A generation timeline is a visual chart that maps your family members' lifespans across a horizontal time axis, showing how generations overlap and which historical events they lived through. Enter your ancestors' birth and death dates below to build yours.
Enter details to place them on the timeline.
James Wilson
Great-Grandparent - 1890-1965
Mary Wilson
Grandparent - 1920-2005
Robert Wilson
Parent - 1950-present
Sarah Wilson
Self - 1982-present
Emma Wilson
Child - 2010-present
Follow these steps to create a visual map of your family's history across centuries.
Enter the person's name, birth year, and optionally their death year. Select which generation they belong to (grandparent, parent, self, child, etc.).
Add as many family members as you like. The timeline automatically adjusts its range to fit all entered dates.
Each person appears as a colored bar spanning their lifetime. Bars are color-coded by generation so you can see family layers at a glance.
Vertical markers show major historical events on the timeline, letting you see which events your ancestors lived through and which generations overlapped.
Click the Print / Export button to open your browser's print dialog. Save as PDF or print a physical copy of your family generation timeline.
Ready to build a full family tree with branches and relationships? Explore the main Family Roots product.
Common questions about family generation timelines, generation calculators, and ancestry timeline tools.
A family generation timeline is a visual chart that maps the lifespans of multiple ancestors and descendants along a horizontal time axis. It shows when each person was born and died, how many years generations overlap, and which historical events they lived through. This helps genealogists understand how their family spans across centuries.
In genealogy, a generation is typically measured as the time between a parent's birth and their child's birth, averaging about 25-30 years. To calculate the number of generations between two people, count the parent-child links connecting them. For example, you and your grandparent are separated by two generations.
Approximately 6 to 8 generations span 200 years, depending on the average age at which each generation had children. With an average generation length of 25 years, 200 years covers 8 generations. With 30-year intervals, it covers about 6-7 generations.
Historical events provide context that makes a family timeline more meaningful. Seeing that your great-grandmother lived through both World Wars, or that your grandfather was born during the Great Depression, brings family history to life and helps you understand the world your ancestors experienced.
Yes, this tool includes a print/export button that opens your browser's print dialog. You can print the timeline directly or save it as a PDF. The timeline is formatted for landscape printing to fit the horizontal layout.