This article all started with the (mis)timeline of season eight, as an effort to satisfy some confusing and contradictory dating for that season. As time went on, I thought I would expand this article to encompass all episodes of The X-Files and movie(s). My intention is to provide a quick reference timeline of the episodes. Something the reader can have to organise the episodes by internal dating. I am not going to mention any dates for flashbacks or dreams as my intention is to list the date of the principal events of the episode, even if the flashbacks are a dominant feature (i.e. 6ABX20 The Unnatural or 7ABX19 Hollywood A.D.). Nor am I going to include dates from the spin-offs such as the video games or The Lone Gunmen series despite being official.

My primary sources are the DVD sets, transcripts (formerly) available on the internet, and, of course, the actual TV show. I do prefer the DVD sets as my primary source as they contain a better quality image (for reading details on computer screens, file folders, etc.) and the ability to zoom.

Some, actually, quite a few episodes have no dates mentioned and are listed as "Unknown". I could estimate their dates based on their broadcast order between two episodes of known dates. Or I could assume that they occurred in "realtime", meaning if the episode was broadcasted 12 November 1993, then the episode's event took place then. However, that really isn't useful and in some cases, can be quite stressful. For example: After 2X09 Firewalker (13 November 1994) Mulder and Scully are in a thirty day quarantine. After which 2X13 Irresistible takes place the next day (14 November 1994) with 2X10 Red Museum, 2X11 Excelsius Dei, and 2X12 Aubrey taking place between 2X09 Firewalker and 2X13 Irresistible.

Any assistance, submissions or comments can be sent via e-mail.

Notes

1. Episodes are ordered by broadcast in North America.
2. North American broadcast dates and episode synopses are here.

Dennis

1X79 Pilot The week of 06 March 1992 through 22 March 1992 based on the screen captions. Date confirmed in 4X07 Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man.

1X01 Deep Throat Unknown.

1X02 Squeeze The week of 23 July 1993 based on Eugene Victor Tooms' case file seen in 1X20 Tooms.

1X03 Conduit The week of 26 August 1993 based on the facsimile Mulder sent.

1X04 The Jersey Devil The week of 29 August 1993 based on Roger Crockett's toe tag.

1X05 Shadows The week of 26 September 1993 based on the bank security video.

1X06 Ghost in the Machine The week of 24 October 1993 based on Scully's field report.

1X07 Ice The middle of the month of November 1993 based on an Arctic Ice Core Project transmission being received on 05 November 1993.

1X08 Space Unknown.

1X09 Fallen Angel Unknown.

1X10 Eve The week of 07 November 1993 based on the coroner's report on Joel Simmon's death.

1X11 Fire Unknown.

1X12 Beyond the Sea Early January 1994 based on William Scully's "Are you going to leave this (the Christmas tree) up all year?".

1X13 Genderbender Unknown.

1X14 Lazarus The middle of the month of December based on Mulder handing Scully a birthday card two months early (her birthday is 23 February).

1X15 Young at Heart Unknown.

1X16 E.B.E. Unknown.

1X17 Miracle Man The week of 07 March 1994 based on Scully's autopsy narration.

1X18 Shapes Unknown.

1X19 Darkness Falls Unknown.

1X20 Tooms Unknown.

1X21 Born Again The week of 29 March 1994 based on the log sheet of the police reports. Ends on 19 April 1994 based on Mulder's field report.

1X22 Roland The week of 25 April 1994 based on computer file access date.

1X23 The Erlenmeyer Flask Begins on 08 May 1994 and ends thirteen days later, based on screen captions.

Comments

I am aware of certain inconsistences and blatant conflicts in this season (and subsequent seasons) such as, the seventeen month difference between the 1X79 Pilot and 1X02 Squeeze (with 1X01 Deep Throat probably taking place between the two) or the timing of episodes that do not take into account recuperation of injuries. All I can say is to remember the first words seen on The X-Files:

THE FOLLOWING STORY IS INSPIRED BY ACTUAL DOCUMENTED ACCOUNTS.

with my emphasis on inspired.

2X01 Little Green Men The week of 07 July 1994 based on the newspaper headline.

