Timeline:Pre-crash

Pre-1960

Indeterminate time in past

The statue and ruins are built. (podcast)

1881

Shipwreck of the Black Rock. (The Lost Experience)

1894

DJ Dan claims Alvar Hanso is born this year (regarding his age of 112, accuracy unknown) (The Lost Experience)

1900

September 21 – Joop is born. (The Lost Experience)

Late 1920s

Enzo Valenzetti is born on the Island of Sardinia. (The Lost Experience)

1938

M. David Benson, the founder of the Apollo Candy Company, is born to Nils and Elli Benson. (The Lost Experience)

1940s

Adam and Eve most likely arrive on the Island in this decade, according to Jack's estimate (based on clothing degradation). ("House of the Rising Sun")

During WWII, Alvar Hanso made his mark providing munitions to various resistance movements around Europe. (The Lost Experience)

The South Pacific is an area of intense fighting between Japan and the Allies.

1940

October 15th – Emily Annabeth Locke is born. ("Deus Ex Machina")

1941

December – Nils Benson joins the U.S. Marine Corps and is shipped overseas to fight alongside the Allied forces. (It's likely that he joined after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, as all branches of the armed forces received a large number of recruits after this event) (The Lost Experience)

1944

June 6th – D-Day, the Allied forces storm the beaches of Normandy engaging Nazi Germany's forces in combat to retake France in what would become known as the Battle of Normandy. Nils Christer Benson dies on Omaha Beach during the invasion. (The Lost Experience)

1947/1948

Bernard Nadler was born. (It was 2004 when he proposed to Rose, when he said he was 56). ("S.O.S.")

1960s

Emily Linus goes into labor early when hiking in the woods with Roger Linus outside of Portland, and dies as a result of giving birth to Ben Linus after they meet Horace and Olivia.

1962

The Apollo Candy Company is founded in San Francisco by M. David Benson, first sold at J. Pickersweet's Five and Dime. (The Lost Experience)
October 16th – The Cuban Missile Crisis begins, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. During the Sri Lanka video, Alvar Hanso notes 1962 as a turning point for the world and moved the United Nations to begin investing in mathematical formula to predict the end of the world by mankind's hand. (The Lost Experience)

1964

M. David Benson perfects the recipe for his affordable, yet exceptionally delicious, Apollo Bars, and begins distributing them citywide. (The Lost Experience)

1967

Jack Shephard is born to Christian Shephard and Margo Shephard
Libby is born.
Alvar Hanso addresses the UN Security Council. (The Lost Experience)

1968

Sayid Jarrah is born. (He was 23 when captured in the Gulf war) ("One of Them")
Eko Tunde is born.
The fledgling Apollo Candy Company secures distribution outlets nationwide. (The Lost Experience)

1969

James Ford is born. (He tells Ben that he is 35 in 2004) ("Every Man for Himself")

1970s

The Apollo Candy Company falls into dire straits. However, due to the considerable financial intervention of Alvar Hanso, founder of the Hanso Foundation, the company is saved from bankruptcy. The Apollo Candy Company now exists as a private purveyor of chocolates for Alvar Hanso and his many companies. (The Lost Experience)
The DHARMA Initiative is created (according to the Swan Orientation Film). ("Orientation")
The Swan Station was built. (Secrets From the Hatch)
"The Incident" occurs "not long after the experiments began". ("Orientation")
Ben and Roger Linus arrive on the island with the DHARMA Initiative. Ben meets Richard Alpert, a member of the "hostiles," and eventually starts to work with them. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

1974

November 27th: Jin-Soo Kwon is born to a prostitute. She gives the child to Mr. Kwon to raise, even though he is unsure if he is really the father. As he grows up, he tells Jin that his mother died. ("D.O.C.")

1975

Ana-Lucia Cortez is born to Teresa Cortez.
The Sri Lanka Video, featuring Alvar Hanso, is made. (The Lost Experience)

1976

Charlie Pace is born to Megan Pace and Simon Pace.

