WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

The following timeline combines information from 'Scream' Wikipedia pages, dialogue and various dates from the films themselves. This timeline is not absolutely definitive, and certain situations are debatable and always will be due to the simplicity of human error.
  • Character Identifies as "Ghostface"
  • Legacy Character
  • Secondary but Important Character

PRE-'SCREAM' HISTORY

Late 1950:
  • Birthday: Maureen Roberts (Later Prescott, mother of Sidney Prescott and wife to Neil Prescott)
1955:
  • Birthday: Kate Roberts (mother of Jill Roberts (GF 6))
Undetermined Dates, 1950s:
  • Birthdays:
    • Hank Loomis and Nancy Loomis (GF3) (parents of Billy Loomis (GF1) and, grandparents of Sam and Tara Carpenter)
    • Neil Prescott (father of Sidney Prescott)
    • John Milton (possible father of Roman Bridger (GF5))
1964:
  • Birthday: Gale Weathers
1965:
  • Birthday: Wayne Bailey (GF10) (father of Richie Kirsch (GF9), Quinn Bailey (GF12) and Ethan Landry (GF11))
Mid-1960s:
  • Birthday: Cotton Weary
1969-1971:
  • Maureen Roberts gives herself the stage name of Rina Reynolds and moves to Hollywood to take up acting. She is impregnated with Roman Bridger (GF5) after being abused and is featured in three of John Milton's films
February 4, 1970:
  • Birthday: Roman Bridger (GF5), who is given up for adoption by Maureen Roberts
1970:
  • Birthday: Mark Kincaid (eventual husband of Sidney Prescott and father to two of their unnamed children)
1971:
  • When trying to expose Sunrise Studio's abuse towards her, Maureen Roberts is blacklisted in Hollywood. She returns to her hometown of Woodsboro and eventually meets and dates Neil Prescott
  • Birthday: Dewey Riley
1972-1978:
  • Maureen Roberts and Neil Prescott eventually marry after several years of dating. She changes her maiden name to "Prescott," and they settle down at 34 Elm Street, Woodsboro, CA
Mid-1970s:
  • Birthday: Mickey Altieri (GF3)
Between September 1978 and August 1979:
  • Birthdays:
    • Tatum Riley (younger sister of Dewey Riley)
    • Randy Meeks (older brother of Martha Meeks and future posthumous uncle of Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin)
    • Judy Hicks (future deputy of Dewey Riley and eventual town sheriff)
    • Stu Macher (GF2)
    • Christina Carpenter (future mistress to Billy Loomis (GF1)) and her nameless husband
March 14, 1979:
  • Birthday: Sidney Prescott
September 19, 1979:
  • Birthday: Billy Loomis (GF1)
Between September 1993 and August 1994:
  • Birthday: Kirby Reed
September 1, 1993:
  • Birthday: Charlie Walker (GF7)
Undetermined Date, 1994:
  • Birthday: Richie Kirsch (GF9) (son of Wayne Bailey (GF10))
July, 1994:
  • Birthday: Jill Roberts (GF6) (daughter of Kate Roberts, cousin of Sidney Prescott)
September, 1994:
  • Sidney Prescott and Billy Loomis (GF1) begin dating in high school as sophomores
September, 1995:
  • Roman Bridger (GF5) seeks out his birthmother, Maureen Prescott, who rejects him. He then stalks her and records some of her affairs with others, eventually catching Hank Loomis (father of Billy Loomis (GF1)) in the act. Roman Bridger (GF5) uses the evidence to convince Billy Loomis (GF1) to murder Maureen Prescott
  • When the affair between Hank Loomis and Maureen Prescott makes Nancy Loomis (GF3) leave Hank Loomis, it's the final straw for Billy Loomis (GF1)
Thursday, September 28, 1995:
  • Billy Loomis (GF1) uses peer pressure to convince Stu Macher (GF2) to carry out the murder of Maureen Prescott and, in the process, frame Cotton Weary, who was another one of Maureen Prescott's affairs.
Between September 1995 and September 1996:
  • Cotton Weary is convicted of the murder of Maureen Prescott and sent to prison when Sidney Prescott testifies against him
  • Gale Weathers, skeptical of Cotton Weary's guilt, begins writing stories, including the published work, 'Wrongly Accused: The Murder of Maureen Prescott.' She further intends to write a follow-up book due for release in late 1996.
Approx. August, 1996:
  • Billy Loomis (GF1) cheats on Sidney Prescott with Christina Carpenter and they conceive Sam Carpenter

