A Timeline of All the Most Important Dates in the "American Horror Story" Universe

Updated on 9/20/2023 at 3:15 PM

With eleven seasons under its belt and a twelfth on the way, "American Horror Story" has become quite the vast and complex universe. There are so many connections between seasons, crossover characters, and recurring stars, it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything. And on top of that, we have to keep a bunch of important dates in mind? Ha! Get real.

The next season, "American Horror Story: Delicate," stars Kim Kardashian and Emma Roberts, and once again promises to deliver the show's trademark blend of gore, psychological horror, and nuanced lore. It's unclear whether the show will touch on past seasons, but given the show's tendency to thread various characters and plot lines together, it's more likely than not.

In an effort to help you fully prep for the next gripping installment and catch any references to past seasons that might crop up, we've decided to create a timeline of all the major dates you need to remember as you move forward. Brace yourself — things get really messy after 2010, and when the show started throwing multiple timelines in the 2020s thanks to "Apocalypse," things went absolutely bonkers.

Ahead, check out "American Horror Story"'s events in chronological order, multiverse and all.

"American Horror Story: Delicate" premieres on Hulu on Sept. 20.

1500s

Early 1500s — "Roanoke"

Scáthach (Lady Gaga) arrives, still human, in the New World.
When threatened with death, she pledges herself to the Old Gods and becomes the first Supreme.

Late 1500s — "Roanoke"

John White settles and establishes the Roanoke Colony in what is now North Carolina. He leaves his wife Thomasin (Kathy Bates) in charge while away on business.
The other members of the colony revolt against Thomasin and exile her.
Thomasin swears allegiance to Scáthach (and eats a boar's heart) and becomes the Butcher. Under her new rule, the rest of the colony bends to the will of Scáthach.
Eventually, Ambrose (Wes Bentley) attempts to sway the Butcher away from the witch; the Butcher, in turn, murders every member of the colony and binds their spirits to the land.

1600s

1692 — "Coven"

The height of the Salem witch trials, during which Prudence Mather is the Supreme. The coven has decided to flee south to New Orleans, but Prudence, ill with consumption, is too ill to make the trip.
Prudence invokes the "Sacred Taking," which allows a new Supreme to rise and take the rest of the witches to safety.

1700s

1790 — "Coven"

Miss Robichaux's Academy For Exceptional Young Ladies is founded in New Orleans.

1792 — "Roanoke"

Edward Philippe Mott (Evan Peters), distant relative of Gloria Mott (Frances Conroy) and Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock), builds the big Shaker Mansion in North Carolina.
The Butcher and her undead minions claim his soul, killing him and trapping him on the land.

1800s

1830s — "Coven"

Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) settles in New Orleans with her husband and three daughters. She develops a nasty habit of harvesting blood from her slaves to use as a nightly face mask.
Delphine overhears her daughters planning to murder her and locks them in her torture chamber for a year.
Delphine catches her daughter, Borquita, with the house slave Bastien. As punishment, she turns Bastien into a Minotaur. Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett), the local witch and former lover of Bastien, is devastated.
Marie Laveau kills Delphine's entire family as revenge. Then, she makes Delphine immortal and buries her alive.

Mid-1800s — "Freak Show"

Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley), a noble Englishman, suffers from an unthinkable ailment: a devilish face on the back of his head whispers terrible, hellish things to him.
Edward's family admits him to the insane asylum in Bedlam, but he escapes. He ends up as an act at the freak show.
Overcome with misery, Edward murders every freak in the troupe on Halloween night and hangs himself.

1910s

1910 — "Asylum"

Briarcliff Manor is built.

1919 — "Coven"

In New Orleans, a serial killer known as the Axeman (Danny Huston) writes a letter to the newspapers. Whichever citizens do not play jazz in their homes risk being murdered.
The witches of Miss Robichaux's lure the Axeman into their home and stab him to death.

1920s

1922 to 1926 — "Murder House"

Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross) builds a mansion in Los Angeles for his wife Nora (Lily Rabe).
Dr. Montgomery, addicted to drugs, becomes obsessed with resurrecting dead animals and sewing them together. He eventually begins to perform illegal abortions to fund his terrible habits.
A crazed patient murders and dismembers the Montgomery baby. Charles sews him back together to create the Infantata.
In 1926, Nora kills Charles and then herself.

