Timeline

The following article is a timeline of the Ace Attorney universe.

Basic reckoning
It is important to note that the years used in this timeline are mostly based on the full date given on a DL-6 Incident case summary file, all other events being portrayed as being relative to other dates as opposed to having a definite point of occurrence. The murder of Gregory Edgeworth is recorded as having occurred on December 28, 2001. By the statute of limitations an unsolved case is closed permanently 15 years after its opening, putting the final resolution of the incident at December 28, 2016. From this, it is possible to construct a timeline of the Ace Attorney universe.

Complications
The developers of the Ace Attorney games, in particular the people in charge of putting down the ages of characters in court records, have not paid much attention to any absolute timeline. This is evident in the fact that characters' ages do not change as the game progresses (except during "flashback" cases), even when a new year passes by. This has led to some inconsistencies in character birthdates. This timeline treats the "present" timeline of an individual game as a "year" (much like school terms that straddle the new year), which resolves some of these issues. More information on this can be found here.

Since the organizer profiles of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Gyakuten Kenji 2 fit with corresponding court record profiles in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations, the 2018-2019 "year" used in Trials and Tribulations is used for the purpose of birth years in these games.

The timeline itself follows. Please note that some of these dates are extrapolations (e.g. "two weeks after Phoenix Wright's disbarment" becomes "May 13") and may not be exactly correct. Nonetheless, it's unlikely that the "true" dates will be pinned down.

Pre-1940

 * c. 2000 BC: Lang Zi of Zheng Fa spreads his philosophy of detainment through his country and starts an international network of connections.
 * September 4, 1781: Los Angeles is founded.
 * 1818: Lordly Tailor is established.
 * September 8, 1868-July 30, 1912: Meiji Period of Japan.
 * 1869: The modern Los Angeles Police Department is established.
 * Early 1900s: The first "De Killer" appears.
 * 1923: International Criminal Police Organization is established.

1940s

 * 1940-1: Bruto Cadaverini is born.
 * 1946-7: Quercus Alba is born.
 * 1949-50: Victor Kudo is born.

1950s

 * 1950-1: Bansai Ichiyanagi is born.
 * 1951: Manfred von Karma is born.
 * 1951-2: Damon Gant is born.
 * 1952: Marvin Grossberg and Magnifi Gramarye are born.
 * 1956-7: Zinc Lablanc is born.
 * 1958: Deid Mann and Tyrell Badd are born.
 * 1958-9: Otome Itami is born.

1960s

 * 1960-1: Teikun Ō is born.
 * 1961: Issei Tenkai is born.
 * 1961-2: Paul Holic is born.
 * 1964: Winston Payne and Yanni Yogi are born.
 * 1964: Yutaka Kazami is born.
 * 1965-6: Russell Berry is born.
 * 1966: Gregory Edgeworth is born.
 * 1967-8: Ernest Amano is born.
 * 1968: Robert Hammond is born.
 * 1968-9: Colin Devorae is born.

Early 1970s

 * 1970: Misty Fey, Winfred Kitaki and Jack Shipley are born.
 * 1970-1: Kane Bullard and Bikini are born.
 * 1971: Byrne Faraday is born.
 * 1971-2: Moe is born.
 * 1972: Gaspen Payne is born.
 * 1973-4: Joe Darke is born.
 * 1974: Drew Misham is born.

Late 1970s

 * 1976: Manfred von Karma begins his prosecutor career.
 * 1976-7: Furio Tigre is born.
 * 1977: Redd White and Ryūji Kamei are born.
 * 1979: Jack Hammer, Shadi Enigmar and Mack Rell are born.
 * 1979-80: Jean Armstrong is born.

