Timeline Generator

Extracts dates and events from documents to create a chronological narrative.

When to Use

• User asks for a “timeline” of events
• User wants to understand “what happened when”
• User needs to see the sequence of decisions
• User wants to track evolution of a project or situation

Instructions

Phase 1: Extract Dates and Events

1. Scan all documents in the target folder

2. For each document, extract:

   • Explicit dates mentioned
   • Implicit timing (“last month”, “Q2”, “after the rollout”)
   • What happened at each date point
   • Who was involved
   • Significance

3. Categorize events by type:

   • 📢 Announcements/Decisions
   • 🚀 Launches/Deployments
   • ⚠️ Problems/Concerns
   • 💡 Proposals/Ideas
   • 📊 Metrics/Results
   • 🔄 Pivots/Changes
   • 👥 People Events

Phase 2: Build the Timeline

1. Sort chronologically
2. Identify turning points – moments where direction changed
3. Note gaps – periods with no documented activity
4. Connect cause and effect – what led to what

Output Format

# Timeline: [Topic]

## Chronological Events

### [Year or Quarter]

| Date | Event | Type | Source |
|------|-------|------|--------|
| Jan 2025 | CEO announces AI initiative at Davos | 📢 | carla_post_davos_memo |
| Mar 2025 | EnterpriseAI rollout begins | 🚀 | enterpriseai_rollout |

### [Next Period]
...

## Turning Points

1. **[Date]: [Event]**
   - What changed: [description]
   - Triggered by: [cause]
   - Led to: [consequence]

## Patterns Observed

- [Pattern 1]
- [Pattern 2]

## Gaps in the Record

- [Period with no documentation]
- [Questions about what happened between X and Y]

Tips

• Pay attention to the time between events—sometimes silence is significant
• Look for accelerations (things happening faster) or decelerations
• Note when the same person appears at multiple turning points
• Watch for events that happened simultaneously but might be connected