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- Updated 11 April 1998
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The Third Age began a little over four thousand years after the Rising of the Moon in the first year of the First Age. Of the Ages, it is the best known, as the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings took place in its later years.
The Third Age began with the first overthrow of Sauron by the Last Alliance, and was marked by Isildur's planting of the White Tree in Minas Anor. It ended more than three thousand years later with the destruction of the One Ring, the final end of Sauron, and the passing of the Ring-bearers over the Sea.
The history of the Third Age is in large part the history of the Dúnedain in Gondor and Arnor. Though both these realms were founded in the late Second Age, it was during the Third that they grew to their greatest heights, and fell to their lowest depths, before being reunited by Aragorn II Elessar.
Key Events of the Third Age
| 2 |
Isildur plants a seedling of the White Tree in Minas Anor. Returning northward to Arnor with the One Ring, he is waylaid by Orcs and slain. |
| 490 |
Gondor is assailed by Men out of the East; the first of many wars with the Easterlings and Southrons. |
| 861 |
Division of Arnor into Arthedain, Rhudaur and Cardolan. |
| c.1000 |
Five Wizards, including Saruman and Gandalf, arrive in the north of Middle-earth. |
| 1050 |
Gondor conquers the Harad, and reaches the height of its power.
Also at about this time, the first Hobbits, wandering west across the Misty Mountains, first appear in records. |
| c.1100 |
The first stirrings of Sauron are felt again in Middle-earth, though they are thought at this time to signal the return of a Nazgûl. |
| 1409 |
The Witch-king of Angmar invades the northern kingdoms. |
| 1432 |
Civil war in Gondor. |
| 1601 |
The foundation of the Shire. |
| 1974 |
The forces of Angmar capture Fornost; the remnant of the North-kingdom is destroyed. |
| 1975 |
Eärnur of Gondor brings a fleet to the north. Too late to save the North-kingdom, he avenges its loss at the Battle of Fornost. Angmar is destroyed. |
| 1980 |
The Dwarves of Moria unleash Durin's Bane. |
| 2002 |
Capture of Minas Ithil by the Nazgûl. It is renamed Minas Morgul. |
| 2050 |
The last King of Gondor is lost. The Stewards now rule in the King's name. |
| c.2463 |
Gollum acquires the One Ring. |
| 2510 |
The Rohirrim ride to the aid of Gondor. They are given the land of Calenardhon (Rohan) to dwell in. |
| 2941 |
Journey of Bilbo Baggins to Erebor with Thorin and Gandalf. The Battle of Five Armies. |
| 3019 |
Destruction of the One Ring and passing of Sauron. Aragorn is crowned King in Gondor, and the North and South Kingdoms are reunited. |
| 3021 |
Departure of the Ring-bearers. |
See also...
Alatar, Alcarin, Amon Dîn, Amon Lanc, Amon Sûl, Angmar, Annúminas, Artamir, Arwen Evenstar, Asëa aranion, Athelas, Baggins Family, Balchoth, Bardings, Barrows, [See the full list...]Battle of the Camp, Belecthor II, Belegorn, Black Númenóreans, Black Riders, Blanco, Blue Ring, Boromir, Bree-landers, Bucca of the Marish, Carchost, Cedars, Celeborn, Celepharn, Círdan the Shipwright, Cirith Dúath, Cirith Forn en Andrath, City of Gondor, Cold-drakes, Corsairs of Umbar, Council of the Wise, Crossing of Poros, Crown of Gondor, Curumo, Dark Lord, Dark Plague, Dead Marshes, Disaster of the Gladden Fields, Dol Amroth, Downfall of Barad-dûr, Dragons, Drúath, Drúedain, Drûg-folk, Dúnedain