Timeline

July 21, 1999	Large alien spaceship defolds out of hyperspace and crashes on a small island in the South Pacific. Earth is in the middle of WW3 (Unification Wars as it is called in the show)
August, 1999	World leaders call a cease fire to investigate the alien ship. Investigation begins on the ship to learn where it came from and about its technology. The Island the alien ship crashed on is declared a Neutral zone by the UN. The Third World War ends, but not everyone is happy of course.
September, 1999	Scientists discover the alien ship is military in nature, and the users/soldiers are 40+ feet tall. Talks begin on creating a unified Earth nation.
January, 2000	Development of weapons systems for use in combat against the giants begins.
June, 2000	The official announces the existence of the alien ship, and the United Earth Gov plan is also announced.
February, 2001	Repair and remodeling of Alien ship also by now named the SDF-1 officially, for use by humans as Earths main space battleship begins.
July, 2001	Construction of permanent Mars base Sara begins. Karl Riber asks to be posted to the observation post on Mars. His departure inspires Lisa Hayes to apply to the Academy so that she might someday join him. A civilian population begins to form on Macross island helping in the rebuilding of the SDF-1.
September, 2001	The "Destroid" series, ground-combat anti-giant weaponry, begins trial production.
February, 2002	Tentative plan introduced for variable all-purpose combat system for use against the giants.
May, 2002	Construction of Anti-Stellar-Warfare Headquarters begins, in the Alaskan interior. On the same site, the Grand Cannon is begun in secret.
April, 2003	Construction of Armor (ARMD) series of space carriers begins, as well as of the Oberth-class space destroyers.
March, 2006	The VF-X, prototype of the variable-combat machines, begins flight testing by ace pilot Lt. Roy Fokker.
June, 2006	Decision made to develop the MBR-04 Tomahawk series of Destroids. Variants of the basic chasis of this Destroid also soon enter service, as the Destroids Defender and Phalanx.
March, 2007	Mass production of the VF-1 series begins. Veritech Fighter series code-named "Valkyries".
January, 2009	VF-1 series begins deployment for actual combat. However, usage is limited to aircraft configuration only, for reasons of internal security.
February 23, 2009	Launch ceremonies for the SDF-1 Macross begin, and are scheduled through the 28th, with actual launch of the SDF-1 scheduled for March 1st.
February 27, 2009	Zentraedi fleet, commanded by Fleet Commander Breetai, arrives in the solar system. The onboard systems of the SDF-1 automatically fire the Reflex Cannon and destroy 2 Zentraedi Scout ships. ARMD-01, -02, -03, and -10, as well as four Oberth-class destroyers, are lost in the initial battle, with the loss of two Zentraedi scoutships and a single cruiser. SDF-1 makes a serious error in fold navigation, sending it, and Macross Island (with its entire population in airtight NBC shelters), to a location near the orbit of Pluto. Start of the first Robotech War.
February 28, 2009	Civilians, and much of Macross city, are transferred inside the SDF-1 Rick Hunter and Lynn Minmei are among those listed as missing, following the space fold disaster. The Prometheus and Daedalus are attached to the SDF-1 as mecha carriers.
March 1, 2009	Reconstruction of Macross City inside the SDF-1 commences. Reflex Cannon is found to be useless after the power conduits between the generators and guns were lost when the fold drive vanished. Solutions to restore power to the guns begins.
March 11, 2009	During a construction accident in the SDF-1, Rick Hunter and Lynn Minmei are discovered.
May 14, 2009	The SDF-1 engages in the Battle of Saturn's Rings. The SDF-1 employ the "Pinpoint Barrier System" and the "Daedalus Maneuver" for the first time.
October 6, 2009	Botoru Division, commanded by Captain Khyron, is called up by Breetai.
October 12, 2009	SDF-1 engages in the Battle of Mars Base Sara, while collecting supplies from the abandoned base. The SDF-1 is trapped by underground gravity mines, and detonates the reactors of the base to free itself.
October 19, 2009	Rick Hunter is awarded the Titanium Medal of Honor following his rescue of Commander Lisa Hayes during the Battle of Mars Base Sara. Rick Hunter is also promoted to Lieutenant. He is given command of the Vermillion Squadron, and Max Sterling and Ben Dixon are assigned to him.
December 5, 2009	Macross' on-board television network begins broadcasting, starting with the Miss Macross Pageant. Lynn Minmei is crowned "Miss Macross". A Zentraedi recon team intercepts the broadcast transmission, but is destroyed. Rick Hunter uses the prototype Armored Valkyrie in battle.
February 2, 2010	A Zentraedi ship fires on the SDF-1's command tower, destroying its sensors, while the ship hides in the asteroid belt.