1980s

 * 1980: Frank Sahwit, Guy Eldoon and Pal Meraktis are born.
 * 1980-1: Bruce Goodman is born.
 * 1981-2: Colias Palaeno and Marī Miwa are born.
 * 1982: Dee Vasquez, Valant Gramarye and Tateyuki Shigaraki are born.
 * 1982-3: Turner Grey is born.
 * 1983-4: Jake Marshall is born.
 * 1984: Sal Manella, Plum Kitaki and Tsukasa Oyashiki are born.
 * 1984-5: Luke Atmey is born.
 * 1985-6: Diego Armando, Angel Starr and Tsubasa Kagome are born.
 * 1986: Dick Gumshoe and Thalassa Gramarye are born.
 * 1986-7: Benjamin Woodman and Metis Cykes are born.
 * 1987: Terry Fawles, Lana Skye and Herman Crab are born.
 * Sept. 6: Dustin Prince is born.
 * 1987-8: Manny Coachen and Shūji Orinaka are born.
 * 1988: Neil Marshall is born.
 * 1989: Mia Fey, Valerie Hawthorne and Shih-na are born.
 * 1989-90: Jacques Portsman, Buddy Faith and Ka-Shi Nou are born.

1990s

 * 1990: Spark Brushel and Aura Blackquill are born.
 * 1990-1: Glen Elg and Akbey Hicks are born.
 * 1991: Romein LeTouse is born.
 * 1991-2: Ken Dingling, Doug Swallow and Shi-Long Lang are born.
 * 1992: Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright are born.
 * 1992-3: Hakari Mikagami is born.
 * 1993: Larry Butz, April May, Will Powers, Dahlia Hawthorne, Iris and Bobby Fulbright are born.
 * 1993-4: Viola Cadaverini and Kristoph Gavin are born.
 * 1994: Cindy Stone, Lotta Hart and Solomon Starbuck are born.
 * 1994-5: Adrian Andrews, Mike Meekins, Rhoda Teneiro, Cammy Meele, Manosuke Naitō, Ini Miney and Sōta Sarushiro are born.
 * 1995-6: Maggey Byrde, Richard Wellington, Sean Dingling, Ron DeLite and Desirée DeLite are born.
 * 1996-7:  Billy Bob Johns, Matt Engarde and Juan Corrida are born.
 * 1997: Berry Big Circus opens.
 * 1997-8: Lance Amano and Tōko Mutō are born.
 * 1998-9:  Penny Nichols and Mikiko Hayami are born.
 * 1999: Franziska von Karma, Maya Fey and Simon Blackquill  are born.
 * 1999-2000: Lauren Devorae is born.

2000-2005

 * 2000: Candice Arme is born.
 * December 24, 2000: The IS-7 Incident occurs; Isaku Hyōdō is killed. Ryōken Hōinbō finds the abandoned Sōta Sarushiro and Manosuke Naitō, brings them to the Happy Family Home orphanage.
 * 2001: Ema Skye and Kay Faraday are born. Phoenix Wright's class trial occurs.
 * December 28: Trial of Issei Tenkai for the IS-7 Incident; the DL-6 Incident occurs; Gregory Edgeworth is killed and Manfred von Karma takes a vacation.
 * 2001-2: Regina Berry is born. Tateyuki Shigaraki takes over Edgeworth Law Offices.
 * 2002: Klavier Gavin, Daryan Crescend, Hugh O’Conner and Yumihiko Ichiyanagi are born.
 * June: Manfred von Karma returns from his vacation.
 * 2003-4: Azura Summers is born. Thalassa Gramarye marries her first husband.
 * 2004: Apollo Justice, Clay Terran and Wesley Stickler are born. Yutaka Kazami returns from Zheng Fa, becomes world-renowned pastry chef.
 * 2004-5: Thalassa Gramarye's first husband dies.