EVENTS OF 'SCREAM ('96)' TAKE PLACE

Film Timeline:
  • Begins late on Wednesday, September 25, 1996 - Ends early on Saturday, September 28, 1996
  • Film covers the original "Woodsboro Murders," which began with Maureen Prescott one year prior

For deaths, see 'Scream' Morgue, 1996

POST-'SCREAM ('96)'/PRE-'SCREAM 2'

September 1996--September 1997:
  • Mr. Carpenter proposes to Christina Carpenter in their senior year of high school with Nancy Loomis (GF3), not knowing that Christina Carpenter is carrying her granddaughter, Sam Carpenter
  • Grieving the loss of her son, Billy Loomis (GF1), Nancy Loomis (GF3) conspires for a copycat killing spree
May-July, 1997:
  • Sidney Prescott, Randy Meeks and Judy Hicks graduate from Woodsboro High School
May 19, 1997:
  • Birthday: Samantha Carpenter (Biological daughter of Billy Loomis (GF1) and Christina Carpenter)
August-September, 1997:
  • Sidney Prescott and Randy Meeks move to Ohio to start their lives again in college
Undetermined Dates, 1997:
  • Gale Weathers publishes 'The Woodsboro Murders,' based on the murders from the first film, including Maureen Prescott, and it becomes a best-seller
  • Sunrise Studios gives 'Stab' projects the green light; a movie as well as a novelization based on the book Gale Weathers recently wrote
  • Fake nude photos of Gale Weathers leak, whom she claims to be her head on Jennifer Aniston's body
  • Sidney Prescott and Randy Meeks enroll at Windsor College, taking Theatre and Film, respectively
  • Under the alias of reporter Debbie Salt, Nancy Loomis (GF3) prepares her revenge killing spree by contacting serial killer Mickey Altieri (GF4) to be her partner

EVENTS OF 'SCREAM 2' TAKE PLACE

Film Timeline:
  • The film takes place at an undetermined time in late 1997, most likely between a Friday and Saturday, following the idea of 'Stab' being a sneak preview at the film's beginning
  • Certain visual details, such as the marquee at the theatre reading April 12, '97, have since been retconned
  • Film covers the "Windsor College Murders"

For deaths, see 'Scream 2' Morgue, 1997

POST-'SCREAM 2'/PRE-'SCREAM 3'

Approx. Mid-1998:
  • Sidney Prescott is given an honorary diploma from Windsor College after the murders
  • Sidney Prescott and Cotton Weary do an interview with Diane Sawyer
  • Cotton Weary begins his own talk show entitled '100% Cotton' but begins to earn a bad reputation as a conman
  • Gale Weathers waits for Dewey Riley to recover in the hospital from his wounds and writes a new book entitled 'College Terror,' a.k.a 'The Windsor College Murders.' It is released by the end of the year
  • 'Stab 2' is fast-tracked and green-lit, being released at some point in 1999
1998-1999:
  • Sidney Prescott moves to Monterey, CA and adopts a Golden Retriever named Cherokee
  • Sidney Prescott begins working from home as a crisis counsellor, hiding her identity with the made-up name of "Laura"
1999:
  • Gale Weathers leaves Dewey Riley to further her career opportunities in New York and L.A.
  • 'Stab 2' gets a wide release
  • 'Stab 3' is immediately green-lit but is to be the first of the series to be completely fictional. The job is given to up-and-coming music video director Roman Bridger (GF5)

