Jump To: 1880s 1950s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2010s
Events in each of Back to the Future's timelines
Original Timeline Marty's trip to 1955 Doc's trip from 2015 to 1985 Biff's trip from 2015 to 1955 Doc, Marty, and Jen's trip from 2015 to "Alternate" 1985 Doc and Marty's trip to 1955 Doc's accidental trip to 1885 Marty's trip to 1885 to rescue Doc
Start of BttF1 BttF1 BttF2 BttF2 BttF2 BttF2 End of BttF2 BttF3
1880s (Top)
Date Timeline 1 Timeline 2 Timeline 3 Timeline 4 Timeline 5 Timeline 6 Timeline 7 Timeline 8
09/01/1885
Doc buries Delorean for Marty's 1955 use and writes letter to Marty to be delivelightblue via Western Union in 1955.
09/04/1885 No one volunteers to meet Clara Clayton, so she takes a trip home and is killed in her fall into Shonash Ravine Doc volunteers to meet Clara and she avoids the ravine trip Doc and Marty focus instead of going back into 1985, instead of having Doc volunteer to meet Clara, but coincidentally save her from her fall.
09/05/1885
While dancing with Clara at the Hill Valley Festival, Doc is shot by Buford Tannen Event erased
09/07/1885
Doc dies of his gunshot wounds and is buried by his beloved Clara Event erased
1950s (Top)
Date Timeline 1 Timeline 2 Timeline 3 Timeline 4 Timeline 5 Timeline 6 Timeline 7 Timeline 8
11/05/1955 Old man Peabody conducts pine breeding experiments that will be completed successfully, later inspiring the name "Twin Pines Mall" Marty accidentally destroys one of Old Man Peabodys pines. His experiments are abandoned, later inspiring the name "Lone Pine Mall"
While George spies on Lorraine, he slips and falls in front of her father's car. Lorraine develops a "Florence Nightengale" crush on George as she nurses him. While George spies on Lorraine, he slips and falls in front of her father's car. Marty pushes him out of the way and is hit by the car. Lorraine develops a "Florence Nightengale" crush on Marty as she nurses him.
11/07/1955
Marty dresses in his radiation suit and sneaks into George's room that night as "Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan" to scare him into asking Lorraine to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
11/08/1955
Biff crashes his car into a manure truck after he chases Marty around the courthouse square.
11/12/1955 George takes Lorraine to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance where they kiss for the first time. Lorraine realizes this is the man she's going to marry. Marty takes Lorraine to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. While Marty is "parking" with Lorraine, Biff's gang kidnaps him. Biff tries to have his way with Lorraine, but George arrives and defends her. It's the first time he's ever stood up to Biff in his life. George escorts Lorraine into the dance where they kiss for the first time. Lorraine realizes this is the man she's going to marry.

Marty plays "Johnny B. Goode" at the dance. Marvin Berry calls his cousin Chuck to let him hear a possible new sound.

Marty gives Doc a note warning Doc that he will be killed by terrorists on 10/26/1985. Doc tears up the note, but saves the pieces. He will later retape the letter and use the information to save his life.
10:04pm Lightning strikes the clocktower, stopping the clock forever. No other damage occurs to the building. 10:04pm Lightning strikes the clocktower and Doc's apparatus, sending Marty back into the future. In the process of reconnecting some cables, Doc damages part of the courthouse facade forever.
03/26/1958
Biff Tannen turns 21 and use the sports almanac to win his first million at the track Event erased
03/31/1958 Chuck Berry releases "Johnny B. Goode", a song he wrote on his own. Chuck Berry releases his version of "Johnny B. Goode", a song he first heard from his cousin on 11/12/1955.
1970s (Top)
Date Timeline 1 Timeline 2 Timeline 3 Timeline 4 Timeline 5 Timeline 6 Timeline 7 Timeline 8
03/15/1973
George wins an award for his writing.
1980s (Top)
Date Timeline 1 Timeline 2 Timeline 3 Timeline 4 Timeline 5 Timeline 6 Timeline 7 Timeline 8
?? 1980s Doc and Marty become friends with neither having any knowledge of their future adventures. Doc and Marty become friends. Doc cultivates the friendship, knowing of their adventures to come.
?? 1985 Marty wishes for a new black Toyota 4X4, but his family can't afford it. Marty gets a new black Toyota 4X4.
10/25/1985 A smug Biff wrecks George's car and bullies him into taking responsibility. George has bever stood up to Biff in his life and complies and even agrees to finish Biff's reports at work. George's BMW is unscathed and awaiting its scheduled waxing from a timid Biff the next day.
10/26/1985 1:15am Doc and Marty meet at Twin Pines Mall to document the first tests of the Time Machine. 1:15am Doc and Marty meet at Lone Pine Mall to document the first tests of the Time Machine.
1:33am Doc Brown is shot and presumably killed by the Libyan terrorists 1:33am Doc Brown is shot by the Libyan terrorists, but survives thanks to his bulletproof vest.
1:35am Marty escapes the Libyan terrorists by departing for 1955. 1:35am While the Marty who grew up in this timeline departs for 1955, the Marty from the prior timeline reunites with his old friend Doc Brown.
Timeline Ends

George receives his copy of his newly published novel "A Match Made in Space," seemingly inspired by his visit from "Darth Vader" on 11/08/1955.

Biff witnesses the departure of the DeLorean carrying Doc, Marty, and Jen back to 2015.
10/27/1985
Needles taunts Marty into a drag race by calling him "chicken." The race ends up ruining Marty's life when he crashes into a Rolls Royce. Marty ignores Needles taunts, having finally learned his lesson about being called "chicken". He avoids the crash and the rest of his future is unwritten.


Timeline continues undepicted.
1990s (Top)
Date Timeline 1 Timeline 2 Timeline 3 Timeline 4 Timeline 5 Timeline 6 Timeline 7 Timeline 8
?? 1990s
Marty and Jennifer wed at the Chapel of Love
2010s (Top)
Date Timeline 1 Timeline 2 Timeline 3 Timeline 4 Timeline 5 Timeline 6 Timeline 7 Timeline 8
10/21/2015
Griff Tannen taunts Marty McFly Jr. into participating in a crime. 17 year-old Marty interferes with Griff's taunting of Marty Jr. A chase ensues through the courthouse square and Griff's gang ends up arrested instead of Marty Jr. Marty is given a hoverboard after the chase.


Marty buys a copy of Grey's Sports Almanac, covering all sports results from 1950-2000. Doc Brown finds it and throws it away, warning Marty not to use the time machine for personal gain, but Biff overhears, takes the almanac, and follows Marty and Doc to Hilldale.

The 47-year-old Marty is taunted by Needles into participating in some form of fraud. His boss, Ito Fujitsu intercepts the call and fires Marty.


Biff steals the Delorean and travels to 1955 with the Sports Almanac
Timeline Ends

10/22/2015
Marty Jr. is tried and convicted of his crime. He is sentenced to 15 years in prison. Event erased
10/28/2015
Marlene McFly attempts to break her brother out of prison and is sentenced to 20 years in prison herself. Event erased
?? 20??
At an unknown point in time, Doc Brown returns to 1985.
Timeline Ends