The following is a timeline outlining all the main events that have taken place in the world of Shannara. The first half contains real years and concerns the events of the Word/Void books, while the second half is dated by years after the apocalypse that shaped the world into the Four Lands. Year 0 is when this apocalypse takes place (this is an assumption of mine - read the next paragraph for more info on this).

A note concerning the placement of the Word/Void books and Armageddon's Children (the timeline itself does not contain spoilers, but this next paragraph will, so skip it if you haven't read AC) - we learned in AC Nest's birthday, which enables us to date her encounters with John Ross. We also know that AC takes place eighty years after Angel Fire East, so we can date that as well. However, there is a hazy area - the world has been falling apart for thirty years prior to AC, which is when the Great Wars began. Do we assume Galaphile formed the First Druid Council a thousand years after the beginning of the Great Wars, or a thousand years after the events that take place in the trilogy containing AC? Here, I will assume it is the latter, as the world has yet to reshape into the Four Lands, and that the true armageddon has yet to come.

A note concerning the Second Druid Council - The World of Shannara places it at roughly sixty years after the Second War of the Races and says that it was led by Allanon. However, I do not regard World to be canon, so this date may be inaccurate. I have heard that the Second Druid Council was actually formed before the events of First King, but since I have been unable to verify this for myself yet, I'm putting down what World says.