Timeline of Pirates of the Caribbean series

A timeline of events as depicted and mentioned in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. A specific date for the placement of the first three films has not been given, though the film's scriptwriters, while making the first film, placed them in a "floating thirty-year environment" set in the 18th century, sometime around the 1720s to 1750s. However, On Stranger Tides was said to be set in the year 1750 and the official comic book adaptation of Dead Men Tell No Tales shows the film's events are set in 1751.

1466

 * Montecuhzoma is born.

1474

 * Juan Ponce de León born in Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain.

1485

 * Hernán Cortés born in Medellín, Extremadura, in Castile.

1497

 * Silver Pieces of Eight made in Spain.

1513

 * Juan Ponce de León discovers Florida while discovering the marvels of the New World in his search for the Fountain of Youth.

c.1519

 * Hernán Cortés conquers the Aztec empire with his armies and wielding the Sword of Cortés.
 * The Aztecs deliver to Cortés a stone chest containing 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold, as blood money to appease his slaughter. When Cortés refuses to stop his conquest, the Heathen Gods place a curse upon the treasure, so that anyone who took but one coin from the chest would become undead skeletons. The treasure ultimately ended up on Isla de Muerta.

1523

 * Juan Ponce de León sails the Santiago to an island where he discovers the Fountain of Youth. The Santiago gets stranded inland by an ancient storm, sitting atop of rocks on the edge of a cliff.
 * The Mao Kun Map was created at some point before the Santiago's disappearance, showing Ponce de León's journey towards the Fountain.

1547

 * Hernán Cortés died. However, his spirit remained in the Sword of Cortés, and would be unleashed by anyone who spoke an incantation over both the Sword and its scabbard.

1576

 * Island of Douwesen was colonised by the Dutch.

1580

 * Island of Falaise de Fleur was colonised by the French. The colony was destroyed a few months later by the Spanish.

1590

 * The French colony of Falaise de Fleur is rebuilt.

c. 1600–1660

 * At an unknown date, a sailor named Davy Jones and the sea goddess Calypso fall in love with each other. Calypso rewarded that love by giving Jones captainy aboard the Flying Dutchman and the sacred task of ferrying souls who died at sea to the afterlife. Because of that love, Davy Jones agreed to set foot on dry land once every ten years; and if this love was true to him, his task would be complete, and a new captain of the Dutchman would be found. Jones would spend the following decade in this duty, at the end of which he could be reunited with Calypso for a single day.
 * Ten years after pledging to serve as ferryman aboard the Dutchman, Davy Jones returns to land for one day to be with his love, Calypso. But whenever Davy Jones came ashore, Calypso was nowhere to be found. Around this time, the First Brethren Court convenes at Shipwreck Cove, where Davy Jones plotted with the Brethren. With his help, the Brethren bound Calypso into human form with the Nine Pieces of Eight, so that the rule of the seas would belong to men. These Pieces of Eight would be passed down through the generations as each Pirate Lord names his or her successor to the Court.
 * Shortly after the First Court, Davy Jones' grief and guilt at what he had done became so great, he literally carved out his heart and locked it in the Dead Man's Chest, which he buried on Isla Cruces. Refusing to continue his duty, Jones returned to the seven seas; only now sailors everywhere would fear him to the death. Because of this, Jones became cursed, in which he and his crew slowly transform into sea creatures the longer they serve aboard the Flying Dutchman.

1600

 * The East India Trading Company is founded in England by London merchants on the 31st of December.

1630

 * A French squadron assaults and occupies the English Colony of Oxbay, only the small trading vessel Victory manages to escape.

c.End of 1630–1631

 * The adventures of Nathaniel Hawk, captain of Victory, unfolds within the archipelago.

1661-1670

 * The Second Brethren Court convenes, during which the Pirate Lords Henry Morgan and Bartholomew set down the Pirate's Code and recorded it in the Pirata Codex. Subsequent to the Code's creation, new members of the Court were appointed, including Keeper and Carriers of the Code, as well as deciding on how to elect the Pirate King. The method of summoning the Court was also decided by the form of a song: Hoist the Colours.

1680

 * Blackbeard is born in Bristol, England.

