)}})
* Circa 218 BC: [[The Doctor]] met [[Hannibal]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Robot (TV story)}})
* 210 BC: The [[Second Doctor]], [[Jamie McCrimmon]] and [[Victoria Waterfield]] encountered [[Qin Shi Huang]], the first [[Emperor]] of China. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Emperor of Eternity (audio story)}})
* [[Egypt]]ian bowls dating from this century were among the artefacts abandoned by the departing colonists of the former Earth colony of [[Jegg-Sau]] in the [[25th century]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Relics of Jegg-Sau (audio story)}})
 
=== 2nd century B.C. ===
* 101 BC: In [[January]], the [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Evelyn Smythe]] visited [[Rome]] and witnessed the [[birth]] of [[Julius Caesar]]'s sister [[Julia Caesar|Julia]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|100 BC (audio story)}})
* 101 BC: In [[October]], the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe visited Rome, where they met Julius Caesar's parents. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|100 BC (audio story)}})
 
=== 1st century B.C. ===
* 94 BC: [[Demetrius (The Slave War)|Demetrius]] was born. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Slave War (short story)}})
* 71 BC: The [[Second Doctor]], [[Ben Jackson]], [[Polly Wright]] and [[Jamie McCrimmon]] encountered [[Spartacus]] during his slave revolt against the [[Rome|Roman Republic]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Slave War (short story)}})
* 55 BC: Julius Caesar led an invasion of Britain, although he claimed his purpose was reconnaissance and information gathering in preparation for a later invasion. The [[Eleventh Doctor]], [[Winston Churchill]] and [[Kazran Sardick]] arrived during the invasion and helped defeat the [[Dalek (Living History)|Bronze God]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Living History (audio story)}})
* On [[17 December]] 47 BC, the [[Seventh Doctor]] and [[Ace]] visited [[Rome]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Best of Days (short story)}})
* On [[15 March]] 44 BC, Julius Caesar was [[assassination|assassinated]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Ruby's Curse (novel)}}) The event was a [[fixed point in time]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Time Traveller's Diary (novel)}})
* 40 BC: The [[Eighth Doctor]], [[Fitz Kreiner]] and [[Trix]] visited Rome, where they stopped [[Thorgan]] of the [[Sulumian]]s from preventing the [[Treaty of Brundusium]] from being signed. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Gallifrey Chronicles (novel)}})
* Circa 40 BC: [[The Doctor]] learned swordsmanship from a captain in [[Cleopatra]]'s bodyguard. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Masque of Mandragora (TV story)}})
* 1 BC: The Doctor took the last room at the inn on the first [[Christmas]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Voyage of the Damned (TV story)}})
* Circa [[0]] BC/AD: The [[Eighth Doctor]] attended the first Christmas. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Relative Dimensions (audio story)}})
 
== Behind the scenes ==
* An inherently [[Christian]] designation, BC is not generally used in calendars of the traditionally non-Christian world. Consequently, some people use BCE (meaning "Before Common Era") for BC. CE (meaning "Common Era") as a substitute for AD. These largely cosmetic replacements are thought to avoid religious offence. However, ''[[Doctor Who]]'' fiction has typically remained loyal to the BC/AD convention. Even as late as the [[Russell T. Davies]] and [[Steven Moffat]] eras, dialogue and on-screen graphics prefer the Christian convention, for example in televised stories ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'', ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'', ''[[A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)|A Good Man Goes to War]]'' and ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]''.
* In the real world, there is no year zero, so therefore 1 BC is immediately followed by 1 AD. ''Doctor Who'' fiction, however, is unclear as to this point.
* On this wiki, templates and categories, both of which use, or are used in, mathematical formulae, assume the presence of a year zero, since the fiction of the [[Doctor Who universe]] allows it. Hence, we deem that the year 2000 is in the 21st century.
* In ''[[The Doctor Who Role Playing Game]]'', [[Gallifrey]]'s [[TL]] time scale relates to the BC/AD dating system using the following mathematic formulas
** When TL is greater than or equal to 70,709: A.D. = TL — 70,708, TL = A.D. + 70,708
** When TL is less than 70,709: B.C. = 70,709 — TL, TL = 70,709 — B.C.
{{Quote|For example: The year 100,000 TL is 29,292 A.D. (100,000 — 70,708 = 29,292). The year 70,708 TL is 1 B.C. (70,709 — 70,708 = 1 B.C.), and the year —1,000 TL is 71,709 B.C. (70,709 — (71,000) = 71,709).|''The Cybermen''.|The Cybermen (reference book)}}
 