2X02 The Host Unknown.

2X03 Blood The week of 02/03 August 1994 based on Scully's autopsy report.

2X04 Sleepless Unknown.

2X05 Duane Barry The week of 07 August 1994 based on the screen caption.

2X06 Ascension Continuation of 2X05 Duane Barry.

2X07 3 Probably the month of November 1994 based on the calendar in Mulder's office.

2X08 One Breath The week of 03 November 1994 based on Scully's admission chart.

2X09 Firewalker 11 November 1995 through 13 November 1994 based on Mulder's field report. The report was recorded three days after the thirteenth.

2X10 Red Museum Unknown.

2X11 Excelsius Dei Unknown.

2X12 Aubrey Unknown.

2X13 Irresistible The week of 14 November 1994 based on Scully's autopsy narration.

2X14 Die Hand Die Verletzt The week of 16 January 1995 based on the sign-out date of a library book.

2X15 Fresh Bones Unknown.

2X16 Colony The week of 20 January 1995 based on 2X17 End Game taking place two weeks before 03 February 1995.

2X17 End Game The week of 03 February 1995 based on Mulder's GPS unit. Two weeks before 2X16 Colony based on the screen caption.

2X18 Fearful Symmetry Unknown.

2X19 Død Kalm The week of 12 March 1995 based on Scully's field report.

2X20 Humbug The day of 15 February 1995 based on the full moon.

2X21 The Calusari Unknown.

2X22 F. Emasculata Unknown.

2X23 Soft Light The week of 31 March 1995 based on Mulder's "He was also probably here on March 17 and March 31." and "That leaves us with three days of train station videotapes..."

2X24 Our Town Unknown.

2X25 Anasazi 09 April 1995 through 16 April 1995 based on the screen captions.

3X01 The Blessing Way The week of 16 April 1995 based on it being part two of three (2X25 Anasazi being part one).

3X02 Paper Clip The week of 23 April 1995 based on it being based on it being part three of three.

3X03 D.P.O. The week of 12 September 1995 based on the date displayed on the video game's high score list.

3X04 Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose The week of 16 September 1995 based on the screen caption.

3X05 The List Unknown.

3X06 2Shy The week of 29 August 1995 based on Scully's autopsy narration.

3X07 The Walk Unknown.

3X08 Oubliette Unknown.

3X09 Nisei The week of 17 October 1995 based on Scully's "...president made a public apology for secret radiation tests..." in 3X10 731. The date of the apology was 03 October 1995.

3X10 731 Continuation of 3X09 Nisei.

3X11 Revelations The last week of November 1995 based on the medication log.

3X12 War of the Coprophages Unknown.

3X13 Syzygy The week of 12 January 1996 based on the screen caption.

3X14 Grotesque Unknown.

3X15 Piper Maru Unknown. When Skinner says, "It's been five months and there have been no new leads or evidence in her (Melissa Scully) murder investigation..." this may refer to the murder investigation and not of the date of the actual murder.

3X16 Apocrypha Continuation of 3X15 Piper Maru.

3X17 Pusher Unknown.

3X18 Teso Dos Bichos Unknown.

3X19 Hell Money Unknown.

3X20 Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space' Unknown.

3X21 Avatar The week of 07 March 1996 based on the screen caption.

3X22 Quagmire An exception, according to sources, The X-Files Computer Game takes place between 29 March 1996 and 07 August 1996 and that it must have taken place after 3X22 Quagmire. I'm making the rare estimate and will state that this episode took place after 07 March (3X21 Avatar) and before 29 March.

3X23 Wetwired Begins on 27 April 1996 and ends 10 May 1996 based on the screen caption.

3X24 Talitha Cumi Unknown.

4X01 Herrenvolk Unknown.

4X03 Home Unknown.

4X04 Teliko The month of August 1996 based on Scully's "...that four young men have gone missing over the past three months...". The disappearances started 17 May 1996.

4X02 Unruhe The week of 07 September 1996 based on Billy's homicide report. The date, 11 October 1996, refers to Scully's case report addendum.

4X05 The Field Where I Died The week of 05 November 1996 based on the audio report of BATF Agent Kiley.

