History of Indiana Jones in Timeline
Indiana Jones is a fictional archaeologist and adventurer, the central character of a media franchise that includes five films, a TV series, games, comics, and novels. Created by George Lucas, the character is known for his iconic fedora, whip, and his daring exploits in search of historical artifacts and treasures, often battling Nazis and other villains along the way. The franchise blends action, adventure, and historical elements, making Indiana Jones a celebrated figure in popular culture.
1920: Ford Narrates Adventures in Chicago
Harrison Ford narrated the adventures of Indiana Jones in 1920 Chicago in an episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
1936: Indiana Jones Hired to Locate Ark of the Covenant
In 1936, Indiana Jones is hired by government agents to locate the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can steal it.
1938: Indiana Jones Searches for the Holy Grail
In 1938, Indiana Jones and Marcus Brody are assigned to find the Holy Grail, teaming up with Dr. Elsa Schneider and facing off against the Nazis.
1944: Jones retrieves Archimedes' Dial with Basil
In 1944, Jones and Basil retrieved Archimedes' Dial from the Nazis during the Allied liberation of Europe in World War II.
1957: Indiana Jones Races Soviets for Crystal Skull
In 1957, Indiana Jones races against agents of the Soviet Union for a crystal skull, traveling across various locations and being reunited with Marion Ravenwood.
1969: Indiana Jones moves to NYC and is Asked to find Archimedes' Dial
In 1969, Indiana Jones has moved to New York City and is teaching at Hunter College when he is asked to find Archimedes' Dial.
1973: George Lucas writes The Adventures of Indiana Smith
In 1973, George Lucas wrote The Adventures of Indiana Smith, envisioning a modern version of the movie serials of the 1930s and 1940s.
May 1977: Spielberg Pitched 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' Idea
In May 1977, while in Maui, George Lucas pitched Steven Spielberg an idea "better than James Bond", outlining the plot of what would become Raiders of the Lost Ark.
April 1981: Novelization of Raiders of the Lost Ark published
In April 1981, Ballantine Books published the novelization of Raiders of the Lost Ark, written by Campbell Black.
June 1981: Debut of Raiders of the Lost Ark
Following the June 1981 debut of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Kenner produced a 12-inch-tall "Authentically styled Action Figure" of Indiana Jones for the holiday season.
1981: Release of Raiders of the Lost Ark
In 1981, the Indiana Jones series began with the release of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
1982: Release of Indiana Jones video games
Numerous Indiana Jones video games have been released since 1982.
1983: Marvel Comics Publishes The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones
In 1983, Marvel Comics began publishing The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones.
May 1984: Novelization of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom published
In May 1984, Ballantine published the novelization of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, written by James Kahn.
1984: Release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
In 1984, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, a prequel, was released.
1984: The Adventures of Indiana Jones Role-Playing Game was released
In 1984, The Adventures of Indiana Jones Role-Playing Game was designed and published by TSR, Inc. under license.
1984: Miniature metal versions of twelve characters were released
In conjunction with the theatrical release of The Temple of Doom in 1984, TSR, Inc. released miniature metal versions of twelve characters from both films for a role playing game.
1986: Marvel Comics published The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones ended
In 1986, Marvel's The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones ended.
May 1989: Novelization of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade published
In May 1989, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was published. It was the first Indiana Jones novel by Rob MacGregor.
1989: Lucas Ends the Series After The Last Crusade
Following the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, George Lucas decided to end the series because he struggled to create a compelling plot for the next installment.
1989: Release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
In 1989, a sequel, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was released.
1989: No toys were produced to tie in with The Last Crusade
In 1989, no toys were produced to tie in with The Last Crusade.
1990: Development of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles began
In 1990, Lucas began developing The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles as "edutainment", aiming for a more cerebral approach than the films. This marked his first collaboration with producer Rick McCallum, and Lucas wrote the stories for each episode.
February 1991: Publication of 'Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi'
In February 1991, Rob MacGregor's book, Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi was published.
![Indiana Jones and the Peril At Delphi [In Japanese Language]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51eaFJGXfNL._SL500_.jpg "Indiana Jones and the Peril At Delphi [In Japanese Language]")
March 1991: Filming began for Season one of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
In March 1991, filming began for the first season of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and continued until March 1992.
February 1992: Publication of 'Indiana Jones and the Genesis Deluge'
In February 1992, 'Indiana Jones and the Genesis Deluge', written by Rob MacGregor, was published. The book was the bestselling novel.
March 1992: Filming ended for Season one of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
In March 1992, filming concluded for the first season of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. The ABC network, uncertain of Lucas's approach, temporarily halted the show after six episodes until September 1992.
September 1992: ABC put The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles on hiatus
In September 1992, with good but unspectacular ratings, ABC put The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles on hiatus after airing six episodes.
November 1992: Publication of 'Indiana Jones and the Interior World'
In November 1992, 'Indiana Jones and the Interior World' by Rob MacGregor was published, completing his series of six Indiana Jones novels for Bantam Books.
December 1992: Ford Plays Indiana in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
In December 1992, Harrison Ford played Indiana Jones in one episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, narrating his adventures in 1920 Chicago.
1992: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles aired
In 1992, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, a television series featuring three incarnations of the character, aired. Sean Patrick Flanery played Indiana aged 16–21, Corey Carrier played an 8- to 10-year-old version, and George Hall narrated as the 93-year-old Jones.
1992: Franchise Expands to Television
In 1992, the franchise expanded to a television series with The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, exploring the character in his childhood and youth.
