The Great Park Walkable Historical Timeline is laid out on one of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro's taxiways, and guides visitors through 162 significant historical events of global, national, state, and regional significance.
The timeline begins in 13,000 BC, paying homage to our world history as well as significant historical events in Southern California, Irvine, and the Great Park. In April 2025, the timeline received a major update with 44 new entries from 1991 to 2019 — covering groundbreaking innovations to cultural shifts. These additions ensure the Walkable Historical Timeline bridges the past and present in meaningful ways.
At more than 2,604 foot long, the timeline is presented in four sections:
- “The Origins of Our Time, 13,000 BC –1937”
- “An Age of Global War, 1939 –1949”
- “The Cold War, 1950 –1990”
- "The Post-Cold War Era, 1991–2019"
The original timeline content was composed by Keith L. Nelson and Spencer C. Olin, Professors Emeriti of History at University of California, Irvine.
View the Great Park Walkable Historical Timeline Handbook. Or, guests at Great Park are welcome to borrow books from the Visitors Center to learn more.
