
Originally Posted by
DigiFluid
I assume the show will largely stick to the broader Tolkien canon of the Second Age, but since there's a lot of 'event x happened between years y and z' but there are very few details fleshing that out, they have a lot of room to fill things in as the show's writers please.
For interest's sake, here's an outline of the major events in the Second Age (years). Bearing in mind that the Men of Numenor were very long-lived :
Early in the Second Age
1 S.A. - The Elves found the Grey Havens on the (new) westernmost shore of the world, following Beleriand's destruction in the War of Wrath
32 S.A. - Men survivors of the War of Wrath land on the island of Numenor and found their new kingdom with Elros (mortal half-Elven brother of Elrond) as their first king
Approx. 40 S.A. - Dwarves of the various kingdoms collectively migrate to and settle in Khazad-dum (Moria)
442 S.A. - Elros, first King of Numenor, dies of old age at 500 years
Approx. 500 S.A. - Sauron resurfaces in Middle Earth, in the far east
Light rising in Middle Earth
600 S.A. - Numenorean sailors travel to the mainland for the first time, meet the Men of Eregion
725-735 S.A. - Aldarion, Prince of Numenor, makes numerous exploratory voyages to Middle Earth
739 S.A. - Aldarion returns home to Numenor with gifts/friendship from the Elf lord Gil-galad
750 S.A. - Galadriel and Celeborn found a city in Eregion, west of the Misty Mountains
806-869 S.A. - Aldarion's voyages continue
Sauron's machinations begin
1000 S.A. - Sauron begins construction of Barad-dur, the Black Tower
1200 S.A. - Numenoreans begin to construct permanent settlements/fortifications in Middle Earth, Sauron adopts the identity "Annatar" and befriends the Elves of Eregion
Approx. 1350 S.A. - Galadriel and Celeborn leave their city in Eregion and travel to Lothlorien, where they will remain Lady and Lord until the end of the Third Age
1500 S.A. - Sauron, still posing as a being named Annatar, works with the Elf lord Celebrimbor to forge the fifteen Rings of Power (the Nine for lords of Men, six for the Dwarf lords), before departing to pursue his own machinations
1590 S.A. - Celebrimbor, alone, forges the Three Rings of Power for the Elf lords (Ring of Adamant for Galadriel, Ring of Fire for Cirdan the Shipwright, Ring of Air for Gil-galad
War of the Elves and Sauron
1600 S.A. - Sauron forges the One Ring, Sauron completes Barad-dur, Sauron sheds the Annatar deception and openly proclaims himself
1693 S.A. - The Three Rings are hidden, War of the Elves and Sauron begins
1697 S.A. - Sauron's forces sack Eregion, Celebrimbor is killed, Imladris (Rivendell) is founded, Khazad-dum closes its gates
1699 S.A. - Sauron's forces have completely overrun Eriador
1700 S.A. - Numenoreans intervene in the war and singlehandedly overwhelm Sauron's armies. Seeing defeat but sensing opportunity, Sauron allows himself to be captured and taken back to Numenor. He will spend the next 1600 years there, initially as a prisoner, but gradually ingratiating himself with generation after generation of Numenorean royalty, becoming a trusted advisor, slowly poisoning them against both the Elves and the Valar
The decline and fall of Numenor
2251 S.A. - The Numenorean king's royalist allies swear to never again speak or write Elven languages, the Nazgul first appear in Middle Earth
2350 S.A. - The first haven of the Faithful Numenoreans (those not buying Sauron's crap, but unable/unwilling to challenge their own king) is constructed in Middle Earth
3117 S.A. - Elven language is officially banned in Numenor, and Elves are barred from visiting the island
3177 S.A. - Civil war in Numenor
3310 S.A. - By now, Sauron has convinced the king of Numenor that the Valar are weak beings hoarding immortality, that if Men would only sail into the west, they could seize Valinor--and immortality--for themselves. Numenor declares war on the Valar (the gods), and begins building a naval invasion fleet to make the voyage west
3319 S.A. - Ar-Pharazon, faithless king of Numenor, sets foot on the eternal shores of Valinor with an army at his back. A mortal setting foot in the immortal lands is the highest crime imaginable, and the world is remade once more -- the Valar (remember: gods of this world, but lesser than the one true god Eru), appeal to Eru to break and remake the world once more, severing the Blessed Lands from the rest of the world forever. Ar-Pharazon, 25th and last King of Numenor, his army, and his navy are all destroyed. The isle of Numenor is destroyed and sunk beneath the ocean for its sin
Gondor, Arnor, and the War of the Last Alliance
3320 S.A. - Elendil of the Faithful Numenoreans founds the Kingdom of Arnor in the northern lands of Middle Earth, while his sons Isildur and Anarion found the Kingdom of Gondor in the south
3429 S.A. - Sauron, whom the Men of Gondor believed dead along with the isle of Numenor, launches a surprise attack and seizes control of Gondorean city Minas Ithil, the seat of King Isildur (many centuries later, this will be Minas Morgul). Isildur escapes to join his father Elendil in Arnor, beginning negotiations with the Elves even as Anarion remains in Gondor defending Osgiliath and Minas Anor (centuries later, Minas Tirith)
3430 S.A. - The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is formed, to battle Sauron once more
3431 S.A. - The Last Alliance marches east, hooking up with Elrond at Imladris, and being joined by the Dwarves of Khazad-dum as they continue east past the Misty Mountains, and then south along the Anduin toward Mordor
3434 S.A. - The Battle of Dagorlad rages in marshlands for days and nights nonstop, leaving countless thousands of bodies. Many centuries later, this area will be known as the Dead Marshes. After reaching Mordor, the Siege of Barad-dur begins
3440 S.A. - Anarion is killed by a projectile fired from Barad-dur
3441 S.A. - Sauron's forces burst from the Black Tower and very nearly break the Siege, pressing all the way to the slopes of Mount Doom. Sauron personally faces down Gil-galad, Elendil, Elrond, Círdan and Isildur. Gil-galad and Elendil are slain, but Isildur uses the broken blade of his father to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand, dispersing his physical being and sending his armies into disarray. The Alliance defeats the dark army and razes Barad-dur to the ground, though unable to destroy its foundations owing to it being constructed with the power of the One Ring. Isildur refuses Elrond and Cirdan's urging to throw the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom, claiming it as a trophy won by the sacrifices of his father and brother