February 3, 2010	Lt. Commander Hayes and the Vermillion Squadron are captured while on an AEW mission.
February 14, 2010	The human prisoners are taken to Dolza's base, where they are interrogated. The prisoners escape and hide aboard one of Azonia's ships. Following his failure to recapture the spies, Breetai is relieved of the SDF-1 retrieval mission, and Azonia is placed in command.
February 27, 2010	Azonia leads an attack on the SDF-1 as a decoy while sending Miriya to insert spies undetected. The escaped prisoners pilot a Battlepod into space when the SDF-1 comes under attack and are rescued by the Skull Squadron.
March 10, 2010	Macross punches through the Zentraedi lines and returns to Earth, landing in the Pacific Ocean.
March 16, 2010	Cap. Gloval and Cdr. Hayes fly to United Earth Government HQ in Alaska, and petition to have their civilian passengers allowed off the ship.
May 25, 2010	Khyron launches unauthorized attack on the SDF-1. Rick Hunter is injured by friendly fire.
June 8, 2010	Miriya launches her first attack on the SDF-1, and is beaten by Max Sterling. Cdr. Roy Fokker dies as a result of wounds sustained in battle.
July 10, 2010	Rick Hunter returns to duty as the pilot of Skull One. Desperate to force the United Earth Government to allow him to resettle the civilians aboard the SDF-1, Captain Gloval begins low flights over North American cities, while broadcasting his demands over uncoded frequencies. Eventually, the city of Toronto agrees to allow the citizens of Macross City to disembark there. During an attack by Zentraedi warships on the SDF-1 while in Earth's atmosphere, the omni-directional barrier overloads, causing destruction over a 25 mile radius. Permission to resettle the refugees is immediately withdrawn by Toronto.
July 19, 2010	Azonia is relieved of command, and Breetai is placed back in. Breetai is given the Imperial Class fleet of over one million warships and folds for Earth.
July 30, 2010	The SDF-1 leaves Earth's atmosphere under orders to leave the planet, just as Breetai's Imperial-class fleet folds into the system. Zentraedi spies return to Breetai's fleet, and many begin to be contaminated by Earth's culture in the weeks afterwards.
January 7, 2011	Premiere on the SDF-1 of the film "Small White Dragon," the first movie produced and premiered in space. Zentraedi attack during the premiere, alarmed by a pirated broadcast.
January 27, 2011	The Grand Cannon is completed.
February, 2011	A courier vessel carries footage of "Small White Dragon" to Dolza's fortress, as well as footage of the barrier overload, and the destruction of Ontario. Dolza views the footage, and concludes that the humans have some great power. Dolza orders Breetai to begin preparations for an operation to capture large numbers of Micronians. Word of the pleasures of "Micronian" culture begins to spread to the crewmen in Breetai's ship. Led by the former spies, a group of Zentraedi conspire to micronize themselves and defect. Other Zentraedi are eager for the invasion of the SDF-1, so they may see the Micronians for themselves.
March 6, 2011	The Zentraedi launch a major assault against the SDF-1, taking advantage of the Daedalus attack to infiltrate the ship. Macross City is badly damaged in the fighting, though the Zentraedi are eventually beaten back. Numerous Zentraedi soldiers take the opportunity to defect.
March 20, 2011	After initial research, Zentraedi cell structure is found to be indistinguishable from human. The SDF-1's command staff concludes that the Zentraedi aren't aliens at all, but are somehow an offshoot of humanity. Lisa Hayes returns to Earth in an attempt to convince the United Earth High Command to open peace talks with the Zentraedi, using the defectors and the recent discovery of the Zentraedi's humanity as a starting point.
April 3, 2011	The wedding of Max Sterling to Miriya is broadcast to the Macross' citizenry and the Zentraedi fleet. Alerted to the wedding, and to the recent defections of the Zentraedi to the SDF-1, Dolza orders his fleet commanders to assemble at Earth, and orders Breetai to launch a final attack to destroy the SDF-1 immediately after the wedding festivities. During the battle, the RDF pilots take great care to disable, rather than destroy the Zentraedi mecha. Zentraedi aboard the Imperial-class Fleet, and aboard Breetai's ship in particular, refuse to join the battle. Under threat of mutiny from his own soldiers, Breetai orders a withdrawal and unilateral cease-fire.