1977

Anthony Cooper, using the alias "Tom Sawyer", cons James Ford's parents. Because of this, James's father kills James's mother and then himself. James (8 years old at the time) writes a letter to this "Mr. Sawyer". ("Confidence Man")
Feb/Mar - Sam Austen returns from war. His wife Diane becomes pregnant from her affair with Wayne Janssen ("What Kate Did")
May/June - Kate Austen is born. ("What Kate Did")
Hugo Reyes is born to David and Carmen Reyes. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")

1980s

Mikhail Bakunin is stationed in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, which took place from December 1979 through February 1989. ("The Man from Tallahassee") While there, he receives army field medical training. ("D.O.C.")

1980

The orientation films for the Swan and the Pearl are copyrighted. ("Orientation")

1981

??/10/81 - Boone Carlyle is born to Sabrina Carlyle. ("Raised by Another") ("Hearts and Minds") ("The Greater Good") - As Shannon goes through Boone's belongings, she takes out his wallet and we are shown his license.
October 27th - Claire Littleton is born to Christian Shephard and Carole Littleton.("Numbers") ("Par Avion")
December 7th – H.G. (Hanso Group) Delegation inspection (recorded on blast door map). ("Lockdown")

1982

According to her cover blog, Rachel Blake was 24 in June 2006. Thus, her year of birth is likely to be 1982.

1983

Shannon Rutherford is born to Adam Rutherford. ("Raised by Another") ("Abandoned")

1984

October 28th – "Suspected shutdown date" (recorded on the blast door map).("Lockdown")
December 25th – Liam Pace receives a Voltron (in stores in 1984) for Christmas. Charlie Pace receives a piano. ("Fire + Water")

1985

AH/MDG incident as recorded on blast door map. ("Lockdown")

1987

Hanso Foundation funding of the DHARMA Initiative ends, as per the Hugh McIntyre interview. The truth of this is uncertain. (The Lost Experience)
December 21st – A likely date for the Purge, since Ben did not have Alex at the time.
David Reyes abandons his family. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")

1988

Sam Toomey and Leonard Simms hear the Numbers being broadcast without encryption while stationed in the South Pacific. ("Numbers")
Danielle Rousseau and her crew run aground on the Island after hearing the Numbers transmission. ("Solitary")
- Danielle is trapped at a location near the Black Rock by a "he" or "it" who has "killed them all".("Pilot, Part 2")
- All members of the science crew are killed by Danielle who claimed her actions were necessary due to the crewmembers suffering from a sickness. ("Solitary")
- Alexandra Rousseau is born and taken by the Others a week later. ("Solitary")
- Danielle goes to the radio tower and replaces the Numbers broadcast with a distress signal. ("Pilot, Part 2")
Theresa, Boone's nanny, takes a "bad step", and breaks her neck. ("Deus Ex Machina")
At the age of 19, James Ford adopts the name "Sawyer" and cons a woman and her husband for $6,000. ("Confidence Man")

1989

Desmond begins dating Ruth. ("Catch-22")
August 15th – Kate and Tom Brennan bury a time capsule. ("Born to Run")

1990s

1991

Sayid captured in Persian Gulf War circa 1991. ("One of Them")

1992

May – John Locke's mother is admitted to the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute. ("Deus Ex Machina")
Sabrina Carlyle and Adam Rutherford marry, making Shannon and Boone step-siblings.("Hearts and Minds")

1993

Mikhail Bakunin claims to have arrived at the island. (11 years before "Enter 77")

1994

August 24th – Walter Lloyd is born. ("House of the Rising Sun")
Locke joins a farming commune in Northern California and picks up Eddie, a hitchhiker. After six weeks, commune leaders Mike and Jan find out that Eddie is a cop there to bust them for growing marijuana. Locke promises to take care of the problem by killing Eddie, but proves unable to pull the trigger (Jan said that Eddie was recruited "fresh out of the academy", and the records they showed Locke indicated he became a police officer in 1994). ("Further Instructions")