2005-2010

 * 2005: Olga Orly, Alita Tiala and Sasha Buckler are born.
 * 2005-2006: Ami Aizawa becomes pregnant with Teikun Ō's child at the Zheng Fa Embassy, quits her job at the Happy Family Home orphanage and Marī Miwa becomes the director.
 * 2006: Marlon Rimes is born.
 * 2006-7: Shimon Aizawa is born. Teikun Ō visits Los Angeles again. Ō acknowledges Aizawa as his son and entrusts his will to Dai-Long Lang.
 * 2007: Wocky Kitaki and Vera Misham are born.
 * February 10: The SS-5 Incident occurs. Teikun Ō is assassinated by Ryōken Hōinbō and replaced by his body double who staged his kidnapping. Ryūji Kamei is killed.
 * February?:
 * Dahlia Hawthorne steals a diamond from her father and fakes a kidnapping. She goes missing on Dusky Bridge and is presumed dead. Terry Fawles is arrested and convicted for her apparent murder.
 * Trial of Marī Miwa for the SS-5 Incident. Sōta Sarushiro runs away from the Happy Family Home orphanage. Manosuke Naitō identified as the true heir to Paul Holic, receives his belongings. Dai-Long Lang withdraws from police work.
 * 2007-9:: Bansai Ichiyanagi retires as a Chief Prosecutor and accepts the position of Prosecutorial Investigation Committee Chairman. Happy Family Home orphanage is closed down.
 * 2008-9: The KG-8 Incident occurs.
 * 2009: Cody Hackins, Athena Cykes, Juniper Woods, Robin Newman and Manfred von Karma's granddaughter are born. Colin Devorae is arrested and sent to prison.
 * 2009-10: Pearl Fey is born.

2010s

 * After September 10, 2011: Cohdopia splits into Allebahst and Babahl after a period of civil unrest.

2011-2015

 * 2010-11: Trucy Enigmar is born.
 * 2011: Dee Vasquez joins Global Studios. Manuel is killed and his murder is covered up.
 * August: Dick Gumshoe becomes a detective.
 * September 8: Deid Mann is killed by Mack Rell under orders from the Yatagarasu.
 * September 10:  Mack Rell and Byrne Faraday are killed.
 * 2012: Machi Tobaye and Jinxie Tenma are born. Franziska von Karma becomes a prosecutor in Germany.
 * 2013:
 * February: Valerie Hawthorne is killed.
 * February 16: Trial of Terry Fawles. Miles Edgeworth and Mia Fey make their court debut. Fawles commits suicide.
 * August 27: Dahlia Hawthorne poisons Diego Armando, who goes into a coma. Phoenix Wright meets Hawthorne, who plants the poison on Wright to ward off suspicion.
 * 2013-2014: The three-day trial limit is implemented, resulting in what is now known as the initial trial court system.
 * 2014: Ami Aizawa dies, and her son Shimon is adopted by her cousin Hakari Mikagami. Shimon starts his child actor career.
 * April 9: Doug Swallow is killed.
 * April 11: Trial of Phoenix Wright for the murder of Doug Swallow.
 * September: The SL-9 Incident occurs and is investigated by police force
 * 2014-2016: At Bansai Ichiyanagi's recommendation, Marī Miwa becomes the director of the prison and detention center. Ryōken Hōinbō is prosecuted by Miles Edgeworth and sent to solitary confinement in prison.
 * February 19, 2015: The last victim of SL-9, Neil Marshall, is murdered. Soon after that, Joe Darke is convicted and sentenced to death.
 * 2015-2016: Celeste Inpax commits suicide.

2016

 * Thalassa Gramarye disappears, "killed" in an accident.
 * May 2: A malpractice incident at the Grey Surgical Clinic kills 14 patients.
 * May 24: Ini Miney dies in a car accident, and her sister Mimi is hospitalized at the Hotti Clinic. Mimi is mistaken for her sister and has her face reconstructed as Ini's face, who she starts impersonating.
 * July 31: Frank Sahwit kills Cindy Stone.
 * August 3: Phoenix Wright makes his court debut in the trial of Larry Butz for Cindy Stone's murder.
 * September 5: Mia Fey is killed.
 * September 7: Trial of Maya Fey for Mia Fey's murder.
 * September 9: Trial of Phoenix Wright for Mia Fey's murder.
 * October 15: Jack Hammer is killed.
 * October 18-20: Trial of Will Powers for Jack Hammer's murder.
 * December: "Ini Miney" is released from the hospital.
 * December 25: Robert Hammond is killed.
 * December 26-28: Trial of Miles Edgeworth for the murder of Robert Hammond.
 * December 28: Trial of Miles Edgeworth for the DL-6 Incident.