[[Category:Human dating systems]]
[[Category:Human eras]]

Latest revision as of 22:33, 24 August 2024

BC

BC or B.C. was an initialism (Before Christ) (PROSE: The Best of Days [+]Loading...["The Best of Days (short story)"]) used to designate an Earth year's position relative to the epoch known as AD. Sometimes BCE was used instead. (COMIC: Crossing the Rubicon [+]Loading...["Crossing the Rubicon (comic story)"]) The phrase "before the birth of Christ" could also be used. (GAME: The Iytean Menace [+]Loading...["The Iytean Menace (game)"]) The term "BC" thus designated a negative number; 100 BC was ninety-nine years before 1 BC. Its positive counterpart was AD.

There was, however, a question as to whether the year 1 BC was followed by the year 0 or the year 1 AD. Some people, including the human chronologist Professor Wagg, clearly believed that 1 BC was followed by 0, allowing him to make the claim that the year 2000 was the first year of a new millennium, as did American journalists working for television station KKBE. (TV: Doctor Who [+]Loading...["Doctor Who (TV story)"]) The Eighth Doctor concurred with this opinion. (PROSE: The Novel of the Film [+]Loading...["The Novel of the Film (novelisation)"], AUDIO: Relative Dimensions [+]Loading...["Relative Dimensions (audio story)"]) However, the Sixth Doctor (PROSE: Millennial Rites [+]Loading...["Millennial Rites (novel)"]) and Dave Young (PROSE: Escape Velocity [+]Loading...["Escape Velocity (novel)"]) both strongly argued that 1 BC was followed by 1 AD, thus making 2001 the start of the 3rd millennium.

The Time Lords placed Davros' life in the Thousand Year War up to the Fourth Doctor's incursion into Dalek history as concurrent to Earth's ancient history, prior to the 2nd century. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual [+]Loading...["Dalek Combat Training Manual (reference book)"])

Timeline[[edit] | [edit source]]

Prehistory[[edit] | [edit source]]

Earth around 6 billion years prior to 1974, on a Tuesday. (TV: Hide [+]Loading...["Hide (TV story)"])

4th millennium B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

3rd millennium B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

2nd millennium B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

10th century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

9th century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

8th century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

6th century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

5th century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

4th century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

3rd century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

2nd century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

1st century B.C.[[edit] | [edit source]]

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • An inherently Christian designation, BC is not generally used in calendars of the traditionally non-Christian world. Consequently, some people use BCE (meaning "Before Common Era") for BC. CE (meaning "Common Era") as a substitute for AD. These largely cosmetic replacements are thought to avoid religious offence. However, Doctor Who fiction has typically remained loyal to the BC/AD convention. Even as late as the Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat eras, dialogue and on-screen graphics prefer the Christian convention, for example in televised stories The Fires of Pompeii, The Pandorica Opens, A Good Man Goes to War and The Angels Take Manhattan.
  • In the real world, there is no year zero, so therefore 1 BC is immediately followed by 1 AD. Doctor Who fiction, however, is unclear as to this point.
  • On this wiki, templates and categories, both of which use, or are used in, mathematical formulae, assume the presence of a year zero, since the fiction of the Doctor Who universe allows it. Hence, we deem that the year 2000 is in the 21st century.
  • In The Doctor Who Role Playing Game, Gallifrey's TL time scale relates to the BC/AD dating system using the following mathematic formulas
    • When TL is greater than or equal to 70,709: A.D. = TL — 70,708, TL = A.D. + 70,708
    • When TL is less than 70,709: B.C. = 70,709 — TL, TL = 70,709 — B.C.

The Cybermen.The Cybermen (reference book)

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