4X06 Sanguinarium Unknown.

4X07 Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man The date of the scenes with Frohike telling the story of Cigarette-Smoking Man is unknown.

4X09 Tunguska The week of 25 November 1996 based on Mulder's watch.

4X10 Terma Continuation of 4X09 Tunguska.

4X08 Paper Hearts The week of 24 November 1996 based on the date of the Addie Sparks evidence tag.

4X11 El Mundo Gira Unknown.

4X14 Leonard Betts Unknown.

4X13 Never Again The week of 15 January 1997 based on Mulder's case report of Vseulod Leonid Pudovkin.

4X15 Memento Mori Unknown.

4X12 Kaddish Unknown.

4X16 Unrequited The week of 12 November 1996 based on the screen caption.

4X17 Tempus Fugit The week of 23 February 1997 based on the celebration of Scully's birthday.

4X18 Max Continuation of 4X17 Tempus Fugit.

4X19 Synchrony Unknown.

4X20 Small Potatoes Unknown.

4X21 Zero Sum The week of 27 March 1997 based on the evidence log.

4X22 Elegy The month of April 1997 based on the Weekly TV Life magazine.

4X23 Demons The week of 12 April 1997 based on the screen caption.

4X24 Gethsemane After 18 October 1997 based on the last date shown in Scott Ostelhoff's telephone record seen in 5X02 Redux.

5X02 Redux Continuation of 4X24 Gethsemane.

5X03 Redux II Continuation of 5X02 Redux.

5X01 Unusual Suspects The month of May 1989 based on the screen caption.

5X04 Detour Unknown.

5X06 Post-Modern Prometheus A month or two before Christmas (then again it could be July) based on the Christmas decorations.

5X05 Christmas Carol The week of 21 December 1997 based on the Christmas holidays.

5X07 Emily A few days after 5X05 Christmas Carol based on Scully's "Just a few days ago she (Emily) was fine."

5X08 Kitsunegari The week of 01 December 1997 based on Robert Patrick Modell's bedside medical monitor.

5X09 Schizogeny Unknown.

5X10 Chinga Unknown.

5X11 Kill Switch Unknown.

5X12 Bad Blood The week of 10 February 1998 based on the screen caption.

5X13 Patient X Unknown.

5X14 The Red and the Black The month of January based on Cigarette-Smoking Man's letter being postmarked 02 January 1998.

5X15 Travelers The week of 17 November 1990 based on the screen caption.

5X16 Mind's Eye The week of 06 March 1998 based on Marty Glenn's mugshot.

5X17 All Souls The week of 19 April 1998 based on Scully's "I was here for Easter services last week..."

5X18 The Pine Bluff Variant Unknown.

5X19 Folie á Deux The week of 10 May 1998 based on Mulder writing the date on a map.

5X20 The End Unknown.

The final scene took place after 06 September 1998 based on the telegram. I'm not going to say on 06 September 1998 as the date would depend on the punctuality of the Cigarette-Smoking Man and the delivery of the telegram to him. The rest of the movie, on the other hand, is quite contradictory as Mulder travels to the Antarctic when it is sunny (or daylight) there. This means that it is summer in the southern hemisphere and winter in the northern hemisphere but the events in Washington, D.C. and Texas clearly show summer. Recent examples of this are the two American doctors evacuated from the Antarctica in the northern hemisphere's spring time before the onset of the harsh winter weather and darkness.

Ultimately, the movie takes place after fifth season's 5X20 The End and before sixth season's 6ABX01 The Beginning, placing the movie in the summer of 1998.

A bit of trivia: Below are two maps showing the location of South 83º00' Latitude by East 63º00' Longitude (indicated by a red dot).

World Map

Continental Map

6ABX01 The Beginning Sometime around 06 September 1998 based on the telegram "X-FILES RE-OPENED. STOP. PLEASE ADVISE. STOP.". With "re-opened" in the past tense, this episode could have taken place before 06 September (although most likely after).

6ABX02 Drive The day of 15 November 1998 based on Patrick Crump's mugshot.

6ABX03 Triangle The day of 16 November 1998 based on Mulder's "It's November 16th. Look."

