Why Timelines Are Important

Life story books (also known as legacy books or autobiographies) provide a first-person, often chronological account of the events of a person’s life. Some life story books include a timeline.

You may be wondering, If I read the account, which should include all the major events of a person’s life, why would I need to see a timeline that gives the same information? Why is a timeline relevant to the telling of a life story?

Timelines are a practical way for readers to see the big picture of a person’s life. They also help to organize a complicated life story in a straightforward way. Timelines not only help the reader, but also the subject, to visualize the events and accomplishments of their life. It’s easy and convenient to look up the date of an event on a timeline rather than search through the entire book.

What should be included in a timeline? The major relevant events, such as the following, should be included: birth, high school and college graduations, marriage, military service, children’s births, major career changes and/or opening of businesses, major awards received, retirement, passing of spouse, publication of a book.