1925 to 1929 — "Hotel"

James March (Evan Peters) begins building the Hotel Cortez in 1925.
Elizabeth Johnson (Lady Gaga), who eventually becomes Cortez's terrifying Countess, works as an extra on "The Son of Sheik," where she meets Rudolph Valentino (Finn Wittrock). She enters a three-way relationship with him and Natacha Rambova.
Believing her lovers have died, Elizabeth marries James March in 1926 and calls herself The Countess. James becomes the Ten Commandments Killer, and Elizabeth likes to watch him commit his murders.
The Countess attempts to get an abortion from Charles Montgomery, but her child survives.
Rudolph and Natacha turn up alive and infect the Countess with a mysterious blood virus. When the three attempt to run off to travel the world, James traps Rudolph and Natacha in a secret hallway, leaving them to rot.
James March dies by suicide.

1930s

1932 to 1938 — "Freak Show"

Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange), a woman living in Brandenburg, Germany, is drugged and forced to perform in a snuff film. "Asylum"'s deranged doctor, Hans Grüper (James Cromwell), amputates her legs with a chainsaw.
After escaping to America in 1936, Elsa adopts an unfortunate outcast named Pepper.
With the addition of Ethel Darling (Kathy Bates) and her son Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters), the whole operation grows into Fräulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities.

1940s

1947 — "Murder House"

A woman named Elizabeth Short visits a dentist by the name of Dr. Curan at the Murder House. Curan rapes Elizabeth, who dies from the sedation chemicals. Charles manifests and convinces Curan to maim and dismember Elizabeth, who becomes the infamous Black Dahlia.

1943 — "Freak Show"

Twisty the Clown flees the circus, believing the police are after him.
After trying and failing to sell toys to children, he attempts suicide via shotgun, and loses half his face.

1948 — "1984"

Bobby Richter dies during a boating trip at Camp Morning Star. His mother, Lavinia Richter (Lily Rabe), murders the camp counselors that night before her older son, Benjamin Richter (John Carroll Lynch), kills her.
Lavinia's ghost begins haunting the camp, condemning everyone who dies there to remain there as a spirit.

1949 — "Asylum"

Judy Martin (Jessica Lange) believes she's killed a young girl in a drunk driving accident. She renounces her vices and joins the Catholic church as a nun and renames herself Sister Jude.

1950s

1952 to 1953 — "Freak Show"

The majority of the events in "Freak Show" occur.
The season begins with Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson) joining Fräulein Elsa (Jessica Lange)'s Cabinet of Curiosities.
Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch) and Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock) intermingle and go on separate killing sprees. Twisty is claimed by Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley), while Dandy is murdered by the band of freaks.
Elsa Mars sells the show and runs off the Hollywood.

1953 — "Roanoke"

Dandy's death marks the end of the Mott lineage. The massive house in Roanoke goes up for sale.

1954 — "Double Feature"

President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Neal McDonough) is told that aliens are kidnapping humans and performing experiments on them.

1960s

1960 — "Freak Show"

Elsa Mars becomes a famous star in Hollywood, but is ultimately unhappy. She performs on Halloween so that Edward Mordrake can claim her soul and return her to the family of freaks.

1962 to 1965 — "Asylum"

The majority of the events in "Asylum" occur.
The season begins as Kit Walker (Evan Peters) is framed for the Bloody Face murders and committed to Briarcliff. Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) is committed after attempting to sneak onto the premises to interview Kit.
Sister Mary Eunice gets possessed by a demon and wreaks havoc on the asylum.
Aliens invade and impregnate Grace Bertrand (Lizzie Brocheré).
Lana Winters discovers the true identity of Bloody Face, Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto). She eventually kills him.

1967 to 1968 — "Cult"

Valerie Solanas (Lena Dunham) founds SCUM (the Society For Cutting Up Men) and publishes the "SCUM Manifesto."
Valerie attempts to murder Andy Warhol (Evan Peters) in 1968.

1968 — "Murder House"

Two nurses are brutally killed in the Murder House, which at the time is being used by a sorority.

1969 — "Asylum"

Lana Winters publishes a sensational memoir about her trauma, which skyrockets on bestseller lists around the world.

1970s

1970 — "1984"

Camp counselor Margaret Booth (Leslie Grossman) is persuaded by the ghost of Lavinia Richter (Lily Rabe) to murder everyone in her cabin, as well as a hiker named Jonas Shevore (Lou Taylor Pucci). She blames the killings on her boyfriend, Benjamin Richter (John Carroll Lynch), and assists in his conviction.