2017

 * Trés Bien is established.
 * February 21: Bruce Goodman is killed.
 * February 23-25: Trial of Lana Skye for the murder of Bruce Goodman.
 * February 25: Ema Skye goes to Europe to study to be a forensic scientist.
 * Miles Edgeworth leaves the prosecutor's office.
 * March: Maggey Byrde starts dating Dustin Prince.
 * March 20: Max Galactica joins the Berry Big Circus.
 * June: Léon the lion attacks Bat at the Berry Big Circus. Bat goes into a coma, and Acro loses use of his legs. Léon is put down by Russell Berry.
 * Manfred von Karma dies.
 * June 19: Turner Grey is murdered.
 * June 21-22: Trial of Maya Fey for Turner Grey's murder. Franziska von Karma travels to the United States to battle Phoenix Wright in this trial. Ini Miney is revealed to be dead and Mimi Miney, alive. Franziska von Karma suffers her first ever defeat in court. Morgan Fey is revealed to have aided Miney in the murder plot and is incarcerated in Solitary Cell 13.
 * September 6: Dustin Prince is killed.
 * September 8: Trial of Maggey Byrde for Dustin Prince's murder.
 * December 26: Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey take Pearl Fey on a trip to Berry Big Circus where they witness Max Galactica's "flying" magic trick.
 * December 27: Russell Berry is murdered.
 * December 29-30: Trial of Max Galactica for Russell Berry's murder.
 * December 30-31: Miles Edgeworth returns to the United States.

2018

 * February: The Pink Princess: Warrior of Little Olde Tokyo is concluded.
 * March 20: Juan Corrida is killed during the Hero of Heroes Grand Prix.
 * March 21: Miles Edgeworth returns to the prosecutor's office.
 * March 22-23: Trial of Matt Engarde for Juan Corrida's murder. The prosecutor, Franziska von Karma, is shot by Shelly de Killer before the trial, and Miles Edgeworth takes her place.
 * Miles Edgeworth leaves Los Angeles to work and study abroad. The Gatewater Group begins construction of Gatewater Land.
 * Big Tower is constructed near the vacant ruins of the Happy Family Home orphanage.
 * September: Viola Cadaverini is involved in a car accident and is hospitalized.
 * "Godot" joins prosecutor's office.
 * October 13: Trial of Ron DeLite for stealing the Sacred Urn.
 * October 14: Trial of Luke Atmey for stealing the Sacred Urn. Trial of Ron DeLite for Kane Bullard's murder.
 * December 3: Glen Elg is killed.
 * December 4: Trial of Maggey Byrde for Glen Elg's murder.

2019

 * January: Dahlia Hawthorne is executed for the murder of Doug Swallow.
 * January 7-8: Trial appeal of Maggey Byrde for Glen Elg's murder.
 * Gatewater Land is completed.
 * February 6: Oh! Cult! releases its February 2019 issue.
 * February 7: Elise Deauxnim is killed.
 * February 9-10: Trial of Sister Iris for the murder of Elise Deauxnim. Elise Deauxnim is revealed to be Misty Fey. Miles Edgeworth temporarily takes over the case for Phoenix Wright while the latter is hospitalized.
 * Miles Edgeworth goes on a one-month overseas trip.
 * March:
 * March 12: Akbey Hicks is killed. Miles Edgeworth returns from his trip.
 * March 13: Colin Devorae is killed.
 * March 14: Buddy Faith is killed. Manny Coachen and Ka-Shi Nou are killed.
 * March 15: Quercus Alba is removed from his position as ambassador of Allebahst.
 * March 17: Trial of Quercus Alba for the murder of Manny Coachen. Trial of Ernest Amano for actions concerning the death of Colin Devorae.
 * March 23: Unsuccessful assassination attempt of Teikun Ō of Zheng Fa. Assassin is overpowered and flees in failure.
 * March 24: Trial of Quercus Alba in Cohdopia for the murder of Ka-Shi Nou.
 * March 25: Both an attempted and a staged assassination of president Teikun Ō of Zheng Fa during a speech at Gourd Lake. Gai Tojiro is killed.
 * March 27: Manosuke Naitō is killed
 * April: Issei Tenkai's mansion is renovated as the 12 Constellations Art Gallery.
 * April 2: Yutaka Kazami is poisoned.
 * April 4: Kay Faraday is kidnapped. Tsubasa Kagome is killed. "Teikun Ō" is killed.
 * April 5: Miles Edgeworth resigns.
 * April 6: The body of "Teikun Ō" is found at a Global Studios film lot.
 * April 8: Miles Edgeworth is reinstated as a prosecutor.
 * April 13: Magnifi Gramarye commits suicide.
 * April 19: Trial of Shadi Enigmar for the murder of Magnifi Gramarye. Phoenix Wright is disbarred for presenting forged evidence. Enigmar disappears from the courtroom before the verdict is read.
 * May 13: Phoenix Wright adopts Trucy Enigmar.