1683

 * George Augustus is born in Hanover, Germany.

1688

 * Henry Morgan was believed to have died because of liver failure in Port Royal. However, Morgan actually retreats to a remote island where he begins to study alchemy.

1690

 * Edward Low is born in London, England.

c. 1700

 * The Golden Age of Piracy begins, almost exactly where the Renaissance ended.

1704

 * The Whale and Waterspout inn is established in Port Royal.

c. 1716

 * Jack Sparrow meets Benjamin Franklin and teaches him a "trick with the kite and the key".

1718

 * Blackbeard was believed to be killed from the battle of Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina. However, Blackbeard survived the battle and continued acts of piracy, during which time he began to learn of the dark arts.

1720

 * Mary Reade dies of fever and/or childbirth in a Jamaican prison. Her spirit becomes trapped in the Buccaneer's Heart.
 * Edward England dies on Madagascar.

1722

 * Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts is killed by grapeshot and buried at sea, where he ended up in Davy Jones' Locker.

c. 1724

 * Torrents is captured by Davy Jones, and strikes a bargain with him, vowing to bring Jones the Sword of Cortés in exchange for his freedom. Jones marks Torrents' body with the sign of Quetzalcoatl, found on the Sword's scabbard. This angers the heathen gods, who curse Torrents with storms that follow him constantly.
 * Left-Foot Louis kidnaps Laura Smith.

c. 1725

 * Young Jack Sparrow begins his quest for the Sword of Cortés, assembling his first crew at Salty Cove. He discovers the City of the Dead, steals the eye of Stone-Eyed Sam and defeats Torrents.
 * Jack Sparrow is granted an audience with the mermaids at Isla Sirena, and negotiates the lives of his crew in exchange for his freedom.
 * Jack Sparrow locates Isla Fortuna and the Sword of Cortés. Left-Foot Louis is defeated by the Sword, and the spirit of Hernán Cortés is released by Sparrow. Jack later releases the spirit of Montezuma to defeat Cortés.

1726

 * Isaac Newton dies.

1727

 * George Augustus was crowned as King of England at Westminster Abbey.

1728

 * James Norrington is promoted to the rank of Commodore. Jack Sparrow arrives in Port Royal prior to the Black Pearl's attack. Elizabeth Swann is kidnapped, and Will Turner recruits Jack to help save her. Jack assembles a crew at Tortuga, who set sail in the commandeered HMS Interceptor.
 * During the voyage to Isla de Muerta, Jack and his crew sack the Earl King, with Jack and Will posing as members of the Royal Navy.
 * Jack ultimately confronts Barbossa at Isla de Muerta. Turner lifts the curse, allowing Jack to kill Barbossa and his crew to be killed or captured by Norrington's men. Jack escapes a hanging with Will's help, and rejoins his crew. Will and Elizabeth pledge their love to one another. Jack the monkey takes a coin from the chest and becomes cursed once more.
 * Will begins to train Elizabeth how to handle a sword.

1729

 * One year after the battle of Isla de Muerta, the marriage of Will and Elizabeth is interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett, who arrests them both and takes control of Port Royal. Jack Sparrow escapes from the Turkish prison with a drawing of the key. Will sets off to obtain Jack's compass for Beckett, and Elizabeth later escapes prison to track him down. Ragetti and Pintel escape from Port Royal prison. Jack, Will and the rest of the crew seek Tia Dalma who tells them the history of Davy Jones and Calypso. Will is press-ganged aboard the Flying Dutchman, but escapes with the key. Jack arrives at Isla Cruces and unlocks the Dead Man's Chest, though Norrington later steals the heart. Jack and the Black Pearl are dragged down to Davy Jones' Locker by the Kraken. Norrington presents Beckett with the heart, and is reinstated as admiral. Davy Jones falls under Beckett's command.
 * After about two months, the East India Trading Company calls a state of emergency, and carries out mass hangings at Fort Charles. While the Flying Dutchman, sailing under the Company, becomes the scourge of pirates in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow's crew, now under Barbossa's command, sail to reach World's End and rescue Jack Sparrow in Davy Jones' Locker. Sao Feng is killed onboard the Empress, and names Elizabeth Swann as Pirate Lord in his stead. James Norrington dies protecting Elizabeth as she escapes from the Flying Dutchman. The Fourth Brethren Court was called by Barbossa, convening as the EITC were advancing with an armada to destroy the world of pirates. Barbossa was eager to release Calypso, while Jack was eager to declare an act of war against the EITC, after which Elizabeth Swann was elected as the new Pirate King. Calypso is released from her human form and forms a maelstrom, where a battle raged at the center of it. During the battle, Will Turner and Elizabeth are wed by Barbossa, while Jack fights Davy Jones for the Dead Man's Chest. Jones is killed by a dying Will Turner, who replaces him as captain of the Dutchman, and Cutler Beckett dies aboard the Endeavour.
 * After the battle with Beckett and the EITC, Will and Elizabeth spend their one day together before Will begins his duty aboard the Dutchman, and conceive a child. Barbossa steals the Black Pearl, Gibbs stays in Tortuga, and Jack Sparrow steals the navigational charts and begins the search for the Fountain of Youth.

