Timeline of Pirates of the Caribbean series

Timeline of events as depicted and mentioned in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. A specific date for the placement of the films is not given, though the story is said to take place sometime in the 17th Century. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is taken as Year 0 for the purposes of this timeline.

-20 years

 * William Turner is born in England to "Bootstrap Bill" Turner and an unknown mother.
 * Elizabeth Swann is born in England to Weatherby Swann and an unknown mother.

-20&mdash;8 years
At some point prior to William Turner's crossing to the Caribbean, "Bootstrap Bill" Turner becomes a pirate, and joins Jack Sparrow's crew aboard the Black Pearl. Will is led to believe he becomes a merchant sailor. Will's mother dies at some point after her husband's departure.

c.-13 years +

 * After refusing to transport slaves to the Caribbean on behalf of the East India Trading Company, Jack Sparrow's ship, Wicked Wench, is sunk by Cutler Beckett's enforcers, and Jack himself imprisoned.

c.-13 years

 * Jack Sparrow escapes from the East India Trading Company and attempts to retrieve the Wicked Wench from the bottom of the ocean. He makes a deal with Davy Jones, who raises the ship. Jack renames it the Black Pearl, and will call himself its Captain for the next thirteen years before Jones calls in the debt.

-10 years

 * Hector Barbossa leads a mutiny against Captain Jack Sparrow, leaving him marooned on a desert island and taking command of the Black Pearl himself.
 * Barbossa's crew locates Isla de Muerta, and opens the Chest of Cortés. They become cursed men, and, after having spent or lost all 882 pieces of gold in the chest, embark on a quest to retrieve them to lift the curse. The "ghost ship" Black Pearl will become the scourge of the Caribbean over the next decade.
 * "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, voicing his disagreement with Barbossa over his mutiny, is sent to the bottom of the ocean with a cannon tied to his bootstraps. He will remain there, alive&mdash;thanks to the curse&mdash;for some time, possibly until the curse is lifted ten years later. He is then enlisted by Davy Jones to join his crew on the Flying Dutchman.

-8 years

 * William Turner, aged twelve, sets out from England to track down his father, following the death of his mother. His ship is attacked during the crossing to the Caribbean by the Black Pearl. The ship is wrecked, and Will is the only survivor.
 * Weatherby Swann and his daughter Elizabeth set out from England to Port Royal, in the company of Joshamee Gibbs and Lieutenant James Norrington aboard the H.M.S. Dauntless. They rescue Will Turner, adrift at sea, and Elizabeth takes the boy's Aztec medallion to ensure he is not branded as a pirate. She witnesses the Black Pearl leaving the scene.

0 years

 * The Black Pearl attacks Port Royal and Elizabeth Swann is kidnapped. William Turner helps Jack Sparrow escape from jail and commandeer the H.M.S. Interceptor. Hector Barbossa and his crew attempt to lift their curse at Isla de Muerta, but Barbossa is killed by Jack and his crew are captured or killed after Will Turner lifts the curse. Jack escapes from his subsequent execution, and takes command of the Black Pearl. Will and Elizabeth are set to be married.
 * At some point after the death of Barbossa, Commodore James Norrington pursues the Black Pearl into a hurricane, where the H.M.S. Dauntless may have been destroyed. This contributes to his eventual disgrace that leads to his dismissal from the Royal Navy.
 * At some point after the death of Barbossa, Isla de Muerta is said to have been claimed by the ocean; both the island and its treasure disappear without a trace.
 * At some point after his death, Barbossa is resurrected, presumably by Tia Dalma, and stays at her shack on Pelegosto, awaiting the arrival of Jack Sparrow's crew.
 * At some point prior to his receiving the Black Spot, Jack Sparrow begins searching for the key that will open the Dead Man's Chest, knowing his thirteen years of freedom from Davy Jones are almost up.
 * Some months after the death of Barbossa, Will and Elizabeth prepare for marriage, but they are placed under arrest by Lord Cutler Beckett. Beckett asks will to bring him Jack Sparrow's compass in exhange for his release, while Elizabeth escapes from jail to find Will. Ultimately, they reunite with Sparrow and Norrington, and attempt to gain possession of the Dead Man's Chest. Norrington brings Davy Jones' heart to Lord Beckett, and Jack Sparrow is killed by the Kraken, which drags the Black Pearl down to Davy Jones' Locker. The crew prepare to rescue Jack from the locker with the help of the resurrected Barbossa.