2020

 * Ponco and Clonco are created by Aura Blackquill and Metis Cykes
 * October 7: The UR-1 Incident occurs; Metis Cykes is killed. Shortly afterward, Simon Blackquill is arrested for her murder, convicted, and sentenced to death.

2025

 * January: Guy Eldoon takes over his father's noodle stand.
 * December: A Rivale shoots Wocky Kitaki. Pal Meraktis fails to remove the bullet but tells the Kitakis that the surgery was a success.

2026

 * Ema Skye returns from Europe and is apointed detective.
 * April: Romein LeTouse becomes Lamiroir's manager.
 * April 17: Shadi Enigmar returns to Phoenix Wright to pass on his will. He is subsequently killed.
 * April 20: Apollo Justice makes his court debut in the trial of Phoenix Wright for Shadi Smith's murder. Kristoph Gavin is arrested for the murder, and Gavin Law Offices is dissolved.
 * June 15: Pal Meraktis is killed.
 * June 16-17: Trial of Wocky Kitaki for the murder of Pal Meraktis.
 * July 7: Romein LeTouse is killed.
 * July 9-10: Trial of Machi Tobaye for the murder of Romein LeTouse.
 * July 20: Azura Summers dies, and Ora Shipley the First is accused of killing her.
 * October 6: Drew Misham is killed.
 * October 8-9: Trial of Vera Misham for the murder of Drew Misham.
 * October 8: Misham is hospitalized after unknowingly ingesting atroquinine that was on her fingernail polish.
 * October 10: Misham wakes up, having survived the atroquinine poisoning.
 * Bobby Fulbright dies.

2027

 * April 17: Rex Kyubi is killed. Athena Cykes returns to the United States.
 * April 18-19: Trial of Damian Tenma for the murder of Rex Kyubi.
 * Phoenix Wright regains his attorney's badge, and begins taking cases again.
 * July 20: Jack Shipley dies.
 * July 21: Trial of Orla Shipley for the murder of Jack Shipley.
 * July 22: Trial of Sasha Buckler for the murder of Jack Shipley.
 * October 24: Constance Courte is killed.
 * October 25-26: Trial of Juniper Woods for the murder of Constance Courte.
 * December 15: Clay Terran is killed.
 * December 16: Candice Arme is killed. First session of the trial of Solomon Starbuck for the murder of Clay Terran. Apollo Justice is injured in a courtroom bombing.
 * December 17: First session of the trial of Juniper Woods for the bombing of Courtroom No. 4. Apollo Justice is assaulted while investigating the destroyed courtroom.
 * December 18: Conclusion of the trial of Juniper Woods.
 * December 20: Conclusion of the trial of Solomon Starbuck. Trial of Athena Cykes for the murders of Clay Terran and Metis Cykes.
 * Between December 20 - Early 2028 the HAT-3 launch.