April 1993: Filming ended for the second season of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
In April 1993, filming wrapped for the second season of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
October 1993: Jeb Stuart turns the story into a script
From October 1993 to May 1994, Jeb Stuart worked on creating a script out of Lucas' story idea for a new Indiana Jones film.
1993: Pinball machine based on the first three films was released
In 1993, a pinball machine based on the first three Indiana Jones films was released.
1993: Original broadcast versions of some episodes were released in Japan on laserdisc
In 1993, the original broadcast versions of some episodes of the series were briefly released in Japan on laserdisc.
January 1994: Filming began for the final episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
In January 1994, filming commenced for the final four episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which took place until May 1996.
May 1994: Jeb Stuart completes script for new Indiana Jones movie
From October 1993 to May 1994, Jeb Stuart worked on creating a script out of Lucas' story idea for a new Indiana Jones film.
1994: Original broadcast versions of some episodes were released on VHS
In 1994, the original broadcast versions of some episodes were briefly released on VHS.
1995: Max McCoy took over novel writing duties
In 1995, Max McCoy replaced Caidin and continued writing the Indiana Jones novels, writing four books.
March 1996: Jeffrey Boam Completes Script
In March 1996, writer Jeffrey Boam completed the last of three versions of the script for the new Indiana Jones film.
May 1996: Filming wrapped for the final episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
In May 1996, filming concluded for the final four episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
1996: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ended
In 1996, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles series ended.
1999: Half of the series was released on VHS
In 1999, approximately half of the series was released on VHS in various markets around the world.
2000: Interest in Reviving the Project
In 2000, Spielberg's son expressed interest in a new Indiana Jones film, which reignited Spielberg's interest in reviving the project, leading to a meeting with Ford, Lucas, Marshall, and Kennedy.
May 2002: Frank Darabont Hired to Write
In May 2002, Frank Darabont was hired to write the script for a new Indiana Jones film.
2002: M. Night Shyamalan Hired
M. Night Shyamalan was hired to write for an intended 2002 shoot but left due to difficulties.
August 2004: Jeff Nathanson Met With Spielberg and Lucas
In August 2004, Jeff Nathanson met with Spielberg and Lucas regarding the new Indiana Jones film.
2004: Indiana Jones appeared in the non-canon story "Into the Great Unknown"
In 2004, Indiana Jones appeared in the non-canon story "Into the Great Unknown", first published in Star Wars Tales #19. The story sees Indiana Jones and Short Round discover a crashed Millennium Falcon in the Pacific Northwest, along with Han Solo's skeleton and the realization that a rumored nearby Sasquatch is in fact Chewbacca.
November 2005: Jeff Nathanson Submitted Drafts
In November 2005, Jeff Nathanson turned in drafts of the script for the new Indiana Jones film, titled The Atomic Ants.
2007: DVD debut with the release of the first boxset
In 2007, the entire series was released on DVD with the release of the first boxset. It was to tie in with the theatrical debut of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
February 2008: Novelizations of the first three films published in one edition
In February 2008, the novelizations of the first three Indiana Jones films were published in one edition.
2008: Hasbro released toys based on Raiders of the Lost Ark and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
In 2008, Hasbro released toys based on Raiders of the Lost Ark and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Further figures from other films were released later in the year, but in limited quantities.
2008: Scholastic released middle-grade novels
In 2008, Scholastic released a series of middle-grade novels based on the stories and screenplays of Indiana Jones.
2008: Indiana Jones Licensing Rights Earned
In 2008, Sideshow Collectibles, Gentle Giant, Diamond Select Toys and Kotobukiya also earned Indiana Jones licensing rights. Lego released eight play sets to coincide with the fourth film, based on Raiders and The Last Crusade as well as on Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2008: Stern Pinball released a new pinball machine
In 2008, Stern Pinball released a new pinball machine based on the Indiana Jones series, featuring all four movies.
2008: Development of Fifth Film Begins
In 2008, development began for the fifth Indiana Jones film, though the project stalled for several years.
2008: DVD debut with the release of the last boxset
In 2008, the entire series was released on DVD in a series of three boxsets.
May 2009: Two new middle-grade books were to begin a new series of Untold Adventures
In May 2009, two new middle-grade books were to begin a new series of Untold Adventures, though no further books appeared.
September 2009: Release of 'Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead'
In September 2009, Steve Perry's 'Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead' was released.
2009: Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods was published
In 2009, Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods was published.
2009: MacGregor to write new books for Ballantine
In 2009, MacGregor was to write new books for Ballantine, but none were published.
2011: Some Indiana Jones figures continued to be released
In 2011, some figures continued to be released up until the San Diego Comic Convention.
2012: Disney Acquires Lucasfilm
In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm, thereby becoming the owner of the Indiana Jones intellectual property.
2014: Disney Vinylmation introduced a series based on Indiana Jones characters
In 2014, Disney Vinylmation introduced a series based on Indiana Jones characters.
June 2021: Filming Begins in the United Kingdom
Filming for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny began in the United Kingdom in June 2021.
February 2022: Filming Wraps
Filming for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny wrapped in February 2022.
November 2022: Lucasfilm developing Indiana Jones series for Disney+
In November 2022, it was reported that Lucasfilm was developing an Indiana Jones series for Disney+, set to be a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
June 30, 2023: Release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
On June 30, 2023, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth and final film in the Indiana Jones series, was theatrically released.
2023: Hasbro made the "Adventure Series" line
In 2023, Hasbro made the "Adventure Series" line to go alongside the release of Dial of Destiny. This line included figures from the original trilogy as well as the new film.
Mentioned in this timeline
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