1970 to 1971 — "Asylum"

Judy passes away under Kit Walker's care after he checks her out of Briarcliff.
Lana Winters exposes Briarcliff for the monstrous place it is, which causes it to be shut down and abandoned.
Timothy Howard (Joseph Fiennes) takes his own life.

1971 — "Coven"

Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) kills the reigning Supreme.
After successfully performing the Seven Wonders, she is crowned the next Supreme.

1973 — "Roanoke"

The members of the Chen family are brutally murdered in Roanoke.

1978 — "Murder House"

The opening scene of the series! Two young twin boys are brutally murdered by the Infantata.

1980s

1981 — "NYC"

The majority of the events in "NYC" occur.
A murderous duo begins targeting the gay community in NYC. Detective Patrick Read (Russell Tovey) and his partner Gino Barelli (Joe Mantello) begin an investigation.

1983 to 1984 — "Murder House"

Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange) is living in the Murder House with her husband, Hugo, and her maid, Moira O'Hara. When she discovers her husband attempted to rape Moira, she kills them both.
Constance moves to another house nearby with her children.

1984 — "Hotel"

Nick Pryor checks into the Cortez, and with the help of the Countess, becomes Liz Taylor. The Countess hires her to work at the hotel so she doesn't have to go back to the closeted, conservative life she was living.

1984 — "1984"

The majority of the events of "1984" take place.
Brooke Thompson (Emma Roberts) is attacked by serial killer Richard Ramirez, also known as the Night Stalker (Zach Villa), in Los Angeles.
Brooke and four of her friends decide to take summer jobs as camp counselors at the newly opened Camp Redwood. They soon discover that the camp is host to not one but two serial killers: the Night Stalker and Benjamin Richter, a recently escaped asylum inmate who they think committed a massacre at the camp in 1970.
They eventually discover that the Night Stalker and the camp's owner, Margaret (Lily Rabe), are the actual serial killers, and also learn that the camp is full of the spirits of people who died there. A massacre ensues, which Margaret pins on Brooke.

1988 — "Roanoke"

Two murderous nurses move into the Roanoke house and start a healthcare facility wherein they torture and kill their patients. They are very particular, and are attempting to spell out M-U-R-D-E-R with the initials of their victims.
The Butcher murders them before they can finish their work.

1989 — "1984"

A music festival takes place at Camp Redwood. Brooke is saved from lethal injection by camp psychologist Donna (Angelica Ross). The duo join up with Benjamin, who has escaped and started a new life and a family in Alaska, and they all return to Camp Redwood to prevent a massacre at the festival.
Donna and Brooke manage to destroy Margaret and Ramirez with the help of the camp's ghosts.

1990s

1991 — "Coven"

Hank (Josh Hamilton), the future husband of Cordelia (Sarah Paulson), goes on a witch hunt with his father.

1993 to 1994 — "Murder House"

Larry Harvey (Denis O'Hare) moves into the Murder House with his family.
Constance (Jessica Lange), hoping to once again take ownership of the house, seduces Larry. When his Lorraine (Rebecca Wisocky) finds out, she sets a fire that kills her and their two daughters.
Constance moves back into the Murder House with her children.
Tate (Evan Peters) sets Larry on fire in his office. Then he goes to his school and kills 15 people. Back in the Murder House, he is killed by a S.W.A.T. team.

1993 to 1994 — "Hotel"

Hypodermic Sally (Sarah Paulson) checks into the Cortez with Nick Harley and Tina Black, whom she's writing music with. During an insane drug trip, she sews all of them together, and the latter two die of drug overdoses. Sally is stuck to their corpses for five days. The Addiction Demon appears.
Sally checks into the Cortez once more with Donovan (Matt Bomer).
Donovan's mother Iris (Kathy Bates) murders Sally.
The Countess (Lady Gaga) turns Donovan, who's dying from a drug overdose.
Iris becomes a manager at the Cortez.

1997 — "Roanoke"

Elias Cunningham (Ric Sarabia), in the state of mental unravel, records a video about the history of the Roanoke house.

2010s

2010 to 2012 — "Murder House"

The majority of the events in "Murder House" occur.
In 2010, Chad Warwick (Zachary Quinto) and his boyfriend buy the Murder House so they can flip it. During an argument on Halloween, they're killed by the Rubber Man.
In Boston, Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton) suffers a miscarriage and discovers that her husband, Ben (Dylan McDermott), is cheating on her.
The family decides to move to Los Angeles. In June 2011, they move into the Murder House.
In 2012, Vivien dies giving birth to Tate's baby, Ben's death is made to look like a suicide, and Constance takes custody of the baby, naming him Michael.