of Arnor, Dúnedain of the North, Dunlendings, Dunlendish, Dwimorberg, Easterlings, Elder Days, Elessar of Eärendil, Elf of the Wand, Elf-kings, Elladan, Elrohir, Elvendom, Elven-rings, Elves, Elves of Lindon, Elves of Thranduil, Emyn Duir, Entmoot, Ents, Eryn Lasgalen, Ethraid Engrin, Everholt, Fall of Sauron, Fangorn Forest, Fire-drakes, First Age, Forest of Fangorn, Forodwaith, Free, Galadhrim, Gandalf, Gladden Fields, Gladden River, Glamdring, Glóin, Gods, Great Orcs, Great Plague, Great War of the Ring, Greenwood the Great, Grey Mountains, Grey Wood, Greymantle, Guards of the Citadel, Half-elven, Haunted Mountain, Haven of Umbar, Heir of Durin, Heir of Elendil, Henneth Annûn, Hensday, Heren Istarion, Hevenesdei, Hevensday, Hill of Awe, Hill of Himring, Hirluin the Fair, Hobbit-holes, Hobbits of Bree, Hobgoblins, Horses, House of Elendil, House of Fingolfin, House of Finrod, House of Isildur, Icebay of Forochel, Imlad Morgul, Imrazôr the Númenórean, Incánus, Isildur, Istari, Ithil-stone, Ivanneth, Keepers of the Three Rings, Khuzdul, King of all the Dúnedain, King of Arnor, King of Durin’s Folk, King of Gondor, King of Khazad-dûm, King of Minas Morgul, King of the West, Kingdom under the Mountain, King’s House, King’s Reckoning, Kin-strife, Legolas Greenleaf, Little Folk, Loeg Ningloron, Longbeards, Lóni, Lord and Lady, Lord of Barad-dûr, Lord of Eagles, Lord of Emyn Arnen, Lord of Gondor, Lord of Lórien, Lord of Minas Tirith, Lord of Rivendell, Lord of the Nazgûl, Lord of the Ringwraiths, Lórien, Lossoth, Lothíriel, Lothron, Lúva, Mablung, Maiar, Malinorni, Marhari, Men of Bree, Men of Eriador, Men of Minas Tirith, Men of Rohan, Men of the North (in the Third Age), Men of Westernesse, Menegilda Goold, Meresedei, Mersday, Minalcar, Monday, Morgoth, Morgul-king, Morthond Vale, Mountains of Angmar, Mountains of Lune, Mountains of Mirkwood, Mûmakil, Náli, Nan Curunír, Nandorin, Narsil, Nazgûl Lord, Necromancer, Nine Ringwraiths, Northmen of Rhovanion, Oathbreakers, Old Ford, Old Forest Road, Olog-hai, Olórin, Onya, Orcs, Orcs of Mordor, Orcs of the Mountains, Orcs of the Red Eye, Order of Wizards, Orodruin, Osgiliath, Paths of the Dead, Pelennor Fields, Phurunargian, Prince of Dol Amroth, Quenya, Rath Dínen, Realms in Exile, Red Ring, Reunited Kingdom, Revised Calendar, Rhûn, Ring of Barahir, Ring of Water, Ring-bearers, Ringday, Rings of Power, River Bralda-hîm, River Gwathir, River Redwater, Rochann, Rochirrim, Rochír-rim, Ruler, Seeing-stones, Serpents, Seven Rings, Shards of Narsil, Silvan Elves, Silvan Elvish, Siriondil, Smaug, Sméagol, Sorcerer of Dol Guldur, South Gondor, South-victor, Stairs of Cirith Ungol, Stewards’ Reckoning, Stone of Amon Sûl, Stone of Erech, Stone of Orthanc, Straight Road, Summerfilth, Sun, Sunnendei, Tale of Years, Tarcil, Tarks, Taur-e-Ndaedelos, Taur-nu-Fuin, Telumehtar Umbardacil, Tharbad, The Angle, The Elvenking, The Fair, The Hunter, The Moon, The Wise, Three Keepers, Thrimilch, Tincotéma, Tower of Anor, Tower of Cirith Ungol, Tower of Ecthelion, Tower of Guard, Tower of the Sun, Trewesdei, Trewsday, Trolls, Truesilver, Two Kingdoms, Uilos, Umbar, Uruk-hai, Urulóki, Vales of Anduin, Vinyalondë, War of the Dwarves and the Orcs, War of the Last Alliance, Watchful Peace, Weathertop, West Road, White Council, White Mountains, White Ship, Wild Men, Wild Men of the Woods, Withered Heath, Wood of Greenleaves, Woodland Realm, Woodmen, Woodwose, Woses
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