6ABX04 Dreamland The week of 12 December 1998 based on the date stamp of the FBI file seen in the 6ABX05 Dreamland II teaser.

6ABX05 Dreamland II Continuation of 6ABX04 Dreamland.

6ABX08 How the Ghosts Stole Christmas 24 December 1998 and 25 December 1998 based on Scully's "On Christmas Eve?"

6ABX06 Terms of Endearment Unknown.

6ABX07 The Rain King The month of August 1999 based on the screen captions "SIX MONTHS LATER" and "FEBRUARY 14 VALENTINES DAY".

6ABX10 S.R. 819 Unknown.

6ABX09 Tithonus The week of 04 January 1999 based on Agent Ritter's microphone check.

6ABX11 Two Fathers Unknown.

6ABX12 One Son Unknown.

6ABX14 Agua Mala Unknown.

6ABX15 Monday Possibly, the day of 01 March 1999 based on the date written on Mulder's cheque. I say 'possibly' because I'm not absolutely sure since the date on the cheque isn't the clearest.

6ABX13 Arcadia The week of 24 February 1999 based on Scully's "Okay. 6:01PM, February 24." On the other hand, Mulder's watch was shown displaying the seventh and ninth (of March). I am going with Scully's narration as, personally, the spoken word (and therefore the scripted word) has more credibility than a post-production shot of a watch.

6ABX16 Alpha Unknown.

6ABX17 Trevor Unknown.

6ABX18 Milagro After 08 February 1999 based on the postal stamp on a letter of Phillip Padgett's. Possibly, the week of 14 February 1999 based on the date in the personal ad in the newspaper Mulder was looking at.

6ABX20 The Unnatural Possibly, 03 July 1999 based on the baseball game announcer's "...I'm told it's a gorgeous day all over our republic today..." which would lead me to believe that Independence Day in the U.S. is soon.

6ABX21 Field Trip Unknown.

6ABX19 Three of a Kind Between 09 July 1999 and 11 July 1999 based on it taking place during the DefCon 99 conference.

6ABX22 Biogenesis Unknown.

7ABX03 The Sixth Extinction Unknown.

7ABX04 The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati Unknown.

7ABX01 Hungry After 18 June 1999 based on Derwood Spinks' prescription bottle.

7ABX05 Millennium 21 December 1999 through 31 December 1999 based on the screen captions.

7ABX06 Rush The week of 12 November 1999 based on the Scantron examination card.

7ABX02 The Goldberg Variation Unknown.

7ABX07 Orison Unknown.

7ABX08 The Amazing Maleeni The week of 12 January 2000 based on the vault sign-out log.

7ABX09 Signs & Wonders Unknown.

7ABX10 Sein und Zeit Unknown.

7ABX11 Closure Unknown.

7ABX12 X-Cops Unknown.

7ABX13 First Person Shooter Unknown.

7ABX14 Theef Unknown.

7ABX15 En Ami Unknown.

7ABX16 Chimera The day of 23 April 2000 based on Easter Sunday and the week of 07 May 2000 based on Skinner's "Two weeks ago a woman named Martha Crittendon disappeared."

7ABX17 all things Unknown.

7ABX18 Brand X Unknown.

7ABX19 Hollywood A.D. The scenes of the investigation takes place the week of 14 July 1998 based on the toe tag. Therefore, the movie premiere takes place the month of January 2000.

7ABX20 Fight Club Unknown.

7ABX21 Je Souhaite Unknown.

7ABX22 Requiem The last week of May 2000 based on Doggett's "Agent Mulder disappeared last May." in 8ABX11 The Gift and "Four consecutive weekends in May." in 8ABX01 Within.

8ABX01 Within The first week of June 2000 based on it being part two of three (7ABX22 Requiem being part one).

8ABX02 Without Continuation of 8ABX01 Within.

8ABX04 Patience Unknown.

8ABX05 Roadrunners Unknown.

8ABX06 Invocation The week of 21 September 2000 based on the screen captions, "SEPTEMBER 21, 1990" and "TEN YEARS LATER". I'm not going to say exactly 21 September 2000 because "ten years later" is not a precise amount of time and could be, for example, a rounding down from ten years, one month.

