c. 12,000 b.p. — The inhabitants of the planet Silea colonize a hundred star systems, south of the Solar System, and inwards towards the Galactic Core.
c. 10,000 b.p. — Civil war destroys the Silean Empire. Many worlds have their whole populations wiped out, including Silea itself. Others are thrown back to the Stone Age and build completely new civilizations. Some of these rediscover science, and some of those begin space travel.
The present — The former Silean Empire is divided among many small, one- and two-system polities, and three larger ones with Imperial ambitions: Xylassa, ruled by Staff Bearers; #Abora, whose public officials include Eaten Ones and Shield Bearers; and Paili#a, a buffer state and bone of contention between the Xylarian and #Aboran spheres of influence.
1949 — First Soviet atom bomb.
1950-1953 — Puppet government of "North Korea" invades the Republic of Korea ("South Korea"). (Korea north of the Yalu River is an "autonomous region" of Communist China.) Nearly 4 years of fighting results in restoration of the pre-invasion borders and a cease-fire (but not a peace treaty).
2/6/1952 — Elizabeth II crowned Queen of just about everywhere in the world where English is spoken, except the U.S.
1953 — First Soviet hydrogen bomb.
1953-1961 — Dwight D. Eisenhower president of the U.S.
1956 — USSR crushes uprising in Hungary.
1957 — USSR launches Sputnik, first artificial satellite. Elvis Presley hits the radio. A new version of the Flash appears in Showcase as a test of whether there's a market for super-hero comic books again.
1/5/1957 — The Medieval Recreation Society holds its first Twelfth Night revel in San Francisco, California.
1958-1964 — Nikita Khrushchev head of the USSR, under various bewildering titles.
1/3/1959 — Alaska becomes the 49th state.
8/21/1959 — Hawaii becomes the 50th state.
1960 — USSR shoots down American U-2 spy plane over its territory.
1961 — Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin makes mankind's first orbital space flight.
1961-1969 — John F. Kennedy president of the U.S.
1962 — Cuban missile crisis. Story: "Hired Gun". The Medieval Recreation Society formally disbands.
1963 — U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. sign an atmospheric nuclear test ban treaty. The Beatles hit the music charts. Story: "The Scarlet Angel".
6/12/1963 — Skyburst!
11/22/1963 — Star Woman prevents the assassination of President Kennedy.
1964-1982 — Leonid Brezhnev head of the USSR.
1964 — 1964 World's Fair held in Cherry Hill. Star Woman in attendance displaying Xylarian science and technology.
1965 — Last Skyburst plagues eradicated by Xylarian medical technology.
1965-1966 — Star Guard (Star Woman, Nike, Leonine, and Invictus) ends the Vietnam war.
5/1/1967 — The Society for Creative Anachronism holds its first tournament in Berkeley, California.
1968 — USSR and Warsaw Pact invade Czechoslovakia. Star Guard stops them.
1969 — Story: "Real People".
1969-1973 — Hubert Humphrey President of the U.S.; defeating Richard M. Nixon, former Vice-President under Eisenhower.
1970 — Story: "Heart of Gold, Claws of Titanium".
1971 — Story: "Little Lost Girl". Proteus and Silkie join Star Guard.
1972 — Xylarian data technology offered to industry. Musicians and computer scientists delighted; music and computer industries try to stamp it out. Blue Ribbon Sports of Eugene, Oregon, introduces a line of sneakers called Nike. Story: "The Goddess and the Shoe Company". Story: "An Old-Fashioned Girl".
1973 — Story: "Horses of a Different Color". The Archer joins Star Guard. Story: "Good Boy, Bad Girl". Society of the Golden Unicorn founded in San Diego, California.
1973-1977 — Bobby Kennedy President of the U.S. Story: "The 600 Million Dollar Question".
1974 — First Xylarian-based home computers introduced in U.S., U.K., and Europe.
1975-1976 — Star Guard ends the Korean War and reunifies Korea.
1977 — Star Woman, speaking to the General Assembly of the United Nations, offers Earth associate status in the Xylarian Empire, if it forms a true world government to treat with the Empire. Hate mail and assassination attempts redouble.
1977-1981 — Jimmy Carter President of the U.S.
1980 — Xylarian, #Aboran, and Paili#an fleets meet in battle.
(1) Some of the protagonists in my novel The Reborn Princess Caper are trapped for a while in a Skyburst Earth and experience some of the above.
(2) The novel Star Woman's Choice has the same Silean background, but the Earth in that novel is completely different.