1730

 * Henry Turner is born, approximately nine months after the battle of Calypso's maelstrom.

1732

 * Carina Smyth is born to Hector Barbossa and Margaret Smyth. Margaret dies and Barbossa leaves the baby in an orphanage with nothing but her name and the Diary of Galileo Galilei. The baby girl eventually ends up in England.

1739

 * August - Elizabeth Swann and her son Henry await the return of Will Turner. It is believed that because Will has carried out his duty for the past decade, and Elizabeth remain faithful, Will's curse is broken and he is freed from service. However, Will Turner returns to his wife and son for just one day before returning to his duty.

1742

 * A twelve-year-old Henry Turner attempts to drown but is saved by the Flying Dutchman. He tells his father William Turner about the Trident of Poseidon and its ability to break his curse but William tells him to forget him.

1746

 * Ferdinand VI was crowned King of Spain.
 * The Queen Anne's Revenge attacks the Black Pearl off the coast of Hispaniola. Blackbeard captures the ship and magically shrinks her, making her one of his ships in bottles.

===c. 1750 ===
 * The quest for the Fountain of Youth was underway. After being forced aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, Jack Sparrow leads Blackbeard and Angelica to reach the Fountain. Privateer Hector Barbossa searches for the Fountain under King George II. The Fountain of Youth would end up being destroyed by the Spaniard's crew, who searched for the Fountain under King Ferdinand.

1751

 * Undead pirate hunter Armando Salazar escapes from the Devil's Triangle, and goes after the pirate who caused his death, Jack Sparrow. To stop his old enemy, Sparrow is convinced to help Henry Turner and Carina Smyth to find the Trident of Poseidon.

c.-60y

 * Hector Barbossa is born in West Country, England. This follows the third meeting of the Brethren Court.
 * Edward Teague is born to Grandmama and an unknown male.

c.-50y

 * Christophe-Julien de Rapièr is born to unknown parents.

c.-46y

 * Esmeralda is born to unknown parents.

c.-40y

 * Jack Sparrow is born to Edward Teague and an unknown female aboard a pirate ship off the coast of India.

c.-35y

 * Angelica is born to Blackbeard and an unknown female.

c.-30y

 * James Norrington is born to Lawrence Norrington and an unknown female.

-20y

 * Will Turner is born to William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner and an unknown female in Glasgow, Scotland.
 * Elizabeth Swann is born to Weatherby Swann and an unknown female in London, England.

c.-15y

 * The adventures of Captain James Sterling.
 * Jack Sparrow, in the emply of the East India Trading Company, becomes captain of the Wicked Wench.

c.-13y

 * East India Trading Company employee Jack Sparrow refuses to transport a cargo of slaves for Cutler Beckett, so he sets them all free. In response, Beckett had Jack branded as a pirate and Jack's ship, the Wicked Wench, burned and sunk. Jack makes a deal with Davy Jones to raise the ship from the depths, allowing him thirteen years to sail it before he must serve for a century aboard the Flying Dutchman. Jack renames his ship the Black Pearl.