EVENTS OF 'SCREAM 3' TAKE PLACE

Film Timeline:
  • Begins late on Tuesday, February 1, 2000 - Ends early on Friday, February 4, 2000
  • Date of movies ending coincides with Roman Bridger's (GF5) 30th Birthday
  • Film covers the "Los Angeles Ghostface Killings"/"Hollywood Murders"

For deaths, see 'Scream 3' Morgue, 2000

POST-SCREAM 3/PRE-SCREAM 4

Undetermined Dates within the early 2000's:
  • Sidney Prescott and Mark Kincaid date briefly, but eventually separate
  • Judy Hicks is recruited to the Woodsboro Police Dept.
  • Sidney Prescott enrols in martial arts classes to gain experience in self-defence
  • Cherokee passes away of natural causes after several years of loyalty to Sidney Prescott
2000:
  • Gale Weathers writes her fourth book related to the murders involving Maureen and Sidney Prescott and the Ghostface Killer entitled 'Hollywood Horror,' based on the "Hollywood Murders" (Following 'Wrongly Accused,' 'The Woodsboro Murders' and 'College Terror')
2000-2011:
  • Dewey Riley is subject to intense physical therapy
2001:
  • Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley get married and live together in Woodsboro, CA for approximately a decade
2002-2005:
  • 'Stab 3: Hollywood Horror' begins development, following the tradition of basing it on the true story book written by Gale Weathers. The original 'Stab 3' was meant to be entirely fictional, but after the murders involving the film's director, Roman Bridger (GF5), the project was reworked
December 14, 2002:
  • Birthday: Tara Carpenter (half-sister of Sam Carpenter [now 5 years old] and second daughter of Christina Carpenter)
Between November and December, 2003:
  • Birthday: Quinn Bailey (GF12) (daughter of Wayne Bailey (GF10) and sister of Richie Kirsch (GF9) and Ethan Landry (GF11))
September, 2003:
  • Birthdays: Mindy Meeks-Martin and Chad Meeks-Martin (children of Martha Meeks and posthumous niece and nephew of Randy Meeks)
December, 2003:
  • Birthday: Amber Freeman (GF8) (lineage unknown)
August, 2004:
  • Birthday: Wes Hicks (Son of Judy Hicks)
Between November and December, 2004:
  • Birthday: Ethan Landry (GF11) (son of Wayne Bailey (GF10) and brother of Richie Kirsch (GF9) and Quinn Bailey (GF12))
2006:
  • 'Stab 3: Hollywood Horror' is released to wide audiences and completes the original 'Stab' trilogy; the only three films to base their events on their respective real-life Ghostface killing sprees
Between 2006 and 2007:
  • Sunrise Studios tries to license another 'Stab' movie based on real-life events; either a prequel about Maureen Prescott, or a 'Stab' remake, ultimately failing to do so
  • Sidney Prescott puts a stop to the creation of the film by threatening to sue Sunrise Studios if they attempt to use real-life events she's accociated with in their movies
  • Filming of 'Stab 5' takes place sometime in 2007
October 26, 2007:
  • 'Stab 4' is released to wide audiences and is the first 'Stab' story to be completely fictional (apart from the original concept for 'Stab 3'), however the studio keeps their rights to Sidney Prescott's character. The film is released alongside 'Saw IV'
2008:
  • Filming of 'Stab 6' takes place
October 24, 2008:
  • 'Stab 5' is released to wide audiences and goes down, critically as the "infamous time travel plot." The film is released alongside 'Saw V'. The film is said to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the first film, however this is off by a year. Real calendars mark October 24, 1998 as a Wednseday, but with movie release dates, Friday, October 24, 1997 fits better with other aspects of the timeline as well. (This may be edited in more detail later)
2009:
  • Filming of 'Stab 7' takes place
  • First annual 'Stab-a-Thon' takes place, hosted by Woodsboro High Cinema Club president Charlie Walker (GF7) and vice president Robbie Mercer
October 23, 2009:
  • 'Stab 6' is released to wide audiences, and is the final 'Stab' film to continue the storyline from the previous five films. The film is released alongside 'Saw VI,' and its plot has more to do with a social media stalker this time
2010:
  • 'Stab 7' is released to wide audiences and, for the first time, takes itself outside of the storyline of the first six films and takes a more meta approach to its storytelling, as seen in the beginning of 'Scream 4.' It is the final 'Stab' film (so far)
  • Second annual 'Stab-a-Thon' takes place
  • Sidney Prescott writes a self-help book based on her experiences called 'Out of Darkness,' which gives a more accurate and detailed account of the events she was involved with
Between December 15-24, 2010:
  • Sam Carpenter (now 13) discovers the origins of her family (involving Billy Loomis (GF1)) while looking for Christmas presents. She confronts her moter, Christine Carpenter, but Mr. Carpenter overhears this and abandons the family immediately.
Between 2010 and 2011:
  • Jill Roberts (GF6) begins a secret relationship with Charlie Walker (GF7) after her boyfriend Trevor Sheldon cheats on her. Together, they conspire for a 15th anniversary killing spree upon learning that Jill Roberts (GF6) cousin Sidney Prescott is coming back to her hometown of Woosboro, CA to promote her book