1995

May 27th – Celtic win the Scottish Cup, beating Aidrieonians 1-0 in the final. ("Catch-22")
A week before his wedding to Ruth, Desmond gets drunk and is found in the street by Brother Campbell. Desmond joins the monastery. ("Catch-22")
Upon being expelled from the monastery, Desmond meets Penelope Widmore. ("Catch-22")

1996

Michael Dawson learns Susan Lloyd is involved with another man. He gets hit by a car, and while in hospital is told by Susan that Brian Porter wants to adopt Walt.("Special") Michael initially files an injunction against Susan, but eventually relents and says goodbye to Walt. ("Adrift")
Desmond asks Charles Widmore for his permission to marry his daughter Penny but is refused, meets Charlie busking on a London street and finally breaks up with Penny. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes") (Official Lost Podcast transcript/February 20, 2007)
- Desmond later goes back into 1996, and considers changing his history, proposing to Penny. As he goes buy a ring, Ms. Hawking reminds him he "has second thoughts and walks right out that door" and confronts him about his destiny. Ultimately, Desmond is left by Penny again and throws the ring in the Thames. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")

1997

Sayid helps Noor Abed Jazeem (aka Nadia) escape execution. He hopes to see her again, in America. ("Solitary")

Late 1990s

Anthony Cooper stages his death. John Locke encounters Nadia and is lured into another of his father's cons. Helen breaks up with Locke. ("Lockdown")

1999

April 4th – Desmond completes his prison sentence and is dishonorably discharged from the military. Charles Widmore immediately attempts to bribe Desmond to run away and forget Penelope Widmore. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

2000-2003

2000

Sam Toomey dies, about twelve years after hearing the Numbers in the listening station. ("Numbers")
Locke is living in Tustin, suffering from depression, and loses his government benefits after refusing to go to therapy; he is approached by Peter Talbot who informs him his father intends to marry his mother; Peter is killed; Locke demands that Cooper end this con and is pushed out the window, losing the use of his legs; Cooper flees to Mexico. ("The Man from Tallahassee")
Libby's husband, David, dies in 2000, or perhaps early 2001. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")
June 14th – Alvar Hanso makes a public appearance in London, England. (The Lost Experience)
September 11th – Alvar Hanso makes a public appearance in Copenhagen, Denmark. (The Lost Experience)

2001

January 1st – Alvar Hanso makes another public appearance in Copenhagen, Denmark. (The Lost Experience)
February 23rd – Alvar Hanso makes a public appearance in Paris, France. (The Lost Experience)

Desmond meets Libby at a coffee shop shortly after arriving in the United States (Los Angeles?). She loans him her boat. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

Adam Rutherford is killed and Sarah is injured in a car accident. ("Abandoned")

Penelope tracks down Desmond at the stadium. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

Jack meets Desmond at the stadium ("Man of Science, Man of Faith")

Jack finds out Sarah can walk. ("Man of Science, Man of Faith")

Desmond begins the boat race in Libby's boat. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

Desmond arrives on the Island and begins pushing the button with Kelvin Joe Inman. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

Kate kills Wayne and begins her life on the run from the law. ("What Kate Did")

Juliet helps Rachel concieve a child ("Not in Portland")

Megan, daughter of Charlie's brother Liam, is born. (Due to the fact she seems to be around 2 years old in 2004 when Charlie visits Liam in Sydney) ("Fire + Water")

Sawyer tries to con Cassidy, who conceives a child by him before he leaves with her money. ("The Long Con") ("Every Man for Himself")

June - Sabine becomes pregnant. ("One of Us")

July 7th – Alvar Hanso makes a public appearance in Geneva, Switzerland. (The Lost Experience)

September 5th – Juliet arrives on the island.
September 18th – Alvar Hanso makes a public appearance in Rome, Italy. (The Lost Experience)

December 31st – Alvar Hanso makes a public appearance in Madrid, Spain, this is his last public appearance before his four-year hiatus due to his "imprisonment" by Dr. Thomas Werner Mittelwerk. (The Lost Experience)

