This timeline is trying to list all events that happened on, before and after Friends.

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General note

The writers keep changing dates and introducing continuity errors through the show, so not everything can be dated correctly. Notable flashback episodes such as "The One With All The Thanksgivings", "The One With The Flashback" and "The One Where The Stripper Cries" all note different things about history. Most conflicting events are annotated below. The events are put chronologically under the year headers.

Before 1980

1967: Ross and Phoebe were born.

1968: Chandler and Joey were born.

1969: Monica was born.

1970: Rachel was born.

1977: Rachel crashes her bike and to stop her from crying Dr Burke kisses her on the nose. [1]

1978: Chandler's parents announce they're getting divorced.[2]

1980's

1986

Ross and Carol get together, according to "The One With The Flashback". He says they've been together for seven years in a flashback that took place in late 1993.

1987

Ross went to college. [2] This doesn't match with his birthday and the fact that he skipped a grade [3]

This doesn't match with his birthday and the fact that he skipped a grade Chandler meets Monica and Rachel. [2]

Ross has a minor drug problem.[4]

1988

1990's

1990

Ross and Carol get married.[5]

1992

Joey got a turkey stuck on his head at Thanksgiving. [2]

Kip moves out from Chandler's apartment.[6]

1993

1994

1995

Barry and Mindy get engaged. [10]

Ross' son, Ben, is born. [11]

Ross goes to China to get a bone for his museum and comes back dating Julie. [12]

Mr. Heckles dies.[13]

1996

1997

1998

Monica & Rachel switch apartments with Chandler and Joey because of a trivia game. [29]

Phoebe is surrogate for Frank Jr.'s triplets. [30]

Rachel falls in love with Joshua, but they break up because she ask him to marry her (after she is freaked out by the speed at which Ross and Emily's relationship progresses). [31]

Ross starts a relationship with a girl from England called Emily (initially meeting when Rachel ditches Emily to try to see Joshua). As they live so far from each other, they decide to get married so Emily can move in with Ross. However, Ross says Rachel's name at the wedding, which leads to Emily's and Ross' divorce. [32]

Monica and Chandler start a secret relationship by sleeping with each other before Ross' wedding. [33]

Ross is put on a mandatory leave from his job at the museum.[34]

1999

Phoebe meets her dad, Frank Buffay, for the first time. [35]

Everybody finds out about Monica & Chandler's relationship. [36]

Ross moves into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment. [36]

Phoebe starts a serious relationship with Gary, but they break up because he shoots a bird. [37]

Rachel is hired by Ralph Lauren. [38]

Joey gets the lead in a thriller movie called Shutter Speed which is shot in Las Vegas, but the movie is shut down because of a lack of money. [39]

When the gang comes over to Vegas, Ross and Rachel get really drunk and get married. [40]

Monica and Chandler want to get married, but when they see Ross and Rachel they decide to just move in with each other. [41]

Ross doesn't get the annulment of his marriage with Rachel and hides that from Rachel, which leads to the other thinking that he is in love with Rachel. [42]

Rachel moves in with Phoebe. [43]

Janine moves in with Joey and dates him for a while, but they break up because she doesn't get along with Monica and Chandler.[44]

2000's

2000

Joey has a job at Central Perk because he is short on money. [45]

Ross dates a student, Elizabeth, but they break up because she's too immature for him. [46]

Joey gets the lead in a TV show, Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E., but it is canceled because of really bad reviews. [47]

Rachel dates Elizabeth's father, but they also break up because he can't stop crying. [48]

Phoebe and Rachel's apartment burns down, forcing Rachel to move in with Joey and Phoebe to move in with Monica. When the apartment is rebuilt, it has only one bedroom and Rachel stays with Joey. [49]

Chandler proposes to Monica. [50]

Rachel is promoted and hires Tag as her assistant, later dating him. They break up because he's too immature for her.[51]

2001

2002

Joey develops a crush on Rachel, but nothing happens as she doesn't feel the same way. [56]

Rachel gives birth to Emma [57]

Chandler and Monica decide to have a baby. [57]

Chandler is relocated to Tulsa and stays there four days a week at a time, until he quits his job because he wants to be home with Monica. [58]

Monica takes a new job at Javu. [59]

Phoebe starts dating Mike, but they break up when Phoebe learns that Mike doesn't want to get married again.[60]

2003

Rachel quickly dates Gavin Mitchell, a colleague who took her job while she was pregnant, but they break up because Ross and Rachel's situation is too complicated. [61]

Ross wants to date his hot co-worker Charlie, but she chooses Joey. [62]

When it turns out that Monica and Chandler are infertile, they decide to adopt a baby instead. [63]

Rachel realizes she has feelings for Joey, and gets the chance to act on it when Joey and Charlie split up. [64] [65]

When Charlie and Joey split up, Ross finally gets together with Charlie. [65]

Phoebe runs into David randomly and starts dating him, but when David proposes to Phoebe, Mike shows up and interrupts the proposal with his own proposal, which Phoebe doesn't accept. [65]

Soon after the return from Barbados, Rachel and Joey try to finally consummate their new relationship but can't because they are too good of friends. They decide to keep the relationship at a friendship. [66]

Ross and Charlie break up after Charlie discovers that her old boyfriend still has feelings for her. [67]

Mike tries to propose to Phoebe twice; both times, Phoebe unwittingly spoils his plans, but in the end it works out and she says yes.[68]

2004

Monica and Chandler meet a young pregnant woman who is allowing them to adopt her child when it's born. [69]

The friends find out that Monica and Chandler have bought a house in Westchester and are moving there. [70]

Phoebe and Mike get married. [71]

Rachel is fired, but she gets a new job—in Paris. Ross has big problems with Rachel leaving and not being able to see her every day, but he apparently makes his peace with it. [72]

Ross decides to go after Rachel and tell her his true feelings, that he is still in love with her, at the last minute. Rachel then decides to get off the plane to Paris and come back with Ross, being together again and for good. [73]

It turns out that Monica and Chandler don't get a baby—but twins. They name them Jack (after Monica's father) and Erica (after the babies' birth mother). [73]

Joey moves to Los Angeles.[74]