Distant past

"Distant past" is a title based upon conjecture.

Check the behind the scenes section, the revision history and discussion page for additional comments on this article's title.

The formation of the Sol system and the end of the Dark Times. (DW: The Runaway Bride)

The distant past was that period which was historically remote to the Doctor's usual travels. It had no exact date range, but could be considered to extend from the Big Bang (and perhaps earlier) to the development of modern humans, in about 100,000 BCE.

For later events, see the pages for Early human history, the 15th century and subsequent eras. See also the Dark Times, an indefinite point in the distant past.

Timeline

• Beginning of time: The Big Bang occurs due to a combination of at least two events: an ejection of fuel from the leper ship Terminus (DW: Terminus) and the explosion of the time ship Vipod Mor. (BBCR: Slipback) On at least two occasions the TARDIS, through malfunction or interference, has attempted to return to this point in time, which is also known as Event One, only to be prevented from doing so. (DW: The Edge of Destruction, Castrovalva)
• 4.6 billion B.C.E.: The Sol system forms. A Racnoss spacecraft enters the system and becomes the core of the Earth. (DW: The Runaway Bride) At the same time, the Sentience is trapped inside the forming Earth, underneath the area that would later be known as Crook Marsham. (NA: Nightshade)
• 4.5 billion B.C.E.: The Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith observe Earth's development over the course of several million years and encounter Megron. (BBCR: Exploration Earth)
• 4 billion B.C.E.: The last Jagaroth ship explodes on primitive Earth. The explosion kills the crew and splinters Scaroth into 12 sections in Human history. The explosion also causes the development of life on Earth, meaning that to prevent the explosion would leave the planet a desolate rock. (DW: City of Death)

The dialogue in the show states "400 million years" several times, but as this is well after life had evolved on Earth this is clearly wrong.

File:St--5h02jagarothship.jpg

The Jagaroth ship. (DW: City of Death)

• Billions of years ago: The seas on Androzani Minor dry up. (DW: The Caves of Androzani)
• 1 billion B.C.E.: The Khorlthochloi invade Earth, but are somehow stopped. (PDA: Synthespians™)
• 500 million to 1,000 million B.C.E.: The Angels create the bases on Belial and Moloch and then convert into their current forms. (NA: Lucifer Rising)

A more precise date can't be given, since this was gleaned from archaeological research and the living Angels refused to communicate with the Humans.

• 500 million B.C.E.: The Cirranin home planet is destroyed in a war, wiping them out. (NSA: The Last Dodo)
• Unknown point: The Silurians and Sea Devils develop an advanced culture, but are forced underground due to the arrival of the Moon. (DW: Doctor Who and the Silurians)
• 150 million B.C.E.: The Millennium War occurs, causing massive amounts of death and carnage. (DW: The Quantum Archangel)
• 150 million B.C.E.: A civil war erupts on Kastria, which leads to the destruction of Eldrad and the eventual extinction of the Kastrians. (DW: The Hand of Fear)
• 140 million B.C.E.: The Vardon-Kosnax War occurs, devastating Xeriphas. As a result, the Xeraphin merge into a gestalt and transport themselves to Earth. (DW: Time-Flight)
• Date unknown: The Doctor drops off Ace on Earth during the Cretaceous period. (DWM: Train-Flight) After arriving to pick her up, he witnesses her lead the dinosaurs in destroying an alien colony being constructed by slave labor. (DWM: Living in the Past)
• 65 million B.C.E.: The crash of a Human freighter from the future causes the extinction of the dinosaurs. (DW: Earthshock) In the immediate aftermath of the event, Jack Harkness, who for reasons unknown is present on Earth, lives off of dinosaur meat (TW: Fragments)
• 65.5 million to 59 million B.C.E.: The Cardiff Space-Time Rift connects the Paleocene ocean and the Cardiff Bay in 2008. The amino-acids from the Paleocene broke down pollutants like oil, improving the quality of sea-water. (TWN: The Undertaker's Gift)
• 60 million B.C.E.: A Xylok ship crashes into Earth and become trapped in the crust. (SJA: The Lost Boy)
• 12 million B.C.E.: The Fendahl teleports itself to Earth from its homeworld using psychic power, possibly ravaging Mars along the way. (DW: Image of the Fendahl)
• Millions of years ago: The Mastons go extinct when their planet is destroyed. (BBCR: Slipback)
• Millions of years ago: The Hervoken go to war with the Carrionites. (NSA: Forever Autumn)
• 5 million B.C.E.: The Xhinn were created out of fire in an alternate universe. They rebelled against this creator and were banished into the universe. (PDA: Amorality Tale)

This event may have been a myth, or an exaggeration of true events.

• 2.5 million to 3.6 million B.C.E.: The Tractite attempt to meddle in Humanity's prehistory. (EDA: Genocide)
• 497,400 B.C.E.: Saraani civilization develops. (BNA: Dry Pilgrimage)