Timeline

All dates/eras are approximate based on series information presented, and conjecture from said information.

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SPOILER WARNING: Information after this point may spoil the OAV/OVA, TV series and/or manga.

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1850's (Approximately)^[1]

• Mr. Gentleman, the founder and political leader of modern Great Britain, first shows interest in his nephew’s biological research. Parts of his body, such as his eyes, hair and skin are altered. British operatives first begin to study Oriental herbs and medicine to try and augment Mr. Gentleman's physical body. This contributes to the tension between China and Great Britain.
• Also at this time, super-powered "agents" begin to take control of the underworld.

1950's (Approximately)^[2]

• Mr. Gentleman becomes unable to live without medical intervention. British operatives conclude that medical intervention is no longer a viable option and begin the Gentleman Resuscitation Project. This project is also under the leadership of Mr. Gentleman’s nephew.

1984^[3]

• Nenene Sumiregawa born in the early months of this year.

1994^[4]

• Dokusensha opens up their first bookstore in Beijing, using it as a front to obtain information.

1997

• Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule. Dokusensha opens corporate headquarters in Hong Kong. This marked Dokusensha's return as a global entity and the number of clashes between British and Chinese operatives and agents increased dramatically.^[5]
• Nenene Sumiregawa is awarded the first New Teen Writer Award for her first novel.^[6]

2000

• President Cole is elected
• Dokusensha attacks the Department of Dominant Gene Conservation, stealing half the I-Jin cell samples stored there.^[7]

2001^[8]

• Case of the I-Jin or The I-jin Incident: The I-Jin are reconstituted from their DNA by Dokusensha. The I-Jin, including Gennai Hiraga, Genjo Sanzo, Jean-Henri Fabre, Otto Lilienthal, Beethoven and Mata Hari, under the leadership of the clone of Ikkyu attempt a plan to kill all the "unworthy" members of mankind, i.e. anyone not them. They are stopped by Yomiko "The Paper" Readman, Drake Anderson and another clone of Mata Hari, known as Nancy "Ms. Deep" Makuhari. The Incident is made up of two seperate operations, Operation Manuscript Retrieval and Operation Exterminate I-Jin Corp^[9]
• During the attack on the I-jin's headquarters, the "evil" Nancy (Nancy-2) is aphyxiated, resulting in brain damage and loss of some brain function. The "good" Nancy, who worked with the British Library, died in a rocket headed for high Earth orbit.
• Nancy-2 is placed in a health care facility. It turns out that she is pregnant with the child of Ikkyu.
• Sleeping Book Collection Operation begins.
• Mr. Gentleman is "killed".

2002 ^[10]

• Nancy-2 gives birth to the child, Junior.
• Junior is chosen as the candidate of the Sleeping Book Collection Operation to become the new Mr. Gentleman.
• Yomiko Readman is against Junior’s involvement. She confronts Joker, who goads her, resulting in Yomiko destroying the British Library and stealing the Book of Clairvoyant Eyes. The destruction of the British Library leads to a great diplomatic blow against Great Britain.
• Yomiko takes Nancy-2 with her and they hide in the National DIET Library in Japan.
• Nenene Sumiregawa publishes her last book. She is unable to write anything else until she gets the opinion of Yomiko Readman on it.
• Anita King placed in foster care.
• Alice Alice Arquette hides the Master Key of the British Library in the ruins of an ancient civilization, hidden in Japan's GIfu Prefecture.^[11]

2003^[12]

• Great Britain secedes from the European Union and is expelled from the United Nations. Great Britain is declared bankrupt and the British Library Special Forces are disbanded.
• Joker neogotiates with Dokusensha to relieve the burden on Great Britain but is declared a traitor for doing so. In return for protection of Great Britain, Joker offers the books of Mr. Gentleman.

2004

• President Cole is re-elected
• Anita King, Maggie Mui and Michelle Cheung meet each other for the first time on Christmas Eve. ^[13] On Christmas Day, they decide to become a family.^[14]

2005

• Haruhi Nishizono wins the ninth New Teen Writer Award for her first novel, First Love, Now It's Begun^[15]

2006

• On April 1, Nenene Sumiregawa travels to Hong Kong to do a book signing of her last book. She is to be guided around Hong Kong by the Three Paper Sisters Detective Agency but when her life is threatened, they become her bodyguards.^[16]
• On April 4, the three sisters travel back to Tokyo with Nenene, even moving in with her, in order to continue their job of bodyguarding her.^[17] However, the Paper Sisters also travel around the world performing jobs for Dokusensha. These jobs include recovering the books of Mr. Gentleman.
• In October, the paper Sisters travel on Gifu Prefecture to intercept Alice Alice Arquette, while Nenene is also in Gifu Prefecture for a high school classmates wedding. ^[18]
• Nenene makes a promise on Christmas Eve to return to writing.^[19]

2007

• Nenene Sumiregawa returns to Hong Kong with the three sisters.^[20]
• The sisters are fired from their bodyguard positions.
• Dokusensha kidnaps Nenene to use her to write the "Ultimate" book, using the complete language being developed by Dokusensha. The three sisters raid Dokusensha, saving Nenene.
• Dokusensha destroys their main office in Hong Kong, which as a result, sinks Hong Kong. Joker uses this opportunity to steal the information held by Dokusensha and to capture the six books of Mr. Gentleman held by Dokusensha.
• Yomiko attempts to contact Nenene.
• Joker returns to the British Library and starts to look for Yomiko Readman.
• Nenene is declared a criminal and she begins to search for Yomiko Readman.
• Nenene, the three sisters and Joker all find Yomiko and Nancy-2 hidden in the National DIET Library. Much happens.

References

1. ↑  This date is given during Wendy's report (Forest of Paper Leaves)
   
2. ↑  This date is given during Wendy's report (Forest of Paper Leaves)
   
3. ↑  Nenene is mentioned as being 23 in In the Gray Light of the Abyss but is implied to be 22 during Christmas 2006 (A Christmas Carol).
   
4. ↑  This date is given during Wendy's report (Forest of Paper Leaves)
   
5. ↑  This date is given during Wendy's report (Forest of Paper Leaves)
   
6. ↑  Nenene is mentioned as being the first winner of the New Teen Writer Award. The tenth annual award is given in 2006 (A Christmas Carol)
   
7. ↑  This date is given during Wendy's report (Forest of Paper Leaves)
   
8. ↑  This date is given during Wendy's report (Forest of Paper Leaves)
   
9. ↑  These events occur during the Read or Die OVA
10. ↑  A date of "four years ago' is given for this event in the episode The Papers Have Landed
    
11. ↑  Alice Alice Arquette mentions having been in Gifu Prefecture four years before the events of Heart of Darkness, when asked about hiding the master key to the library.
    
12. ↑  This date is given during Wendy's report (Forest of Paper Leaves)
    
13. ↑  This date is explicitly given as Christmas Eve in A Christmas Carol
    
14. ↑  This date is explicitly given as Christmas Day in A Christmas Carol
    
15. ↑  Haruhi Nishizono is mentioned as being last years winner during the 2006 award ceremony (A Christmas Carol)
    
16. ↑  Month and Day given in Rise Up, Oh Dregs of Humanity
    
17. ↑  Month and Day given in Rise Up, Oh Dregs of Humanity
    
18. ↑  In the episode Heart of Darkness, it was said that the paper sisters have been living with Nenene for six months
    
19. ↑  This date is explicitly given as Christmas Eve in A Christmas Carol
    
20. ↑  A date of "one year" after The Papers Have Landed is given for this event in the episode Goodbye Japan