April 18, 2011	To stall for time while the fleet travels to Earth, Dolza orders Breetai to approach the SDF-1 under a flag of truce, and to send an observer to go to the SDF-1 and confirm or deny the presence of special powers among the Micronians. Exodore is dispatched to the SDF-1 for this purpose. Frustrated by the delay, Khyron sends fighters to attack the SDF-1 as Breetai's ship approaches. Breetai destroys them, and notifies Khyron of Dolza's orders. Azonia notifies Breetai that she has alerted Dolza to the situation, and gloats that the Grand Fleet is being assembled; Breetai informs her that this will result in the destruction of the Zentraedi race because of protoculture depletion, and that in any event, Dolza will consider them contaminated by Earth culture, and will destroy them as well. Exodore is notified of Dolza's plans, and of Breetai's desire to make common cause with the Earth forces to defend against a genocidal attack intended to destroy them both. Azonia reluctantly joins Breetai's coalition with the SDF-1, while Khyron begins a futile attempt to flee the solar system. Dolza's Grand Fleet arrives in Earth orbit, leaving Tirol and the Robotech Masters almost completely undefended. Earth is heavily bombarded from orbit, causing the destruction of the vast majority of the planet's surface in an attack later known as the Rain of Death. The Grand Cannon is fired in retaliation, destroying a large fraction of Dolza's fleet before malfunctioning irreparably. The SDF-1, Breetai's fleet and Azonia's fleet counter-attack. Almost all of Dolza's fleet and Dolza's base are ultimately destroyed, with Breetai suffering heavy casualties to his own forces.
April 19, 2011	Victorious, but badly damaged, the SDF-1 is forced to land. End of the First Robotech War. Approximately a million Zentraedi ships survive the battle in serviceable condition. Under the cease-fire treaty, those loyal to Dolza surrender to Breetai, and the new combined fleet spends the next two months clearing Earth orbit of debris, and salvaging protoculture and supplies from the dead hulks. The recovered protoculture, it is agreed, is to be split between the Zentraedi and Earth.
May, 2011	Atmospheric Purification Initiative begun.
September 11, 2011	United Earth Government formally reestablished, with New Macross City as its capital.
January 17, 2013	First mixed Zentraedi-human birth, when Dana Sterling is born to Max and Miriya.
March, 2013	Rioting by Zentraedi the world over begins. Patrols begin for the sake of maintaining law and order. New Portland comes under attack, while Minmei performs in the suburbs of the ruins of St. Louis. Gloval orders the forced relocation of the Zentraedi to where Earth forces can monitor them more closely.
May 7, 2013	Robotech Masters conclude that the Zentraedi fleet has been lost, possibly to a new offensive by the Disciples of Zor, and depart their homeworld for Earth to try to find the protoculture factory. Further genetic studies support the hypothesis of a common origin between humans and the Zentraedi
May 8, 2013	Khyron, hiding out in his wrecked vessel in the arctic, becomes aware of Zentraedi dissatisfaction, and sets about to gather all refugee Zentraedi willing to fight.
May 21, 2013	Operation to seize the Robotech Factory Satellite is launched. En route, Breetai's vessel encounters a late-model reconnaissance vessel at a fold way-point. Suspecting a trap, they bypass the wreck. Robotech Masters attempt to resurrect a clone of Zor while still in their home galaxy; the clone is not viable.
June 3, 2013	Robotech Factory is captured. Reno's fleet surrenders after their flagship is destroyed in combat.
June 28, 2013	After repairs are effected to the Robotech Factory's fold drives, the factory folds to Earth.
July, 2013	The Robotech Factory Satellite is found to be inoperable, due to extensive damage from previous Zentraedi attacks. Having made it to within 20 light-years of Earth, the Robotech Masters begin another clone of Zor, and resolve to approach Earth on impulse drive. Khyron's group goes into action, capturing a sizing chamber. Zentraedi, bored with peace, and alienated by their forced relocation, eagerly gather to fill Khyron's ranks. Armed resistance by the Zentraedi breaks out. The largest Zentraedi forces are located south of the equator, in Africa and South America. A Zentraedi Control Zone is defined in South America, and a major RDF task force, named "The Armies of the Southern Cross", is formed to contain and attack it.
October, 2013	Khyron's group holds Minmei hostage, and demands the surrender of the SDF-1 in exchange for her release, leading to a punitive rescue mission. Khyron's core group escapes, and joins the Zentraedi forces in the Amazon basin, where they begin to perform field repairs on a Zentraedi monitor ship that soft-landed there two and a half years before.
November 30, 2013	Zentraedi rebels attack the airport at Monument City.
December 24, 2013	Khyron captures a protoculture storage matrix. New Macross is devastated by terrorist fire-bombings meant to cover Khyron's escape.
January, 2014	Battle of New Macross City. Khyron's monitor ship, the SDF-1 and SDF-2 are destroyed and the city is left a ruin. New Macross City is quarantined and the majority of the population is relocated to Monument City.