===-10y ===
 * Jack Sparrow, captain of the Black Pearl, shows up in Tortuga to recruit a crew to go after the Treasure of Cortés. Jack's First Mate, Hector Barbossa, leads a mutiny after Jack gives up the bearings to Isla de Muerta, and maroons Jack on a desert island. Three days after his arrival, Jack barters passage off the island with a group of rumrunners.
 * Captain Barbossa and the crew sail the Black Pearl to Isla de Muerta, where they find the treasure. After spending all the treasure, Barbossa's crew became cursed and set about returning all 882 pieces of the treasure.
 * Bootstrap Bill Turner speaks out against the decision to mutiny against Jack and sent off his gold coin to his son, saying the crew deserved to remain cursed. Upon learning of Bootstrap Bill's actions, Barbossa has Turner strapped to a cannon, and sent to the bottom of the ocean. It is only after this point the crew learn they needed Turner's blood to lift the curse. Bootstrap Bill began living out a tortured existence on the seabed, unable to die; until he eventually makes a bargain with Davy Jones, at an unknown time, agreeing to serve one hundred years aboard the Flying Dutchman.

-8y

 * Will Turner's mother dies and he sets out to track down his father. Weatherby Swann and his daughter, Elizabeth, also set out from England to the Caribbean aboard the HMS Dauntless. The merchant vessel Will Turner sailed on is attacked by the Black Pearl, and Will is rescued by the crew of the Dauntless. Will meets Elizabeth, who takes his medallion to ensure he is not mistaken as a pirate. The ship arrives at Port Royal, where Weatherby sets himself up as Governor and Will is at some point taken as John Brown's apprentice.
 * At some point following the voyage in the crossing of England, Joshamee Gibbs leaves the British Royal Navy and turned pirate once more, ultimately ending up in Tortuga.

c.0y

 * Jack and his crew embark on a series of adventures in the Caribbean Sea. During this time, his former crew become cursed again, and vow revenge on Jack.
 * Commodore Norrington resigns his commission after losing his crew in a hurricane while chasing the Black Pearl off Tripoli.
 * Isla de Muerta is claimed by the sea before Jack's crew can claim its treasure. Jack the monkey stows aboard the Black Pearl at this point.
 * Barbossa is resurrected by Tia Dalma, and stays at her shack prior to the death of Jack Sparrow.
 * Will and Elizabeth are set to be married.
 * Jack Sparrow begins his search for the Dead Man's Chest and its key, and enters a Turkish prison.

Unknown placements

 * At some point prior to [-13y] Jack Sparrow barters a mystical compass from Tia Dalma for a sack full of gold.
 * At some point prior to [13y], Hector Barbossa became Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. His piece of eight was a wooden eyeball given to Ragetti for safe-keeping.
 * At some point prior to [-10y], the pirate Joshamee Gibbs befriends Jack Sparrow He ultimately joins the Royal Navy, though was later persuaded by Jack to turn pirate.
 * At some point prior to [-10y] Jocard killed his master and went from being a slave to a pirate.
 * At some point prior to [-10y] Jolly Roger attempts to steal Jack Sparrow's piece of eight and becomes an undead pirate.
 * At some point prior to [0y], Jack Sparrow became Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea. His piece of eight was a small, ancient Siamese coin woven into Moroccan beads hung over his bandana.
 * At some point prior to [0y], Jack Sparrow is believed to have vanished under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company, sacked Nassau Port without firing a single shot, as well as impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy and a cleric of the Church of England.
 * At some point prior to [+1y], Jolly Roger began the invasion of Port Royal, raid on Las Pulgas, invasion of Tortuga, raid on the Catacombs, and invasion of Padres Del Fuego. The Royal Navy steals the Black Pearl and a nameless pirate helps Jack to recrew his mates and help him reliberate the Black Pearl.
 * At some point prior to [+1y], the Battle of Padres takes place.
 * At some point prior to [+1y], Angelica visited the mystic Tia Dalma and traded her ring in exchange for knowledge of the Profane Ritual.
 * At some point after [+1y], Barbossa loses the Black Pearl and his right leg to Blackbeard and becomes a privateer in King George II's court.

Notes and references
Zeitlinie Fluch der Karibik