2010 — "Hotel"

John Lowe (Wes Bentley) goes to Hotel Cortez for the first time. James March's spirit recruits him to carry out the rest of the Ten Commandment murders.
The Countess (Lady Gaga) kidnaps John Lowe's son Holden.

2012 — "Asylum"

The events of "Asylum" conclude. Johnny Morgan (Dylan McDermott) assumes the identity of Bloody Face and eventually plots the murder of his mother, Lana Winters.
In one final showdown, Lana kills her son and ends Bloody Face's reign for good.

2013 to 2014 — "Coven"

The majority of the events in "Coven" occur.
The season begins as Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga) accidentally kills her boyfriend. Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy) arrives and invites Zoe to go to Miss Robichaux's Academy to learn how to control her newfound abilities.
In 2014, the season ends as Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) becomes the next Supreme, Myrtle dies by burning (again), and Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) dies.

2014 — "Roanoke"

The story of "Roanoke" begins as the real-life Shelby (Lily Rabe) and Matt (Cuba Gooding Jr.) move into the Roanoke house and begin to experience eerie paranormal activity.

2014 — "Cult"

The mother and father of the Anderson household die in a murder-suicide. Kai (Evan Peters) and Vincent Anderson (Cheyenne Jackson) lock their dead bodies in the master bedroom.

2015 — "Murder House"/"Apocalypse"

A young Michael Langdon murders his nanny, and "Murder House" concludes. In the original "Apocalypse" timeline, Langdon is found by the Church of Satan, who help him realize his destiny as the Antichrist.
In the alternate "Apocalypse" timeline, the witch Mallory (Billie Lourd) travels back in time and runs over Michael with a car, preventing the apocalypse.

2015 — "Hotel"

The majority of the events in "Hotel" occur.
The season begins as John Lowe investigates a series of grisly murders in LA and checks in at the Hotel Cortez . . . in Room 64.
The chain of events ends with the death of the Countess, who is stuck in the Cortez with March forever.

2015 to 2017 — "Roanoke"

The majority of the events in "Roanoke" occur.
In the wake of their harrowing experience, Matt and Shelby film "My Roanoke Nightmare." The show airs in the Fall and goes viral.
In 2016, the cast participates in a panel at Paleyfest.
In October 2016, the cast heads to Roanoke to film "Return to Roanoke: Three Days in Hell."
Everyone dies except for Lee Harris (Adina Porter).
In late 2017, Lee participates in "The Lana Winters Special" to talk about her experience.
Lee sacrifices herself to save her daughter, and the Roanoke house burns down.

2016 to 2018 — "Cult"

The majority of the events in "Cult" occur.
The season begins as Donald Trump wins the 2016 election and Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson) heads for a mental breakdown.
Kai ascends to the rank of city councilman, but eventually goes to prison for his heinous clown cult crimes.
In 2018, Kai escapes and attempts to attack Ally. Beverly Hope (Adina Porter) kills him.

2020s

2020 — "Apocalypse"

In the original "Apocalypse" timeline, nuclear missiles destroy most of the world thanks to Michael Langdon (Cody Fern), also known as the Antichrist, leaving survivors including Mallory (Billie Lourd) to fight for their lives.

2021 — "Double Feature"

A group of students heads out to the desert where they are all impregnated with alien babies. They are all killed by aliens.
Mamie Eisenhower (Sarah Paulson), who is now immortal and living in Area 51, tries and fails to stop the aliens' plan to take over humanity.

2021 — "Apocalypse"

Michael Langdon visits Mallory's outpost to decide who will live, and a massacre ensues. Some of the witches from "Coven" resurrect Mallory, who becomes the new Supreme and is able to travel back in time to kill Michael and prevent the nuclear apocalypse.
In the alternate apocalypse-free timeline, Timothy (Kyle Allen) and Emily (Ash Santos) have their first date.

2021 — "Double Feature"

Harry (Finn Wittrock) moves with his family to a house in Provincetown, MA.
Faced with severe writers' block, Harry takes a black pill which helps him write but has side effects that turn those who take it into vampiric creatures called the Pale.

2022 — "Hotel"

On Devil's Night (Oct. 30), James March has dinner with the spirits of famous serial killers.
Billie Dean Howard (Sarah Paulson), "Murder House") communes with the ghost of John Lowe, and he scares her away.

2024 — "Apocalypse"

Emily and Timothy's child kills his babysitter. A group of Satanists finds him and prepares to help him become the new Antichrist.