The timeline of My Name is Earl has been loosely established. The series is supposed to progress one year per season, with the first season taking place in 2005.
1910s
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1913
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- Mr. Turtle is born.
1930s
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1936
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- Richard Chubby is born. ("Dodge's Dad")
1940s
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1942
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- Ernie Belcher is born ("Inside Probe (Part 1)").
1950s
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1954
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- Little Chubby is born.
1960s
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1963
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- Right Choice Ranch is opened.
1967
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- Joy's father has an affair with a black woman ("B.L.O.W.").
1970s
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1970
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- April 25: Earl Hickey is born.
1973
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- Joy's father has an affair with a black woman ("B.L.O.W.").
- Baby Earl ruins his fathers blueberry crumble with help from Kay, by not pointing his dingle the other way ("Cost Dad the Election")1975:Randy Hickey Is Born.
1977
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- Earl punched Rick James in the groin ("Cost Dad the Election")
Unknown
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- September: Joy Darville is born.
1980s
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- During the 1980s Warden Jerry Hazelwood (then known as Richard Jammer) filmed an adult movie in Darnell's (then known as Harry Monroe) apartment for $500 to split between Harry and his roommate, who doubled as sound man for the shoot ("Early Release").
1980
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- Joy and Liberty Washington fight over who is going to erase the chalkboard in class ("B.L.O.W.").
1981
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- Joy and her mother win the Prettiest Pretty Princess mother daughter beauty pageant ("Broke Joy's Fancy Figurine").
- Joy's father has an affair with a black woman ("B.L.O.W.").
1982
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- Shelly Stoker and her mother win the Prettiest Pretty Princess mother daughter beauty pageant, and continue to do so for many years ("Broke Joy's Fancy Figurine").
- Summer: Earl and Randy attended Right Choice Ranch where earl was blamed for burning down the barn, which Randy later addmitted to ("Barn Burner").
1983
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- While Carl was sleeping, Earl cut a lock of his fathers hair and glued a Hitler mustache to Carl's face, just before the Goldbergs rang the doorbell for dinner ("Cost Dad the Election").
1984
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- Earl made fun of Maggie Lester, a bearded girl, at his school ("Sticks & Stones").
- Summer: Pinky (Joy Turner in a pink wig) and Skipper (Randy Hickey) meet at Lake until being broken up by then-young Earl Hickey. ("Pinky")
1985
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- Kay Hickey had an affair with Clark Clark, which resulted in the latter moving away from their street ("Monkeys Take a Bath").
1989
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- March 14: Earl moved out of his parent's house ("Dad's Car").
1990s
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- At some point in the 1990s Warden Jerry Hazelwood, (formally known as Richard Jammer,) made a small comeback in his career as a porn star from the 1980s.
1992
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- Earl's heart stopped breifly at a Motorhead concert.("Barn Burner")
1999
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- Sweet Johnny fell and hit his head, causing him brain damage and loss of the ability to make new memories. He's stuck in a loop of the day before his big stunt. ("Sweet Johnny")
- June: Joy Darville sleeps with an unknown man (Earl Hickey) and becomes pregnant.
- December: Joy cons Earl Hickey into marrying her. ("The Bounty Hunter")
- December 31: Earl, Joy, Darnell, Randy and Donny think the world has ended and they are the last survivors of humanity, and decide to take over a Bargain Bag store. ("Y2K")
2000s
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2000
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- Dodge is born.
- Earl, Randy and Joy attempt to steal things from George and Alby Tollhurst's house, but Earl is caught. ("Boogeyman")
2001
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- April 9: Ernie Belcher disappears. An investigation is launched into his death by the Inside Probe team ("Inside Probe (Part 1)")
- Earl Jr. is conceived at a Dio concert. ("Guess Who's Coming Out of Joy")
- Carl Hickey ran for Mayor against Marty Park.("Cost Dad the Election")
2002
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- Earl Jr. is born.
- Earl bought Joy batteries for Christmas. ("White Lie Christmas")
- Earl, Randy, Joy and Darnell and the Crab Shack regulars appear on another episode of Cops, as police respond to events occurring on the first Fourth of July after 9/11. Is stated to have occurred after the events of the previous episode of Cop's. ("Our Other 'Cops' is On! (Part 1)")
2003
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- Earl bought Joy condoms for Christmas. ("White Lie Christmas").
- Earl kidnapped Sebastian Phillips Du Champs, a cat from the Camden County Cat Show so that Joy could win ("Larceny of a Kitty Cat").
- Earl, Randy, Joy and Darnell and the Crab Shack regulars appear on an episode of Cops or at least they appear on an episode that airs at this time. It may have been filmed earlier. ("Our 'Cops' Is On!")
2004
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- Catalina begins her job at the Motel.
- Earl found Joy's keys and gave them to her for Christmas. ("White Lie Christmas")
- While playing a game of Uno Joy accuses Earl of cheating, they argue and she throws a lamp through the trailer wall ("BB")
2005
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- Earl attends Dodge's career day, pretending to be a doctor ("Dodge's Dad").
- Season 1 takes place.
- Joy Darville divorces Earl Hickey and marries Darnell Turner.
- Earl wins $100,000 on the lottery.
- Earl discovers karma and makes his List.
2006
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- Season 2 takes place.
- Catalina is deported to Mexico, but she marries Randy Hickey and is allowed to stay in America.
- Earl Hickey is sent to prison for a crime committed by Joy Turner.
2007
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- Season 3 begins.
- Earl Hickey spends time in prison, working for the Warden to reduce his sentence.
- Earl looses faith in karma, but is run down by a car and falls into a coma.
2008
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- Season 3 continues.
- Earl awakens from the coma and marries Billie Cunningham. They divorce soon after.
- Season 4 begins.
- Earl helps Buddy Zaks to make the film he always wanted.
- Carl and Kay Hickey temporarily seperated, but got back together.
2009
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- Season 4 continues.
- The Turners are enrolled in the Witness Protection Program after Darnell's cover is blown.
- They are allowed back to their old life after Darnell undertakes one final mission.
- The Camden episode of Inside Probe finally airs.
- Earl discovers he is the true father of Dodge, and Darnell is not Earl Jr.'s father
2010
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- On the series premiere of Garcia's next TV show, Raising Hope, a newscaster in the background refers to a "local man" who "finally finished" going through his list of wrongs that he had committed, saying "You'll never believe how it ends."