Timeline of the Three Kingdoms period

This is a timeline of the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of Chinese history. In a strict academic sense, the Three Kingdoms period refers to the interval between the founding of the state of Cao Wei (220–265) in 220 and the conquest of the state of Eastern Wu (229–280) by the Western Jin Dynasty (265–316) in 280.  However, many Chinese historians and laymen extend the starting point of this period back to the Yellow Turban Rebellion that took place in 184 during the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220).

Year	Major events
184	Yellow Turban Rebellion
189	Emperor Ling of Han dies; Liu Bian is enthroned as Emperor Shao of Han; Power struggle between He Jin and the Ten Eunuchs; Dong Zhuo takes control of the imperial court and deposes Emperor Shao; Liu Xie is enthroned as Emperor Xian of Han; Lü Bu kills Ding Yuan and defects to Dong Zhuo
190	Dong Zhuo murders the deposed Emperor Shao; A coalition of warlords and regional officials launch a campaign against Dong Zhuo
191	Battle of Jieqiao between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan; Sun Jian is killed in action at the Battle of Xiangyang against Liu Biao
192	Lü Bu kills Dong Zhuo
193	Cao Cao invades Xu Province; Battle of Yan Province between Cao Cao and Lü Bu
194	Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong begin; Liu Bei succeeds Tao Qian as Governor of Xu Province
196	Cao Cao finds Emperor Xian of Han in the ruins of the old capital Luoyang and brings him to Xuchang, where the new capital is established; Lü Bu seizes control of Xu Province's capital Xiapi from Liu Bei
197	Battle of Wancheng between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu; Campaign against Yuan Shu begins
198	The combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeat Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi
199	Yuan Shao eliminates Gongsun Zan in the Battle of Yijing; Yuan Shu is defeated and dies in Shouchun; Liu Bei seizes Xu Province from Cao Cao; Cao Cao defeats Liu Bei and retakes Xu Province; Guan Yu surrenders to Cao Cao and temporarily serves the latter
200	Sun Ce is assassinated; Sun Quan succeeds Sun Ce as warlord of Jiangdong; Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao
202	Cao Cao's campaigns to reunify northern China begin
203	Battle of Xiakou between Sun Quan and Liu Biao
207	Northern China is united under Cao Cao's control after the Battle of White Wolf Mountain; Zhuge Liang presents the Longzhong Plan to Liu Bei and comes to serve the latter
208	Battle of Jiangxia between Sun Quan and Liu Biao; Liu Cong surrenders Jing Province to Cao Cao; Battle of Red Cliffs between Cao Cao and the combined forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan
211	Battle of Tong Pass between Cao Cao and a coalition force led by Ma Chao and Han Sui; Cao Cao's campaigns in northwestern China begin
212	Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province begins
213	Emperor Xian of Han enfeoffs Cao Cao as "Duke of Wei" and grants him the nine bestowments
215	Liu Bei takes complete control of Yi Province from Liu Zhang; Zhang Lu surrenders Hanzhong to Cao Cao after the Battle of Yangping; Battle of Xiaoyao Ford between Cao Cao and Sun Quan
216	Emperor Xian of Han promotes Cao Cao to "King of Wei"
217	Liu Bei launches the Hanzhong Campaign against Cao Cao; Battle of Ruxu between Cao Cao and Sun Quan
219	Liu Bei emerges victorious in the Hanzhong Campaign and declares himself "King of Hanzhong"; Battle of Fancheng between the forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei; Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province; Guan Yu is captured and executed by Sun Quan
220	Cao Cao dies; Cao Pi forces Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate the throne to him and ends the Han Dynasty; Cao Pi establishes the state of Wei; Sun Quan becomes a vassal under Wei; Start of the Three Kingdoms period
221	Liu Bei declares himself emperor and establishes the state of Shu
222	Liu Bei is defeated by Sun Quan's forces at the Battle of Xiaoting; Sun Quan declares independence from Wei and rules as "King of Wu"
223	Liu Bei dies; Liu Shan becomes emperor of Shu; Shu and Wu reaffirm their alliance; Battle of Jiangling between Wei and Wu
225	Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign
226	Cao Pi dies; Cao Rui becomes emperor of Wei
228	Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions begin; Battle of Jieting between Wei and Shu; Battle of Shiting between Wei and Wu
229	Sun Quan proclaims himself "Emperor of Wu"
234	Zhuge Liang dies at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains;
238	Sima Yi's Liaodong campaign
239	Cao Rui dies; Cao Fang becomes emperor of Wei
245	Goguryeo–Wei War ends
247	Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions begin
249	Sima Yi seizes power from Cao Shuang in the Incident at Gaoping Tombs
251	Wang Ling rebels in Wei
252	Sun Quan dies; Sun Liang becomes emperor of Wu; Battle of Dongxing between Wei and Wu
254	Cao Fang is deposed by Sima Shi; Cao Mao becomes emperor of Wei
255	Sima Shi has surgery to remove a tumor affecting his eyes; Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin rebel in Wei; Sima Shi dies and leaves power in Sima Zhao's hands; Battle of Didao between Wei and Shu
258	Zhuge Dan rebels in Wei and the revolt is suppressed; Sun Liang is deposed by the regent Sun Chen; Sun Xiu becomes emperor of Wu
260	Cao Mao is killed in a coup to seize back state power from Sima Zhao; Cao Huan becomes emperor of Wei
263	Conquest of Shu by Wei; Liu Shan, emperor of Shu, surrenders to Sima Zhao, ending the state of Shu; Cao Huan names Sima Zhao Duke of Jin
264	Sima Zhao dies and is replaced by his son, Sima Yan; Sun Xiu dies; Sun Hao becomes emperor of Wu
265	Sima Yan forces Cao Huan to abdicate the throne to him and ends the state of Wei; Sima Yan founds the Jin Dynasty
280	Conquest of Wu by Jin; End of the Three Kingdoms period