2002

Charlie dates Lucy Heatherton in order to steal from her rich father Francis Heatherton to pay for his drug addiction. Francis gives Charlie a job, which he accepts in an attempt to become respectable, but cannot complete even a single day of work due to heroin withdrawal. Lucy discovers this and the theft, telling Charlie he will never take care of anyone. ("Homecoming")
Kate, seeking her mother in Iowa, meets Cassidy, who is pregnant. The two evade Edward Mars. ("Left Behind")
After delivering her baby, Cassidy visits Sawyer in prison. ("Every Man for Himself")
March – Sabine dies. Juliet asks Ben to let her leave, but she agrees to stay on the premise that Jacob will cure Rachel's just-returned cancer. ("One of Us")
Kate attempted to assume a new life by relocating to Florida under the alias Monica, where she married a police officer named Kevin Callis. Callis did not know her true identity. Months later Kate drugged Callis and leaves him, after tearfully revealing some of the truth about her history. ("I Do")
Ray Mullen says that his wife died, "eight months ago Wednesday" when Kate arrived at his farm.("Tabula Rasa")

2003

Two years after her car accident, Sarah marries Jack.("Do No Harm")

Kate has Tom Brennan help her see her dying mother in the hospital. They dig up the time capsule. He dies in a shootout as Kate avoids capture.

Hurley leaves the mental institution and wins the lottery playing the Numbers.("Numbers")

Between 2003-2004

Jack unsuccessfully operates on Angelo Busoni and is left by Sarah. ("The Hunting Party") After his divorce, he goes to Thailand. There he meets Achara, who does him a tattoo. ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
Jack suspects his father is having an affair with his ex-wife. He attacks Christian, is arrested (and bailed out by Sarah), and Christian, who was over 50 days sober, goes back into heavy drinking. ("A Tale of Two Cities")

2004

Canned pears in Ray Mullen's pantry, where Kate hid her wages, are dated 2003 and 2004. ("Tabula Rasa")

Since Rose and Bernard are newlyweds and were married soon after meeting, it can be assumed that their meeting took place in the winter of 2003/2004. ("S.O.S.")
Kelvin begins repairing boat, leaving Desmond alone in the Hatch. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

February 2004

Claire learns that she is pregnant. She visits a psychic (Richard Malkin) with her friend Rachel. He does not give her a reading after seeing something "blurry".("Raised by Another")

April 2004

Thomas decides to leave Claire after deciding to become a young father is a bad idea. Claire insists that Malkin give her another reading and he reveals that she shouldn't give away the baby or the baby will be in danger.("Raised by Another")
Mr. Eko's passport listed as Oduduwa Ulu had a date of issue of April 16.("?")

June 2004

Likely date that Kate arrived at Ray Mullen's farm. Ray says she worked for him for almost three months before she was apprehended.("Tabula Rasa")
Approximately the month Bernard proposes to Rose. ("S.O.S.")

July 2004

Jack sees his father, Christian Shephard operate on a patient under the influence, and releases the information. His father loses his job. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")
Ben told Sayid he arrived on the Island by hot air balloon on this date. Later, this is found to be a lie, however, it may still be based on the date that the real Henry Gale arrived on the Island. ("One of Them")

August 2004

Sayid is apprehended by the CIA to make a deal: put his friend Essam in custody to get the location of Nadia. ("The Greater Good")

September 2004

Early September

Sun Kwon devises a scheme to disappear from her family.("House of the Rising Sun")
Walt's mother Susan dies. Michael goes to Australia to get his son back.("Special")

Mid September

Locke cannot participate in the Walkabout he was eager to join. ("Walkabout")
Shannon tries to con Boone but gets conned herself. ("Hearts and Minds")
Ana-Lucia is hired by Christian to be his bodyguard. They eventually part ways outside a Cocktail Bar.* ("Two for the Road")
Sawyer meets Christian in the Cocktail Bar in Sydney.* ("Outlaws")
Christian dies of an alcohol-abuse-related heart attack.* ("White Rabbit")
Jack's mother asks him to go to Sydney in order to bring his father home. ("White Rabbit")

*These events occur on the same day.

