Paolo Andolini is born to Antonio and his wife in Sicily.
1891
Vito Andolini is born to Antonio and his wife in Sicily. *
Hyman Roth is born.
1897
Carmela Corleone is born.
1900
Don Altobello is born.
1901
Antonio is killed by order of Don Francesco Ciccio.
Paolo is gunned down during Antonio’s funeral.
Antonio’s wife is shot to death while attempting to avenge Antonio and Paolo’s murder.
Vito immigrates to the United States.
1910
Johnny Fontane is born.
Tom Hagen is born.
1914
Vito and Carmela get married.
1916
Sonny is born to Vito and Carmela. *
1919
Fredo is born to Vito and Carmela. *
Prohibition begins.
1920
Theresa Hagen is born.
Michael Corleone is born to Vito and Carmela.
Vito murders Don Massimo Fanucci.
1923
Connie is born to Vito and Carmela. *
Vito returns to Sicily to avenge his family’s murder and kills Don Ciccio.
1924
Kay Adams is born to a Baptist pastor and his wife in New Hampshire.
1933
Prohibition ends.
The Olive Oil War between Salvatore Maranzano and Vito Corleone begins.
Maranzano is killed on Vito’s orders by Salvatore Tessio and his men.
1934
Vito begins the Pacification of New York.
1935
Vito survives an assassination attempt by Irish hoodlums.
1937
Johnny is released from a personal services contract by his bandleader, Les Halley.
Francesca and Kathryn are born to Sonny and Sandra Corleone.
1940
Frank is born to Tom and Theresa Hagen.
Frank is born to Sonny and Sandra Corleone.
1941
Japan attack the United States at Pearl Harbor.
Michael enlists in the United States Marine Corps.
1942
Andrew is born to Tom and Theresa Hagen.
1944
Michael is awarded the Navy Cross and is pictured in Time Magazine.
1945
Santino, Jr. is born to Sonny and Sandra.
Kay commences an affair with Michael.
Carlo and Connie marry.
World War II ends.
Tom becomes Vito’s consigliere after Genco dies.
Vito is severely wounded in an assassination attempt by Virgil Sollozzo and the Tattaglia family.
Sonny takes charge of family affairs.
1946
Michael murders Sollozzo and Mark McCluskey and flees to Sicily.
The Five Families War begins.
Michael and Apollonia marry.
Sonny is brutally massacred by enemies of the family.
Apollonia is killed in a car-bomb explosion due to the treachery of Fabrizio.
1947
Vincent is born to Sonny and Lucy.
Michael returns to New York from Sicily.
1949
Victor is born to Carlo and Connie.
1950
Michael and Kay marry.
1951
Anthony is born to Michael and Kay.
1953
Mary is born to Michael and Kay.
1954
Michael assumes control of family business interests, with the blessing of Vito.
1955
Michael Francis is born to Carlo and Connie.
Vito dies of natural causes.
Michael becomes Don.
Michael eliminates most of his mobster foes and moves from Long Beach to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. *
Carlo is garroted by Peter Clemenza on Michael’s orders.
1957
Fredo and Deanna Dunn marry.
1958
Peter Clemenza dies.
Connie seeks Michael’s permission to marry Merle Johnson.
Michael survives an assassination attempt at his mansion, orchestrated by Hyman Roth.
Michael does business in Cuba.
1959
Michael is summoned to appear before a subcommittee of the senate.
Kay separates from Michael.
Al Neri kills Fredo at Lake Tahoe at the behest of Michael.
1960
Hyman Roth is killed by Rocco Lampone. *
1979
Michael receives the Order of St. Sebastian.
Vincent enters the Corleone family circle.
Vincent saves Michael from an assassination attempt in Atlantic City, orchestrated by Joey Zasa and Don Altobello.
Joey Zasa is killed by Vincent.
1980
Vincent becomes Michael’s heir.
Anthony has his opera debut at Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sicily.
Connie poisons Don Altobello.
Mary is murdered as she leaves the opera house with Michael.
1997
Michael dies.
Notes
In The Godfather Vito’s tombstone lists his birth year as 1887. In The Godfather Part II his birth year is changed to 1891.
According to the timeline of the films, Sonny is born in 1916. The novel states that Sonny was of the same age of Tom Hagen which suggests he was born around 1910. However, later on the novel it is stated that Sonny was 16 years old around 1933.
The novel states that Fredo was born during World War I, which ended in 1918, a year before he was born according to the official timeline.
The official timeline states that Connie was born in 1927. However, this would be physically impossible as the little boy who portrays Michael during the flashback sequence in The Godfather Part II was only about three years old. According to Coppola’s notes the Corleone family returned to Sicily around 1923.
There is some debate concerning the date of the killings of the rival Dons. Some fans suggest it actually took place in 1950, based on the statement of a senator in The Godfather Part II. However, it is generally believed that it took place in 1955 which is stated in The Godfather and confirmed by the official timeline.
The official timeline states that Roth was killed in 1959. However, Roth states that he came back to vote in the Presidential election which took place in November 1960. On the Supplements Disc of the Coppola Restoration on Blu-ray it is confirmed that Michael ordered Roth’s death in 1960.