EVENTS OF 'SCREAM 4' TAKE PLACE

Film Timeline:
  • Begins late on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - Ends early on Saturday, October 1, 2011
  • Film covers the "The Second Woodsboro Murders"

For deaths, see 'Scream 4' Morgue, 2011

POST-SCREAM 4/PRE-SCREAM ('22)

  • Between October, 2011 and October 2021:
  • Kirby Reed, surviving the events of 'Scream 4,' moves to an undisclosed location
Between 2012 and 2015:
  • Sidney Prescott and Mark Kincaid reconcile and get married. In this time frame, they also have two daughters together, who remain unnamed
  • Gale Weathers moves to New York City, and Dewey Riley splits up with her after two months
2016:
  • Sam Carpenter (now 18, going on 19) leaves Woodsboro, abandoning her sister, Tara Carpenter (now 13)
Between 2016 and 2019:
  • After serving as Woodsboro Town Sheriff for approximately 16 years, Dewey Riley passes the position off to his deputy, Judy Hicks
2018:
  • Kirby Reed gives a public interview about the events she went through and how she managed to survive
Between 2019 and 2021:
  • Although he still watches her show on TV from his trailer, Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers cut ties altogether
  • Sidney Prescott and Mark Kincaid have a third child together, again unnamed
2021:
  • 'Stab' (2021) is released, directed by Rian Johnson
March 2021:
  • Sam Carpenter meets Richie Kirsch (GF9)
May 2021:
  • Username StabHead uploads "Not My Stab! Join the StabHead Army and #RedoStab2021!!!"
  • 'Stab' fanatics Amber Freeman (GF8) and Richie Kirsch (GF9) meet online and conspire to create a "requel" killing spree to the original 'Stab,' using Sam and Tara Carpenter as their main victims

EVENTS OF 'SCREAM' ('22) TAKE PLACE

Film Timeline:
  • Begins late on Monday, September 27, 2021 - Ends early on Monday, September 27, 2021
  • Film covers the "The Legacy Killings"

For deaths, see 'Scream' Morgue, 2022

POST-SCREAM ('22)/PRE-SCREAM VI

October, 2021:
  • The Bailey family finds out about Richie Kirsch's (GF9) death and conspires to revenge kill Sam and Tara Carpenter
April 2022:
  • Sam and Tara Carpenter, along with Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin relocate to New York City to attend Blackmore Univerity
  • Quinn Bailey (GF12) and Ethan Landry (GF11) become roommates with Sam and Tara Carpenter and Chad Meeks-Martin, respectively
  • Wayne Bailey (GF10) jons the NYPD as a detective

EVENTS OF 'SCREAM VI' TAKE PLACE

Film Timeline:
  • Begins late on Saturday, October 29, 2022 - Ends early on Tuesday, November 1, 2022
  • Film covers the "The New York Killings"

For deaths, see 'Scream VI' Morgue, 2023