How to Write a Timeline of Events in MS Word
Creating a timeline allows you to present a series of important events in chronological order, and include important information about those events. A timeline can be an excellent reference tool, as well as a teaching tool in classroom situations. Microsoft Word 2010, along with most of the major Office products, includes a timeline as part of its SmartArt series of illustrations. Once you add the timeline, all you have to do is customize it to your liking.
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Instructions
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Open a blank Microsoft Word 2010 document.
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Click the "Page Layout" tab at the top of the Word window. Select the "Orientation" button and choose "Landscape." This will rotate your page into a horizontal position, which gives you more room for your timeline.
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Select the "Insert" tab at the top of the screen. Click the "SmartArt" button, which you can find in the "Illustrations" area of the ribbon. Click "Process" from the list on the left side of the window that just opened up. Click "Basic Timeline" from the list of processes that appear. Click "OK" to add the timeline to your document.
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Right-click anywhere on the timeline. Move your mouse over the "Wrap Text" entry on the pop-up menu. Choose "In Front of Text." You can now click and hold on the edges of the timeline to move it freely around the document. If you move your mouse to the middle of one of the four edges, the pointer will turn into a double arrow. Click and drag the mouse now to stretch the timeline to fill up as much space as you want.
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Click on any object inside the timeline. Select the "Design" tab at the top of the screen. Click the "Add Shape" button to add an additional dot on your timeline. The timeline starts with three of these, but you can add as many as you need.
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Click the "Text Pane" button on the ribbon. A small window will appear with a blank line for each entry on your timeline. Type your text into these lines and it will appear above or below the corresponding dot on the timeline. Click the "X" in the top-right corner of the pane to close it when you are done.
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Scroll through the "SmartArt Styles" box, located on the ribbon, to see alternate styles for your timeline. Click on one that you like and your entire timeline will automatically update. Click on the "Change Colors" button next to the styles to select a new color scheme for your timeline. Finally, select the "Format" tab at the top of the screen to get access to the "Shape Styles" and "WordArt Styles" areas of the ribbon. Both of these areas contain an option to change how your timeline's text looks.
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Click the "Insert" tab and choose the "Picture" button to add an image to your timeline. Select the image from your hard drive, then right-click the image on your word document and choose "In Front of Text" from the "Wrap Text" area of the pop-up menu. Click and drag the image to the port just above the corresponding text on the timeline.
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