The Year that Never Was was a year which never occured but was in the memories of many people who witnessed it. It was set betweeen May 2008 and 2009, and was when the new Time Lord Empire was being created on Earth by the Master.
The Master
During this year the Master had enslaved the human race with the intention of using them to build weapons in preparation for war against the rest of the universe. The Master wished to turn Earth into New Gallifrey and create an empire stretching across the universe lasting one hundred trillion years, the time difference between the end of the universe and then.
Resistance
Head of the resistance was Martha Jones who became renowned amoung the human race for travelling across the world and evading capture from the Master. One of the more notable escapes was the flight from Japan. She had escaped the Valiant using the vortex manipulator given to her by Jack Harkness and witnessed the slaughter of one tenth of the population of Earth. (DW: The Sound of Drums)
Many legands developed around Martha Jones and the purpose for her travelling the world. The most common belief held by people was that she travelled across the world in search of a weapon. Another belief held by the people was that Martha Jones was the only one who could kill the Master. However it is revealed when she was captured on the Eve of War that the reason she had travelled the universe was to spread the word about the Doctor as part of the plan they both made when the Master took control to use the Arch Angel Network against him.
Members of the resistance include Tom Milligan, Leo Jones (Martha's brother) and Professor Alison Docherty (She betrayed Martha Jones to the Master in return for information about her son.)
A small resistance also existed on the Valiant headed by the Doctor with the aid of the Jones family and Jack Harkness.
Outcome
The Doctor, Martha Jones and Jack Harkness, the paradox machine used to subvert a temporal paradox thereby allowing the year to occur was destroyed, and so the events of the year did not actually happen. The only people with memories of the year were the Doctor, the Master, Jack Harkness, Lucy (the Master's companion), Martha Jones, Francine Jones, Clive Jones, Tish Jones, and (possibly) the soldiers aboard the Valiant. The Master was shot by Lucy, refused to regenerate, and died. (DW: Last of the Time Lords)
