Timeline of the Great Rings

[Huinesoron]

We've been discussing the Great Rings a fair bit recently (see here, here, and here), and I wanted to pull together a timeline of their movements, and the study of them.

Citations: [App.B] = LotR Appendix B, Second or Third Age timelines. [UT] = Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel & Celeborn. [Ak] = Silmarillion, Akallabeth. [SP] = FotR, Shadow of the Past. [CE] = FotR, Council of Elrond. [RP] = Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power. [211] = Letters of JRR Tolkien, 211.

Second Age
1200 - Sauron makes first contact with Celebrimbor of Eregion. Over the centuries that follow the Elves forge many lesser rings under his guidance. [App.B]
1500 - The Nine and the Seven are forged. Sauron departs Eregion. [UT]
1590 - The Three are forged, without Sauron's involvement but using his knowledge. [App.B] Celebrimbor gifts Nenya to Galadriel, and keeps the other two to himself. [UT]
1600 - Sauron forges the One, and is sensed by Celebrimbor and Galadriel. [App.B] The bearers of the various Rings take them off, but cannot find the strength to destroy them. [UT]
1693 - Galadriel advises that Vilya and Narya should be hidden; Celebrimbor sends them to Gil-Galad in Lindon. [UT] Presumably at the same time, he begins to bestow the Seven on six unspecified bearers, and Durin III. [UT]
1695 - Sauron attacks Eregion. [App.B]
1697 - Fall of Eregion. [App.B] Sauron takes the Nine, and tortures Celebrimbor into giving up the location of the Seven (the distinction between the two sets is likely simply which ones Celebrimbor had managed to give away in time). [UT]
1701 - Sauron driven from Eriador. [App.B] Rivendell is established as the primary Elvish stronghold in eastern Eriador, and Gil-Galad gifts Vilya to Elrond. [UT]
Next 500 years. Sauron gifts the Nine to mortal Men, including three great Numenorean lords. [Ak] He also presumably gathers in six of the Seven, and gifts them to Dwarven bearers.
2251 - The Nazgul first appear. [App.B] This is implied to be all 9 of them. They are likely wearing their Rings themselves at this point.
3262 - Sauron taken captive to Numenor. [App.B] He wears the One Ring in his captivity and later domination of Numenor. [211]
3319 - Downfall of Numenor. [App.B] Sauron is reduced to a spirit carried on a black wind, [Ak] carrying the One Ring out of the depths. [211]
3320 - Sauron returns to Mordor as a after the fall of Numenor, [App.B] and takes up the One again in Barad-dur. [Ak]
3430 - The Last Alliance is formed. Gil-Galad gifts Narya to Cirdan.
3441 - Sauron defeated. The Nazgul disappear with their Rings. Isildur claims the One. Galadriel, Elrond, and Cirdan begin to wield the Three. [App.B]

Third Age
2 - Disaster of the Gladden Fields. The One is lost in Anduin. [App.B]
1050 - Sauron comes to Mirkwood, but is thought to be one of the Nazgul. The Istari arrive in Middle-earth; Cirdan gifts Narya to Gandalf. [App.B]
1300 - The Nazgul reappear. The Witch-King founds Angmar. [App.B] I theorise that they still held the Nine in person at this point; see later.
1975 - Fall of Angmar. The Witch-King disappears. [App.B]
1980 - The Witch-King assembles the Nazgul in Mordor. [App.B]
1981 - The Longbeards leave Moria with at least one of the Seven. [App.B]
1999 - Erebor founded by Thrain I, bearer of one of the Seven. [App.B]
2000-2002 - The Nazgul besiege and take Minas Ithil. [App.B]
2063 - Gandalf infiltrates Dol Guldur. Sauron retreats into the east. The Nine remain quiet in Minas Morgul. The Watchful Peace begins. [App.B] Possibly during this period Sauron gathers up any of the Seven which were in the east.
2210 - Thorin I takes his Ring to the Grey Mountains. [App.B]
2460 - Sauron returns to Dol Guldur. [App.B] His presence stirs up evil things, including the One. Possibly at this time, he reclaims the Nine from the Nazgul.
2463 - One Ring discovered by Deagol and taken by Smeagol. [App.B] Saruman returns from the east about this time (ca. 1500 years after he left). First meeting of the White Council, after which Saruman begins to study Ring-lore. [RP] Saruman learns Gandalf bears Narya about this time? [Silm: Istari] It is said to be "after a time", and since he went east almost immediately after arriving in Middle-earth, this is the first chance he really had.
2470 - Smeagol the Gollum hides under the Misty Mountains. [App.B]
2570 - The Dragons reappear in the far north and afflict the Dwarves. Over the ~200 years that follow, they devour four of the Seven. [App.B] If this is at Sauron's instigation, it might imply that reclaiming rings from Dwarves was almost too much of a hassle - he was willing to see five destroyed outright (having perhaps already reclaimed two in the east?).
2590 - Thror takes his Ring back to Erebor. [App.B]
2770 - Smaug destroys Erebor. Thror's Ring is taken into exile. [App.B]
2845 - Thrain II is captured by Sauron, and the last of the Seven taken from him. [App.B] His words imply he knows the fate of the other six, suggesting either the Dwarves talk a lot, or several of them were held by the Longbeards.
2850 - Gandalf enters Dol Guldur, confirms that the Necromancer is Sauron, and learns that he has reclaimed Thrain's Ring. [App.B] He returns to Elrond and says that Sauron is "gathering again all the Rings to his hand", and that he is looking for the One and the heirs of Isildur. [RP]
2851 - The White Council assembles. [App.B] Saruman declares that the One was washed out to Sea years before, [RP] but secretly begins to desire the One himself and searches the Gladden Fields. [App.B] Elrond foretells the One's re-emergence. [RP]
2939 - Sauron learns of the fate of Isildur and begins to search the Gladden Fields for the Ring. Saruman discovers this, presumably because his own servants are searching there already. [App.B]
2941 - The White Council assembles. Gandalf informs them that Sauron "rules" the Nine and has recovered three of the Seven, and that he must be overthrown before the One is found. [RP] Bilbo takes the One from Gollum. Sauron is driven from Dol Guldur. [App.B] Gandalf recognises that Bilbo has a Great Ring(?) [SP]
2942 - Bilbo returns to the Shire with the One. [App.B]
2951 - Sauron declares himself in Mordor. [App.B]
2953 - Last meeting of the White Council. [App.B] Saruman declares again that the One was lost to the Sea. [CE]
3001 - The Long-Expected Party. Bilbo gives the One to Frodo. Gandalf begins to suspect its identity, [App.B] and has the Dunedain set a redoubled watch on the Shire. [RP]
3017 - Gollum is released from Mordor. [App.B] While hunting for him on the borders of that land, Gandalf remembers Saruman's words about the One having no stone. He travels to Gondor, reads Isildur's scroll, and heads straight for the Shire, stopping only to interrogate Gollum in Mirkwood. [CE] Sauron sends a messenger to Erebor offering the three remaining of the Seven in exchange for information about the One. [CE]
3018-19 - The War of the Ring.

I'm not sure if that covers everything, but it's all I could pull together. If there's any more key dates, let me know and I'll add them.

hS