8ABX03 Redrum The week of 04 December 2000 based on the radio's "It is Friday, December 8, and you're tuned in to WXOP..." at the beginning of the backstepping.

8ABX07 Via Negativa Unknown.

8ABX09 Surekill Unknown.

8ABX10 Salvage The month of January 2001 based on the Muncie Press Telegraph headline.

8ABX12 Badlaa The month of December 2000, probably late December, based on Albert Brecht's passport application form.

8ABX11 The Gift Unknown.

8ABX13 Medusa Between 28 January 2001 (Survivor II premiere) and 16 March 2001 (first day of Spring) based on Lyle's "...can get home to watch Survivor II." and Doggett's "...it's the middle of winter." I will say February 2001.

8ABX08 Per Manum Sometime after 23 November 2000 based on the VHS tape label.

8ABX14 This is Not Happening The last week of August 2000 based on it occurring three months before 8ABX15 DeadAlive.

8ABX15 DeadAlive The last week of November 2000 based on Kersh's "I've been in this office just over six months...". Three months after 8ABX14 This is Not Happening based on the screen caption "THREE MONTHS LATER". Scully is six weeks from taking maternity leave.

8ABX18 Three Words Immediately after 8ABX15 DeadAlive based on Mulder's recovery. Six months after 7ABX22 Requiem based on Frohike's "You've been dead for six months and you still look better than me.".

8ABX17 Empedocles Unknown.

8ABX16 Vienen Unknown.

8ABX19 Alone The month of January 2001 based on Scully taking her maternity leave six weeks after 8ABX15 DeadAlive/8ABX18 Three Words.

8ABX20 Essence The first week of March 2001 based on it being part one of two (8ABX21 Existence being part two).

8ABX21 Existence The first week of March 2001 based on the birth of Scully's baby. This is based on Scully conceiving before Mulder's disappearance and assuming a normal pregnancy (all indications being so) of forty weeks (average length of pregnancy) this is the latest the birth could occur. Obviously, the date depends on how soon after conception did she find out. In addition, Scully, being subjected to an unusually stressful situation, could have given birth a week or two prematurely. For example, if conception was in mid May 2000 and birth was a week premature, then this episode could have taken place in mid February 2001.

Comments

So how does one reconcile episodes such as 8ABX13 Medusa or 8ABX03 Redrum? Well, as best as I can tell, the mythology episodes have a logical timeline and it is the stand-alone episodes that don't fit this timeline. So, if one needs an answer, the best that I can come with is to overlook the stand-alone episodes in the grand scheme of events (with respect to the timeline).

9ABX01 Nothing Important Happened Today Two days after 8ABX21 Existence based on Reyes' "...two nights ago..."

9ABX02 Nothing Important Happened Today II Continuation of 9ABX01 Nothing Important Happened Today.

9ABX03 Dæmonicus Unknown.

9ABX05 4-D Unknown.

9ABX06 Lord of the Flies Unknown.

9ABX08 Trust No 1 Between 07 January 2002 (based on the e-mail Scully received) and 06 February 2002.

9ABX07 John Doe Unknown, but my gut feeling says the month of February 2002.

9ABX04 Hellbound Before June 2002 based on the autopsy report.

9ABX10 Provenance Unknown.

9ABX11 Providence Unknown.

9ABX13 Audrey Pauley Unknown.

9ABX09 Underneath Unknown.

9ABX14 Improbable Unknown.

9ABX12 Scary Monsters Unknown.

9ABX15 Jump the Shark Unknown.

9ABX17 William Unknown.

9ABX16 Release Month of August 2002 based on it being nine years after 13 August 1993, Luke Doggett's death.

9ABX18 Sunshine Days Unknown.

9ABX19 The Truth After March 2002 based on Gibson Andrew Praise's "...hiding him (Mulder) for a year...". Mulder could have reunited with Praise a few months after his departure in March 2001 (for example, three months) and then hid for a year (in the example, totalling fifteen months).

9ABX20 The Truth The second hour of a two-hour episode.

Note