September 16th

Gary Troup is interviewed by Laird Granger on Book Talk for his upcoming book, Bad Twin. (The Lost Experience)

September 19th

Boone reports Shannon's abusive boyfriend to the Sydney police while Sawyer is also in the police station.("Hearts and Minds")
Nikki and Paulo kill Howard L. Zukerman by poisoning his food. They then steal his $8,000,000 diamonds and flee from the scene.("Exposé")

September 20th

Kate attempts to leave Ray Mullen's farm in the night, but he convinces her to stay one more night.("Tabula Rasa")
After some x-rays are taken, Ben finds out that he has a large tumor on his spine. (debatable) ("The Cost of Living")

September 21st

Kate leaves with Ray Mullen, thinking she is going to the train station but she is actually being set up to be arrested by Edward Mars. ("Tabula Rasa")
Richard Malkin gives Claire a ticket for Oceanic Flight 815 after she decides not to let her baby be adopted. ("Raised by Another")
Just as Essam prepares to follow through with his suicide bombing, where he would be subsequently apprehended by the CIA, Sayid confesses that he is setting him up. Overcome with despair, Essam holds a gun to Sayid's head, but then shoots himself instead. Sayid then changes flights for the next day to buy time to bury his friend.("The Greater Good")
Charlie visits his brother Liam, only to discover that unlike him, Liam has a family now.("The Moth")
According to Juliet's flashback, she received Ben's x-rays after having sex with Goodwin and gave them to Ben the day before the crash. She also called Ben a liar, thinking that her sister was dead ("One of Us").
According to Juliet, Sawyer shot and killed a man the night before he got on the plane.("One of Us") This is most likely Frank Duckett ("Outlaws").
Shannon and Boone sleep together.("Hearts and Minds")
Charlie meets Lily at a bar. She claimes to be a Driveshaft fan and they spend the night together. Sometime during the night, they use a good amount of his heroin stash ("Exodus, Part 2")

