The earliest reference of the timeline is mentioned in #26. The Attack, when the Ellimist stated that [they[ once had hands, much like human hands, but that was a long time ago, "almost a billion of your years."
The second reference to the timeline is mentioned in The Andalite Chronicles, when Elfangor said it was the "beginning of the eighties" on Earth. However, if Animorphs began on the year of its real life counterpart, in 1996, and The Andalite Chronicles took place "21 years before" exactly, that would make the year 1975, and when the "three years later" had passed before the Ellimist restored Elfangor to his rightful time, it would have made it not the early eighties, but instead the late seventies. However, Elfangor simply could have rounded it off and been anticipating the eighties, reasoning he was trapped in morph and had no reason to leave the planet (which we all know he eventually did, due to unforeseen consequences).
The next point of reference for the timeline takes place in Visser, when Visser One and her subordinate land on Earth. They land in a middle eastern country and got involved in a war. Later in the book they there was mention of "Operation Desert Storm," which, from my limited experience on the subject, took place around February, 1991, which means they did not land as was first hinted at in The Andalite Chronicles, at the end of that 3-year period, but this could be attributed to the fact that Elfangor was "displaced" from his normal time and the original Yeerk invasion might not have been scheduled to take place until this year. Anyway, later in the book Visser Three mentions once Edriss and Essam had landed, they went "fourteen Earth months" without contacting the Empire. That would pinpoint the date they contacted the Empire to around the time of April, 1992, and the Yeerk invasion forces, according to Edriss during that period, would not arrive "for weeks." So the Yeerk invasion started on April 1992, officially. However, Visser One makes an intriguing comment near the end of the book. Her son, which from my calculations had been born a few weeks before the date of April 1992, would be "nine years old now" which would make the current date for the Animorphs at that time to be 2001, which is inconsistent if the Animorphs truly began on 1996. Of course, she could have been rounding it off, but that wouldn't have accounted for the extra year. Any thoughts?
The next reference to the timeline happens variously throughout the Animorphs series. By #8. The Alien it sounds as though the war has only been going on for a few months, especially since the Animorphs are still so "new" to the war, while in #18. The Decision it makes it sound as though it has been happening for more than a year, or at least several months. But the two most illuminating references to the timeline come in two books, #8. The Alien and #34. The Prophecy. In #8. The Alien the Animorphs went with Ax to go see a "Star Trek" movie and if Animorphs did indeed start in 1996, that would make it the Star Trek movie First Contact, which DID come out in December 1996. This brings up the question, since the movie was released in winter, why wasn't there snow? Or did the Animorphs not have snow in Santa Barbara (where it is assumed they lived)? Anyway, the next reference, in #34. The Prophecy, is to the "new" Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace, which Marco even names, and he makes it sound as though the DVD had been out for some time. The official DVD came out in 2001, which again ties with the former reference to Visser One's children, but contradicts what Jake stated in #53. The Answer, that he was thirteen when he became an Animorph and that the war has been on going for three years, which would put it at around 1999, NOT 2001. Jake could have been rounding off, just like Visser One, but how would that close the year and the long gap from Visser (around the middle of the series) to the end (in 1999)?
Anyone have any ideas? Thoughts? Opinions? Sorry for the general messiness of this. My thoughts race. Here are a few questions of mine.
The Animorphs have never been shown to have summer breaks. ARE there any summer breaks in California? Or do they go nonstop all year? One could argue the Animorphs have been in summer school because of suffering grades, but that would imply less students in school at some point and it never did, so much as mention the Animorphs being in summer school.
I better wrap up this essay, as I'm thinking of it, lol.
P.S.: goom and I are collaborating on a general timeline. Anyone who wants to help, just ask, and I'll add you to the list of names below.
Zakryn (me)
goom
