Timeline of fictional future events

It is rarely true that science fiction writers are seriously attempting prediction - the needs of the story are usually the primary concern, and science fiction stories are often more about the present in which they are written than the future in which they are supposedly set.

Here, nevertheless, are some notable fictional visions of the-future-that-never-was:

20th century

• 1984
  • Winston Smith, a secretly rebellious file clerk in the Ministry of Truth, is arrested and tortured by Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell)
• 1992
  • January 12 - HAL 9000 becomes operational ( movie)
  • Khan Noonien Singh rises to power, assuming dictatorial control from South Asia to the Middle East. (Star Trek episode Space Seed)
• 1996
  • The Eugenics Wars end (Star Trek episode Space Seed)
• 1997
  • August 29 - Human civilization is destroyed by Skynet (The Terminator; Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the first sequel released after 1997, claimed that the advent of Skynet had been delayed, but not prevented, by the events of the first two movies)
  • November 5 - The first recorded appearance of the mysterious terrorist known as "Codename V" in Westminster, London. During the next year he launches a series of elaborate attacks against the fascist regime (which had ruled England since the nuclear war of 1988), causing increasing confusion and unstability, which ultimately brings the regime down (V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd).
• 1999
  • Nuclear waste dumps on the far side of the Moon explode, sending the Moon hurtling into deep space carrying Moonbase Alpha along with it ()
• 2000
  • Massive overpopulation (Make Room, Make Room by Harry Harrison)

21st century

• 2001
  • An extra-terrestial obelisk found on the moon, prompting an investigation flight to Jupiter, which is sabotaged by HAL 9000 ( by Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick)
• 2003
  • April 7 - Astro Boy created
• 2015
  • October 21st - Marty McFly, Doc Brown and Jennifer Parker arrive in the future from 1985 in the film Back to the Future Part II (1989), and Biff Tannen departs from this year to 1955 with a sports almanac that creates an alternate 1985.
• 2050s
  • The decade in which the future crime drama Minority Report takes place.
• 2052
  • The story of the game Deus Ex.
• 2053
  • In Star Trek, Earth is devastated by World War III.
• 2062
  • The cartoon series The Jetsons, was originally set in 2062. This is because the series first aired in 1962, and the show was a prediction of what life would be like a hundred years in the future. Jetsons: The Movie(1990) states that The Jetsons is set "Late in the 21st century", so it seems this date has been abandoned. Note that no precise date has ever been stated in any episode.
• 2061
  • Arthur C. Clarke's book is set in this year.
• 2063
  • In Star Trek, Zefram Cochrane makes the first human warp flight with the Phoenix. This attracts the Vulcans and they make first contact with humans.
• 2069
  • In Star Trek, the Klingon High Council is formed, eliminating the position of Emperor until 2369.
• 2077
  • World War III starts on October 10, and ends on October 23, with a nuclear war in the Fallout computer game.
• 2080s
  • The Adventures of Pluto Nash

Referenced By