September 22nd

Waking up in his hotel room at 5:23 in the morning, Walt wants to watch his favorite show on TV. Because of this, he and Michael have a lengthy argument. ("Exodus, Part 1")
As Charlie prepares to leave for his flight, he gets in a fight with Lily over the last of the heroin. ("Exodus, Part 2")
Sawyer is brought to the Sydney police station and deported. ("Exodus, Part 1")
After discovering that he had slept in, Hurley makes a mad dash for the airport. ("Exodus, Part 2")
At Sydney Airport, Jack argues with Chrissy, an Oceanic Airlines ticket agent, about allowing him to bring the coffin containing his dead father's body with him on the plane. ("White Rabbit")
Jin is waiting in line at the Oceanic ticket counter when Jack is arguing with Chrissy. Unbeknownst to him, Sun intends to slip out of the airport and disappear from his life, but decides against it at the last moment. ("House of the Rising Sun")
Ana Lucia is waiting in line behind Jack. When she hears Jack arguing with Chrissy, she decides to call her mother. ("Two for the Road")
While in the airport, Charlotte Malkin finds Mr. Eko and delivers a message to him from Yemi that was given to her while she was "between places". Greatly disturbed and offended by Charlotte's words, Eko nearly loses it until Libby intervenes. ("?")
Jack and Ana Lucia have an encounter at the airport bar. ("Exodus, Part 1")
Boone fails to get him and Shannon seats in first class. When Shannon learns about this, she reports Sayid, who had asked her to watch his bag, to airport security. ("Exodus, Part 1")
Michael makes a phone call to his mom. Because of this, he misses John Locke who is passing by in his wheelchair behind him. ("Exodus, Part 2")
Rose has a brief encounter with John Locke at the airport. ("S.O.S.")
Nikki and Paulo toast the success of their crime at the airport restaurant and are interrupted by Boone and Shannon arguing. They promise each other to never end up like them. ("Exposé")
Jin and Sun have a meal at the airport restaurant when Sun accidentally spills coffee on her husband's shirt. ("Exodus, Part 1")
On his way to the bathroom, Jin walks past Sayid who is escorted by airport security after they have verified that he is not a terrorist. In the airport bathroom, Jin encounters a man who is working for Jin's father-in-law, Mr. Paik, and who threatens Jin that he should not try to run away with his wife. ("Exodus, Part 2")
Hurley rushes through the airport, overcoming various obstacles on his way, such as having to purchase a second ticket due to his size. At the luggage check point, he encounters Leslie Arzt. ("Exodus, Part 2")
John Locke is one of the first passengers to board Oceanic Flight 815. Because the special wheelchair used to carry handicapped passengers on board is missing, JD and Michelle have to carry him on board. ("Exodus, Part 2")
All the passengers board Oceanic Flight 815. Hurley is the last one to make it. ("Exodus, Part 2")
14:15 (Sydney time, 04:15 GMT) - Oceanic Flight 815 departs from Sydney.--("Exodus, Part 2")
11:00 GMT - the flight loses radio contact six hours after takeoff and turns south to circle back towards Fiji. ("Pilot, Part 1")
After leaving the Swan, Kelvin is secretly followed by Desmond all the way to the cove. He finds his boat docked there, still in one piece. A fight ensues between the two men and Desmond accidentally kills (assumed, status unknown) Kelvin. Desmond rips the fail-safe key off of Kelvin's neck and rushes back to the station but before he can make it back, the timer reaches zero, resulting in the first system failure. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2")
13:00 GMT - Eight hours after takeoff, Flight 815 nears the Island and encounters turbulence induced from the electromagnetic energy underneath the Swan overflowing due to the system failure. This eventually causes the plane to break up over the Island. This is roughly 03:00 local time on the morning of September 22, since the plane has crossed the International Date Line. This timeline does not correspond well with the daylight at the time of the crash or the time stamp in the log printout.("Exodus, Part 1")
While Juliet is hosting a book club meeting at the Barracks, an earthquake-like shaking, most likely induced by the system failure, suddenly strikes and draws them outside to witness the destruction of Flight 815. Ben instructs Goodwin to infiltrate the tail section survivors and Ethan Rom the fuselage survivors, and for both to return with lists within three days. ("A Tale of Two Cities")

For the details following the crash, see Timeline:September 2004.

Misc. Trivia

These include independent research on dates of props, songs, books, etc referenced on the show (rather than dates or timeline given specifically). They can sometimes be used as time reference points, but they are occasionally inconsistent with show canon and contribute to continuity errors.

There is a good chance that the year of Ben's birth was 1963, since the cars used for the opening scene of "The Man Behind the Curtain" were specifically supposed to be "1963 and older". [1]
The first U-matic was manufactured in 1969.
"Make Your Own Kind of Music" was released in 1971.
Apple II, the model of computer in the Swan Station, is released and subsequently used from 1977 through early 1980s.
The printer used with the Pearl computer was first marketed in 1985.
The ultrasound scanner in the examination room is first marketed in 1992.
Hurley bought a Hummer H2 with his lottery winnings. The H2 was first sold in 2002.
Locke's father in "Lockdown" is driving a silver 1991-1999 W140-series Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Oceanic Air luggage routing tag found in Rousseau's bunker: J/SHEPHARD 09SEPT21 / 4815162342, the tag format indicates 09 (9th month) SEPT 21 (21st day of the month).
Sawyer sells jewellery from a 1999-2004 Ford Mustang convertible and Gordy drives a 2000-2005 W220-series Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan in "The Long Con".
Dr. Je-Guy Kim also drives a 2000-2005 W220-series Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan in "The Whole Truth".
Finding Nemo, to which Shannon alludes, is released in France on September 13th, 2003.
Oasis' "Wonderwall" is released on the album (What's The Story) Morning Glory? in 1995.
Ana-Lucia states that they had been in the air two hours when the crash occured, which does not match either the Pilot or Cindy's version of events nor the timeline of the log printout.