Timeline

I’m curious about constructing a timeline in order to keep track of the events of this very fast-paced show, because I feel quite certain it will be revealed that Elena & co.’s junior year of high school lasted approximately 62 days (including weekends!).  So here it goes.  The colored list below goes day by day, briefly detailing what happened that day.  Below that list I’ve included a (non-colored) more generalized list that goes by episodes rather than days.  In other words, how many days and nights happened in each episode.  The Vampire Diaries is very straightforward about when episodes begin and end, and so I’m pretty confident I’ve done this timeline correctly.  If you want an explanation for anything (because I’ve had to make a few conjectures based on clothing &c.) just drop a note in comments and I’ll explain how I’ve come to this or that conclusion.

I’ve also figured out the actual date, the days of the week and the year (did you know that school starts on October 19th in Virginia?).  There are three concrete details that led to my conclusions:

1. Elena’s parents gravestones said 2009, so we know for sure that that’s the year.
2. The football game in “Friday Night Bites” was on a Friday, so I’ve deduced the surrounding days of the week from that.
3. “Haunted” took place on Halloween, aka October 31.

I figured everything else out by their relationship to these three episodes/details.

May 23, 2009- Gilbert parents died

(Day One)  October 18, 2009-Sunday-  Pilot

• Opening scene of the show.  Evening.  Damon attacks and eats two motorists.

(Day 2)      October 19, 2009-Monday-  Pilot

• First day of school.  Stefan and Elena meet.
  

(Day 3)      October 20, 2009-Tuesday- Pilot, Night of the Comet

• Party at Mystic Falls.  First time Vicki is attacked.  Damon reveals that he’s in town.
  

(Day 4)      October 21, 2009-Wednesday-  Night of the Comet

• Elena and Stefan talk about “epic” relationship a lot.  Comet happens.

(Day 5)      October 22, 2009-Thursday-  Friday Night Bites

• Stefan tries out for football team.  Damon gets invitation into the Gilbert home.

(Day 6)      October 23, 2009-Friday-  Friday Night Bites

• Big football game.  Damon kills Coach Tanner.

(Day 7)      October 24, 2009-Saturday-  Family Ties

• Founders’ Party.  Stefan vervains and imprisons Damon.

(Day 8)      October 25, 2009-Sunday-  [time between episodes]

• (missed day) Damon is detoxing in the cellar.

(Day 9)      October 26, 2009-Monday–  [time between episodes] 

• (missed day) Damon is detoxing in the cellar.

(Day 10)    October 27, 2009-Tuesday–  [time between episodes]

• (missed day) Damon is detoxing in the cellar.

(Day 11)    October 28, 2009-Wednesday-  You’re Undead To Me

• Damon continues moldering in cellar.  Stefan is late for Elena date, but cooks her dinner that night with a promise of honesty.
  

(Day 12)    October 29, 2009-Thursday-  You’re Undead To Me, Lost Girls

• Car Wash.  Damon escapes from cellar and attacks the graveyard stoners.  Elena figures out that Stefan is a vampire.

(Day 13)    October 30, 2009-Friday-  Lost Girls, Haunted

• Stefan tells Elena how he was turned.  Damon turns Vicki.  Logan Fell dies for the first time.

(Day 14)    October 31, 2009-Saturday-  Haunted, 162 Candles

• Halloween (and confirmation of calendar date).  Vampire Vicki tries to kill a bunch of people and Stefan stakes her.

(Day 15)    November 1, 2009-Sunday-  162 Candles

• Stefan’s birthday.  Caroline and Matt start flirtation.  Damon befriends the Sheriff.  Bonnie shows Elena she can do magic.  Damon stakes Lexi.
  

(Day 16)    November 2, 2009-Monday-  162 Candles, History Repeating

• Alaric takes over the history class.  Bonnie gets possessed a bunch and destroys the crystal; Damon tries to kill Bonnie.  Elena tells Bonnie about vampires.  Logan knocks on the door…alive!
  

(Day 17)    November 3, 2009-Tueday-  The Turning Point, Bloodlines

• Career Fair.  Elena and Stefan have sex for first time.  Logan Fell dies for the second time.  Other vampires are in town.  Elena gets in car accident; unknown man/thing attempts to attack her but Damon rescues her.

(Day 18)  November 4, 2009- Wednesday- Bloodlines

• Elena and Damon go to Georgia, Elena saves Damon’s life from Lee and Damon rips out Bree’s heart.  Bonnie and Stefan hear vampires inside the tomb.

(Day 19)  November 4, 2009- Thursday- Bloodlines, Unpleasantville

• Stefan tells Elena that she’s adopted.  The two make up from their fight.  Alaric realizes that Damon killed or fed from his wife.  Jeremy invites Noah into the house.
  

(Day 20)  November 5, 2009- Friday- Unpleasantville

• Matt gets a job at the Mystic Grill.  Noah scares Elena over the phone.  Stefan gives Elena the vampire compass.

(Day 21)  November 6, 2009- Saturday- Unpleasantville

• Decades Dance.  Noah stalks Elena and the Salvatores stake Noah.  We learn that Anna is a vampire in league with Ben, an incognito vampire who just made a date with Bonnie.  Jenna gives Elena her birth story.  Matt and Caroline officially start dating.

PILOT:  The show begins on the night before the first day of school  From this point forward, that night will be referred to as “Day One” (as in the first day of the show).  Overall, the pilot has 2 days and 3 nights, beginning and ending at nighttime.

NIGHT OF THE COMET:  NOTC begins on the same night that the Pilot ends on.  Overall, NOTC has 1 day and 2 nights, beginning and ending with nighttime.  NOTC ends 3 days after Day One.

FRIDAY NIGHT BITES:  FNB begins on the morning following the night NOTC ended on.  FNB covers 2 days and 2 nights, beginning with morning and ending at night.  FNB ends 5 days after Day One.

FAMILY TIES:  FT begins the morning after the the night FNB ended on.  It covers 1 morning and 1 evening, beginning with morning and ending at night.  FT ends 6 days after Day One.

YOU’RE UNDEAD TO ME:  YUTM skips 3 days after the events of FT.  It begins on a morning, ends on night, and over all covers 2 days and 2 nights.  YUTM ends 11 days after Day One.

LOST GIRLS:  LG begins on same night that “YUTM” ended.  Overall, it covers 1 day and 2 nights, beginning and ending at night.  LG ends 12 days after Day One.

HAUNTED:  “Haunted” begins the same night that LG ended on.  Overall, it covers 1 day and 2 nights, beginning and ending at night.  “Haunted” ends 13 days after Day One.

162 CANDLES:  162C begins the same night that “Haunted” ended on.  Overall, it covers 2 days and 2 nights, beginning at night and ending in the morning.  162C ends 15 days after Day One.

HISTORY REPEATING:  HR begins the same morning that 162C ended on.  It ends at night time, overall covering 1 day and 1 night.  HR ends 15 days after Day One.

TURNING POINT:  TP begins on the same night that HR ended on.  Overall, it covers 2 nights and 1 day, beginning and ending at night time.  TP ends 16 days after Day One.

BLOODLINES:  BL begins on the same night that TP ended on.  Overall, it covers 2 nights and 2 days, beginning at night and ending in day.  BL ends 18 days after Day One.

UNPLEASANTVILLE:  “Unpleasantville” begins the same night that BL ended on.  Overall, it covers 2 days and 3 nights, beginning at night and ending at night.  “Unpleasantville” ends 20 days after Day One.